Florida child support calculator: estimate guideline support for 2026
Fact-checked · Checked against 10 sources · See the sources
- Florida child support starts from both parents’ monthly net incomes added together. A chart in section 61.30 of the Florida Statutes turns that combined income and the number of children into a basic monthly obligation.
- Each parent owes a share of that obligation in proportion to their share of the combined income, plus the same share of work-related child care, the children’s health insurance and noncovered medical costs.
- When each parent has the children for at least 20% of the year’s overnights, 73 nights, a different formula applies: the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5 and weighted by the other parent’s overnights.
- The chart runs from $800 to $10,000 of combined net income a month. Above $10,000, a fixed percentage of the extra income is added, from 5% for one child to 12.5% for six.
- The guideline amount is presumed correct. A court may vary it by up to 5% after weighing the family’s circumstances, and by more only with a written finding.
- Florida child support calculator
- How is child support calculated in Florida?
- What counts as net income for Florida child support?
- How does the guidelines chart work?
- What if combined income is above $10,000 a month?
- How does time-sharing change the amount?
- Are child care and health insurance added?
- When can a court order a different amount?
- What happens at low incomes?
- Worked examples, line by line
- How to read the result
- Can Florida child support be changed later?
- What should you keep for a support case?
- What this guide does not cover
- Frequently asked questions
Florida child support calculator
Enter both parents’ monthly net income, the number of children and the overnights each parent has, and the calculator works through the lines of the Florida courts’ Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form 12.902(e). It uses the 06/25 edition of the form and the chart in section 61.30.
Use net income, after taxes and the other deductions described below. If income is paid weekly or every two weeks, convert it to a monthly figure first: the form’s instructions multiply weekly pay by 52 and divide by 12, and pay every two weeks by 26 and divide by 12.
- Combined net income
- $5,000.00
- Chart amount (line 2)
- $1,551.00
- Parent A share of income
- 80.00%
- Parent B share of income
- 20.00%
- Overnights, A and B
- 60 and 305
- Method
- Standard
Nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere. The numbers live in this page while it is open and disappear when you close it. This is an estimate of the guideline amount only, using Form 12.902(e) (06/25), the section 61.30 chart and the 2026 federal poverty guideline. Figures are carried at full precision and rounded to the cent at the end, since the form gives no rounding rule. The court sets the actual order.
How is child support calculated in Florida?
Florida uses an income shares model: both parents’ incomes count, and each pays a share of one combined obligation. Section 61.30 of the Florida Statutes sets the steps, and the worksheet follows them in order:
- Work out each parent’s monthly net income, and add the two together.
- Find the combined income and the number of children on the guidelines chart. That figure is the basic monthly obligation.
- Divide each parent’s net income by the combined income to get each parent’s percentage share.
- Add child care costs, the children’s health insurance and noncovered medical costs to the obligation.
- Multiply by each parent’s share, and credit each parent for what they already pay toward those added costs.
- If each parent has at least 73 overnights a year, switch to the time-sharing formula instead.
According to the Florida Department of Revenue’s page on child support amounts, the guidelines are used the first time support is ordered and every time it is changed, and the amount can be higher or lower in special circumstances.
Our page on Florida custody and time-sharing laws covers the parenting plan side of the same case, which is decided separately from support.
What counts as net income for Florida child support?
Net income is gross income minus the deductions the statute allows. Gross income is broad. Section 61.30(2)(a) lists salary or wages; bonuses, commissions, allowances, overtime and tips; business income; disability, workers’ compensation and unemployment benefits; pensions and social security; spousal support received; interest and dividends; rental income; and other items.
Section 61.30(3) then lists the allowable deductions:
- Federal, state and local income tax, adjusted for actual filing status and dependents.
- Federal insurance contributions or self-employment tax.
- Mandatory union dues and mandatory retirement payments.
- Health insurance payments, excluding the cost of covering the children. That cost is added later instead.
- Court-ordered support for other children that is actually paid.
- Spousal support paid under a court order.
