Florida Child Support Calculator — Estimate Support Under § 61.30

Parent A net monthly income ($) Monthly income after the deductions § 61.30 allows (taxes, Social Security, Medicare, mandatory retirement, self-only health insurance, court-ordered support for other children). Enter net, not gross.

Parent B net monthly income ($) The other parent's net monthly income, on the same basis.

Number of children

Parent A overnights per year (0–365) Count nights the child sleeps with Parent A. Daytime visits do not count. If both parents reach 73 overnights (20% of the year), the § 61.30(11)(b) substantial time-sharing (gross-up) formula applies; otherwise the parent with fewer overnights pays their income share. Parent B overnights = 365 − this number.

Child health insurance ($/month, optional) Monthly premium for the children's coverage only (§ 61.30(8)). Leave blank or 0 if none.

Work-related childcare ($/month, optional) Childcare needed so a parent can work, look for work, or attend school (§ 61.30(7)). Leave blank or 0 if none.

Try it: $4,000 + $2,000, 2 children, 0 overnights with Parent A → Parent A pays about $1,158/month. Change overnights to 100 and the gross-up formula applies instead.

Quick Answer

Florida calculates child support with an income-shares model under Fla. Stat. § 61.30. Both parents’ net monthly incomes are added together, the combined income is matched to the guidelines schedule for the number of children, and that basic obligation is split in proportion to each parent’s income share. If both parents have the child for at least 73 overnights a year (20% of the year), the substantial time-sharing formula applies: the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5, each parent’s share is multiplied by the other parent’s overnight percentage, and the difference is the transfer. Health insurance for the children and work-related childcare are added to the basic obligation and split the same way. Courts may deviate up to 5% from the guideline amount without written findings. As a scale check: at $5,000 combined net monthly income, the schedule amount is $1,000 for one child and $1,551 for two children — before any time-sharing or add-on adjustments.

Important: The calculator above is an estimate for planning only. It is not a court order and not legal advice. The binding calculation is the official Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Form 12.902(e), applied by a Florida family court or the Florida Department of Revenue, and it can differ because of prepaid credits, deviations, imputed income, and case-specific findings. Florida has no official state online calculator — any website tool, including this one, is an approximation.

How to use this calculator

Enter each parent’s net monthly income — income after the deductions § 61.30 allows (taxes, Social Security, Medicare, mandatory retirement, health insurance for the parent only, and court-ordered support for other children). Do not enter gross pay; the schedule runs on net income.
Choose the number of children covered by the order (1 to 6).
Enter Parent A overnights per year — nights the child actually sleeps with Parent A, from 0 to 365. Daytime visits do not count. Parent B overnights are worked out automatically as 365 minus this number.
Optionally add monthly child health insurance (the children’s premium only) and work-related childcare (care needed so a parent can work, look for work, or attend school).
Press Calculate. You get the estimated monthly transfer, who pays whom, and a full breakdown: combined income, basic obligation, each parent’s income share, the time-sharing method used, and the add-ons.

How Florida calculates child support, step by step

This is the same sequence the official worksheet follows, in plain language:

Find each parent’s gross income. Florida counts income broadly: wages, salary, bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, self-employment income (gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses), rental income, dividends, interest, royalties, pensions, Social Security, disability, workers’ compensation, unemployment, and spousal support received. A court can impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed — the calculation then uses earning capacity, not actual pay.
Subtract allowable deductions to get net income. The statute allows deductions such as federal and state taxes, Social Security and Medicare, mandatory retirement contributions, health insurance premiums for the parent, and court-ordered support paid for other children.
Combine the two net incomes. This combined figure is what the schedule looks up.
Look up the basic obligation in the § 61.30(6) schedule. Find the row for the combined income and the column for the number of children. The schedule covers combined net incomes up to $10,000 per month in $50 steps. Above $10,000, the obligation is the $10,000 schedule amount plus a percentage of the excess: 5.0% for one child, 7.5% for two, 9.5% for three, 11.0% for four, 12.0% for five, and 12.5% for six.
Split the basic obligation by income share. Each parent’s percentage share is their net income divided by the combined income. That is how parents share the basic obligation: in proportion to income, not 50/50. A parent earning 60% of the combined income is responsible for 60% of the basic obligation.
Add health insurance and childcare. Child health insurance costs (§ 61.30(8)) and work-related childcare (§ 61.30(7)) are added to the basic obligation and divided by the same income shares. On the official worksheet, each parent is then credited for amounts they already paid directly — this calculator instead splits add-ons by income share and says so openly, because it does not ask who paid the bill.
Apply the time-sharing adjustment. If each parent has the child for at least 20% of overnights — 73 nights or more — the substantial time-sharing (gross-up) formula in § 61.30(11)(b) applies (see below). Otherwise the parent with fewer overnights pays their income share, with no adjustment.

