Florida child support calculator
Enter both parents' monthly income, the number of children and the overnights with you. See the estimate under Florida's guideline, step by step.
- Florida's own schedule, from section 61.30 of the Florida Statutes, the law courts apply.
- Shared by income: each parent's share follows their part of the combined net income.
- Time-sharing counts once each parent has at least 73 overnights a year (20%).
How Florida calculates child support
Florida uses an "income shares" guideline. The law sets a schedule of what parents with a given combined income are presumed to spend on their children. Each parent is responsible for a share of that amount in proportion to their income, and the court orders the paying parent to pay their share (§61.30(6), (9) and (10)).
The steps follow the state's Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Florida Family Law Form 12.902(e). The calculator shows each one, so you can compare it with the worksheet.
| 1. Net income | Each parent's gross income minus income taxes, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory union dues and retirement, their own health insurance, and court-ordered support they pay for other children or a former spouse (§61.30(2)-(3)). |
|---|---|
| 2. Schedule amount | Look up the parents' combined net income and the number of children in the schedule in §61.30(6). It runs from $800 to $10,000 a month for 1 to 6 children. |
| 3. Add costs | Add child care needed for work or school, the children's health insurance, and their uncovered medical, dental and prescription costs (§61.30(7)-(8)). |
| 4. Split by income | Each parent's share is their net income divided by the combined net income. A parent gets credit for costs they already pay directly. |
| 5. Time-sharing | If each parent has the children at least 20% of overnights, the basic amount is multiplied by 1.5 and each share is weighted by the other parent's time (§61.30(11)(b)). |
Example: $3,000 and $2,000 net, one child
These are the calculator's starting numbers: you earn $3,000 a month net, the other parent $2,000, and the child spends 60 nights a year with you.
| Combined net income: $3,000 + $2,000 | $5,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Schedule amount for $5,000, one child (§61.30(6)) | $1,000.00 |
| Your share: $3,000 ÷ $5,000 | 60% |
| Your child support: 60% × $1,000 | $600.00 |
With 60 nights you are under the 73-night threshold, so you pay your full share. If the child spent 146 nights with you (40%), the shared formula applies: $1,000 × 1.5 = $1,500; your share $900 × the other parent's 60% of nights = $540; the other parent's share $600 × your 40% = $240; you pay the difference, $300.
Time-sharing: the 73-night line
Florida law treats time-sharing as "substantial" when a parent has the children at least 20 percent of the overnights in the year (§61.30(11)(b)8). The state's worksheet puts it as 73 overnights. When both parents reach it, the court must use the shared formula. Depending on the incomes, the result can be lower or higher than under the standard formula.
Below 73 nights, the court may still consider a significant amount of time with a parent as a reason to adjust support, but the shared formula doesn't apply (§61.30(11)(a)10).
| 72 nights or fewer | Standard formula: the parent with fewer nights pays their share of the schedule amount and costs. |
|---|---|
| 73 to 292 nights | Each parent has at least 20%: shared formula, basic amount × 1.5, each share weighted by the other parent's nights. |
| Equal time | With equal incomes and nearly equal nights the two amounts almost cancel out. With different incomes, the higher earner usually still pays something. |
Questions people ask
How is child support calculated in Florida?
Add both parents' monthly net incomes and look up the combined amount and the number of children in the schedule in section 61.30 of the Florida Statutes. Add child care and the children's health costs. Each parent owes a share in proportion to their income. If each parent has the children at least 20% of overnights, a shared time-sharing formula adjusts the amount.
How much is child support for one child in Florida?
It depends on both parents' incomes. For example, with a combined net income of $5,000 a month, the schedule amount for one child is $1,000, and a parent who earns 60% of the combined income owes 60% of it, $600, before child care, health costs and time-sharing. The schedule rises from $190 at $800 of combined net income to $1,437 at $10,000.
What is the 20% rule in Florida child support?
When each parent exercises time-sharing for at least 20% of the overnights in a year (73 overnights), the court must use the substantial time-sharing formula: the basic amount is multiplied by 1.5, each parent's share is multiplied by the other parent's percentage of overnights, and the difference is what one parent pays the other.
Can the judge order a different amount?
Yes. The guideline amount is presumed correct, but the court may order up to 5% more or less after considering the children's needs and the parents' finances, and more than 5% with a written finding that the guideline amount would be unjust or inappropriate. Section 61.30(11)(a) lists factors such as extraordinary medical or educational costs, the child's own income and seasonal income.
What if combined income is over $10,000 a month?
The schedule stops at $10,000. Above that, the law adds a percentage of the income over $10,000 to the $10,000 amount: 5% for one child, 7.5% for two, 9.5% for three, 11% for four, 12% for five and 12.5% for six (§61.30(6)(b)). The calculator applies it automatically.
What if a parent earns very little?
The schedule starts at $800 of combined net income. If the paying parent's net income is below that, the law calls for an amount set case by case, to establish the principle of payment, and no more than 90% of that parent's income above the federal poverty guideline for one person (§61.30(6)(a)). The calculator then shows no number, because the court decides it.
Does Florida count my new spouse's income?
The guideline uses the parents' own incomes, and a new spouse's income isn't on the list of income in §61.30(2). A parent's own tax filing status can still change their net income, because the tax deduction is "adjusted for actual filing status", and the court can consider other circumstances when deciding whether to deviate.
Updated November 8, 2026. Sources: Fla. Stat. §61.30 (2026 Florida Statutes; the schedule last changed in 2010, the section last amended in 2023); Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (06/25); HHS 2026 poverty guidelines; IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax brackets, used only for the gross-pay estimate). An estimate, not legal advice: the court or the Florida Department of Revenue sets the actual amount. Not affiliated with any Florida agency or court.