Self-employed parents. Business income is gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary expenses required to produce it, and self-employment tax is one of the deductions. Enter the result as net income.
Other support obligations. Support a parent actually pays for children from another relationship under a court order is subtracted before the incomes are combined.
A parent who is not working. Under section 61.30(2)(b), income is imputed to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, unless the court finds a physical or mental incapacity or other circumstances outside that parent’s control. A calculator cannot decide that question, so enter the figure the court is likely to use.
How does the guidelines chart work?
The guidelines chart printed in Form 12.902(e) lists combined monthly net income in $50 rows from $800 to $10,000, with a column for each number of children from one to six. The figure at the crossing is the minimum child support need for the family, and it is the same chart that appears in section 61.30(6).
The amount does not rise in a straight line with the number of children. At $5,000 of combined income, for example, the chart gives $1,000 for one child and $1,551 for two.
Between two rows. Combined income often falls between two $50 rows. Neither the statute nor the form says which row to use, so when that happens the calculator shows both, as a range. For two children and a combined income of $4,020, the chart gives $1,288 at the $4,000 row and $1,302 at the $4,050 row.
What if combined income is above $10,000 a month?
The obligation is the chart amount at $10,000, plus a percentage of the income over $10,000. Section 61.30(6)(b) sets the percentages, and the form’s instructions point there for any combined income not listed on the chart.
| Children | Chart amount at $10,000 | Added for each dollar over $10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,437 | 5.0% |
| 2 | $2,228 | 7.5% |
| 3 | $2,795 | 9.5% |
| 4 | $3,148 | 11.0% |
| 5 | $3,432 | 12.0% |
| 6 | $3,666 | 12.5% |
So for three children and $15,000 of combined income, the basic obligation is $2,795 plus 9.5% of $5,000, or $3,270. The calculator applies this formula automatically. There is no upper cap in the statute.
How does time-sharing change the amount?
When each parent has the children for a substantial amount of time, the court must use a different formula. Section 61.30(11)(b)8 defines a substantial amount of time as at least 20 percent of the overnights of the year, and the worksheet’s time-sharing section puts that at 73 overnights.
Under that formula, the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5 and split by income share. Each parent’s part is then multiplied by the percentage of overnights the children spend with the other parent, and the two results are compared. Child care and health costs are split separately and added afterwards. The parent with the larger total pays the difference.
| Feature | Standard method | Substantial time-sharing method |
|---|---|---|
| When it applies | One parent has fewer than 73 overnights | Each parent has 73 overnights or more |
| Chart amount | Used as listed | Multiplied by 1.5 |
| Overnights | Not part of the formula | Each share weighted by the other parent’s overnights |
| Who pays | The parent with fewer overnights | The parent whose total is larger |
| Worksheet lines | 1 to 9 | 10 to 21 |
The 73-night line can move the number either way. In our first worked example below, Parent A pays $1,240.80 a month at 72 overnights. At 73 overnights the time-sharing formula applies, and with these incomes the 1.5 multiplier outweighs the overnight credit, so the figure rises to $1,395.90. With other incomes, crossing the line lowers it.
“This 73-overnight threshold is often called the “20% cliff” because crossing it, even by a single night, can change the monthly support amount by hundreds of dollars.”
Equal time. A 50/50 schedule does not cancel support. With 182 and 183 overnights, each parent’s share is weighted almost equally, so the parent with the higher income usually still pays the difference. When incomes are equal too, the amount can be small, as the fourth example shows.
Our parenting time percentage calculator counts the overnights in a schedule, which is the number this section depends on.
Are child care and health insurance added?
Yes. Under section 61.30(7), child care costs incurred because of a parent’s work, job search, or education aimed at employment are added to the basic obligation. The cost may not exceed what quality care from a licensed source would cost.
Under section 61.30(8), the cost of the children’s health insurance and any noncovered medical, dental and prescription expenses are added too, unless the order has them paid separately on a percentage basis. If your order splits medical bills by percentage instead, leave the noncovered medical fields at zero.
The added costs are shared by income, and the parent who already pays them gets credit. On the worksheet’s final lines, a parent who pays more than their share is not credited below zero; line 18 says to enter any negative number as zero.
Our guide to documenting work-related childcare costs covers keeping the receipts behind this line. Our guide to documenting a child’s medical expenses covers tracking the noncovered costs.
When can a court order a different amount?
The guideline amount is presumed correct, but section 61.30(1)(a) lets the court vary it by up to 5% after considering the needs of the children, their age, station in life and standard of living, and the financial status and ability of each parent. A variation of more than 5% requires a written finding explaining why the guideline amount would be unjust or inappropriate.
Section 61.30(11)(a) lists the deviation factors, including:
- Extraordinary medical, psychological, educational or dental expenses.
- Independent income of the child, not counting supplemental security income.
- Seasonal variations in either parent’s income or expenses.
- The age of the child, taking into account the greater needs of older children.
- Special needs, such as costs associated with a child’s disability.
- A schedule where the child spends significant time, but less than 20% of overnights, with one parent.
What happens at low incomes?
The chart starts at $800 of combined net income, and the calculator gives no figure below it. For a paying parent whose net income is less than the chart amount, section 61.30(6)(a) says support should be set case by case, to establish the principle of payment.
The same paragraph limits that payment to the lesser of the parent’s share and 90% of the difference between the parent’s net income and the federal poverty guideline. The 2026 HHS poverty guidelines put that at $15,960 a year for one person, or $1,330 a month. When this limit is lower than the estimate, the calculator shows it as a note. Whether it applies is for the court.
Worked examples, line by line
We worked each example through the lines of Form 12.902(e) by hand and with a separate script, and the calculator on this page returned the same figures to the cent. Incomes are monthly net incomes.
| Family | Chart amount | Method | Monthly support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two children. A earns $4,000, B earns $1,000. A has 60 overnights. | $1,551 | Standard | A pays $1,240.80 |
| One child. A earns $6,000, B earns $4,000. A has 200 overnights. B pays $400 child care, A pays $150 health insurance. | $1,437 | Time-sharing | A pays $292.20 |
| Three children. A earns $12,000, B earns $3,000. A has 52 overnights. B pays $600 child care. | $3,270 | Standard | A pays $3,096.00 |
| Two children. Each earns $2,500. A has 182 overnights and pays $100 noncovered medical. | $1,551 | Time-sharing | B pays $46.81 |
| One child. A earns $1,500, B earns $3,500. A has 300 overnights. B pays $200 health insurance. | $1,000 | Standard | B pays $640.00 |
In the first example, A earns 80% of the combined $5,000, so A’s share is 80% of $1,551, which is $1,240.80. In the fifth, B’s share is 70% of $1,200 ($1,000 plus the $200 insurance), or $840, less the $200 B already pays, which leaves $640.
How to read the result
The headline figure is the monthly amount one parent pays the other under the guidelines, and the label names which parent pays. The rows underneath show the inputs the worksheet uses: combined income, the chart amount from line 2, each parent’s share, the overnights and the method.
The result is a starting point for a conversation with an attorney, not a prediction of the order. A court can move the amount by up to 5%, and further with a written finding, and it may decide income differently from the figures entered here.
For comparison, our Texas child support calculator covers a state that uses only the paying parent’s income.
Can Florida child support be changed later?
Yes, when circumstances have substantially changed. Under section 61.30(1)(b), the guidelines can be the basis for proving that change, but only when the difference between the current order and the guideline amount is at least 15% or $50, whichever is greater.
Section 61.30(11)(c) adds a time-sharing rule. If support was adjusted for time-sharing and a parent then fails to regularly exercise that schedule, for reasons not caused by the other parent, that is a substantial change, and a modification reaches back to the date the parent first stopped regularly exercising it.
Our guide to how custody modification works covers changing the parenting plan side of an order.
What should you keep for a support case?
Proof of income, proof of the children’s costs, and a record of the overnights. The overnight count decides which formula applies, and the child care and health figures are added line by line.
“Maintaining accurate records of your actual overnight time is essential.”
A calendar of the nights the children actually spent with you, kept as the year goes, is easier to rely on than a count rebuilt from memory. The same goes for dated child care receipts and insurance statements.
Our guide to keeping receipts for child expenses covers what to save and how to file it.
Documented keeps a private, dated record of the ordinary days of care, with receipts and notes sealed when you save each entry, so the detail is there when your attorney asks. Learn how it works →
What this guide does not cover
- Working out net income from gross pay. The calculator starts from net income, so taxes, retirement and the other deductions have to be figured first, usually on a financial affidavit.
- Imputed income, where a court assigns income to a parent it finds voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.
- Retroactive support, which section 61.30(17) allows in an initial case for up to 24 months before the petition is filed, along with arrears and enforcement.
- Deviations above or below the guideline amount, which depend on evidence the calculator cannot weigh.
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in Florida for shared custody?
When each parent has the children for at least 73 overnights a year, the chart amount is multiplied by 1.5 and split by income share. Each parent’s part is weighted by the other parent’s overnights, child care and health costs are split by income, and the parent with the larger total pays the difference.
Do you pay child support with joint custody in Florida?
Usually, yes. Shared parental responsibility and equal time do not cancel support. The time-sharing formula still compares the two parents’ obligations, and the parent with the larger one pays the difference, which is often the parent with the higher income.
What is the minimum child support in Florida?
There is no fixed minimum. The chart starts at $800 of combined net income. For a paying parent whose income is below the chart amount, section 61.30(6)(a) says support is set case by case and limited to 90% of the parent’s net income above the federal poverty guideline.
Does overtime count towards child support in Florida?
Yes. Section 61.30(2)(a) lists bonuses, commissions, allowances, overtime, tips and other similar payments as gross income, so they count before the deductions are taken to reach net income.
How far back can child support go in Florida?
In an initial case, section 61.30(17) lets the court award support back to when the parents stopped living together with the child, for up to 24 months before the petition was filed.
Is daycare included in child support in Florida?
Yes, when it is needed for a parent’s work, job search or education. Section 61.30(7) adds those child care costs to the basic obligation, capped at the cost of quality licensed care, and the parents share them by income.
How we researched this
We read 10 sources for this guide: section 61.30 of the Florida Statutes, five provisions of the Florida courts’ Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form 12.902(e) (06/25), the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines, the Florida Department of Revenue’s page on support amounts, and two Florida family law practice pages. We copied the guidelines chart from the statute, checked it against the form, and worked five example cases through the worksheet lines with a separate script, matching every figure to the cent before publishing the calculator on this page. Every factual claim was checked against the passage it comes from, and a claim we could not trace to a source was cut. Attorney quotes are reproduced word for word from the firm’s own published page. How our guides are written.
References
Law firm pages are cited for the quoted passages only.
- Florida Legislature. (2026). Florida Statutes § 61.30, Child support guidelines; retroactive child support. Retrieved from https://www.leg.state.fl.us/
- Florida Courts. (2025). Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (06/25), instructions. Retrieved from https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/ PDF
- Florida Courts. (2025). Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (06/25), guidelines chart. Retrieved from https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/ PDF
- Florida Courts. (2025). Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (06/25), lines 1 to 5. Retrieved from https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/ PDF
- Florida Courts. (2025). Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (06/25), substantial time-sharing. Retrieved from https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/ PDF
- Florida Courts. (2025). Form 12.902(e), Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (06/25), lines 15 to 21. Retrieved from https://flcourts-media.flcourts.gov/ PDF
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2026). HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2026. Retrieved from https://aspe.hhs.gov/
- Florida Department of Revenue. (n.d.). Child Support Amounts. Retrieved from https://floridarevenue.com/
- The TK Law Firm. (2026). 2026 Florida Child Support Calculator. Retrieved from https://onefirmforlife.com/
- Kalish & Jaggars, PLLC. (2026). 2026 Florida Child Support Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.scottjkalishlaw.com/
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Documented is a private, tamper-evident record of how you show up for your kids. This article is general information, not legal advice, and Documented is not a law firm.