The Florida guidelines schedule (basic monthly obligation)

These are real figures from the § 61.30(6) schedule — the total obligation for both parents combined, before splitting, time-sharing, or add-ons. The calculator interpolates between these rows when your combined income falls between them; the official worksheet uses the exact $50 row, so a court figure may differ by a few dollars.

Combined net income	1 child	2 children	3 children	4 children	5 children	6 children
$2,000	$442	$686	$859	$969*	$1,057*	$1,130*
$3,000	$644	$1,001	$1,252	$1,413*	$1,541*	$1,647*
$4,000	$828	$1,288	$1,603	$1,809*	$1,973*	$2,109*
$5,000	$1,000	$1,551	$1,939	$2,188	$2,387	$2,551
$6,000	$1,121	$1,737	$2,175	$2,454*	$2,678*	$2,861*
$8,000	$1,290	$2,004	$2,513	$2,836*	$3,094*	$3,306*
$10,000	$1,437	$2,228	$2,795	$3,148	$3,432	$3,666

* Rows marked with an asterisk: the 1–3 child figures are verified schedule values; the 4–6 child figures at those incomes are derived from the verified $5,000 row ratios (which match the verified $10,000 row ratios to within 0.4%). The $5,000 and $10,000 rows are verified in full for all six child counts. Above $10,000, use the statutory percentages in step 4 above.

The 73-overnight rule and the gross-up formula

Florida counts overnights, not daytime hours. A parent who spends every day with the child but returns the child each evening has zero overnights for this calculation.

Under 73 overnights for either parent (sole time-sharing): no adjustment. The parent with fewer overnights pays their income share of the basic obligation (plus their share of add-ons) to the other parent. In short, the parent pays their income share to the other parent.
73 or more overnights for both parents (substantial time-sharing): the gross-up method applies:
1. Basic obligation × 1.5 (this reflects the cost of maintaining two households for the child).
2. Each parent’s share of that grossed-up amount, based on income share.
3. Each share multiplied by the other parent’s overnight percentage.
4. The smaller result is subtracted from the larger — the parent with the larger result pays the difference.

Counterintuitive but real: crossing the 73-overnight threshold does not always lower the payment. Just above the threshold, the 1.5× gross-up can produce a higher transfer than the sole time-sharing figure — the adjustment only starts reducing the transfer as overnights move further toward equal time. Run both sides of the threshold in the calculator before assuming more overnights means less support.

Worked example 1: sole time-sharing

Parent A nets $4,000/month, Parent B nets $2,000/month, 2 children, Parent A has 0 overnights (Parent B is the primary residential parent), no add-ons.

Combined income: $4,000 + $2,000 = $6,000.
Basic obligation at $6,000 for 2 children: $1,737.
Parent A’s income share: $4,000 ÷ $6,000 = 66.7%.
Parent A has fewer than 73 overnights, so no gross-up. Parent A pays 66.7% × $1,737 = $1,158/month to Parent B.

Worked example 2: substantial time-sharing (gross-up)

Same incomes and children, but Parent A now has 100 overnights (Parent B has 265). Both parents clear 73, so the gross-up applies.

Basic obligation: $1,737. Grossed up: $1,737 × 1.5 = $2,605.50.
Parent A’s grossed amount: $2,605.50 × 66.7% × (265 ÷ 365) = $1,261.11.
Parent B’s grossed amount: $2,605.50 × 33.3% × (100 ÷ 365) = $237.95.
Transfer: $1,261.11 − $237.95 = $1,023.16/month from Parent A to Parent B.

Adding $300 of health insurance and $500 of childcare ($800 total) raises the transfer by Parent A’s 66.7% share of the add-ons ($533.33), to $1,556.50/month — with the caveat that the official worksheet would credit whoever actually paid those bills directly.

Worked example 3: why 50/50 does not mean $0

Parent A nets $6,000/month, Parent B nets $3,000/month, 2 children, 182 overnights each (50/50).

Combined income: $9,000. Basic obligation (interpolated between the $8,000 and $9,800 rows): $2,120.11.
Grossed up: $2,120.11 × 1.5 = $3,180.17.
Parent A’s grossed amount: $3,180.17 × 66.7% × (183 ÷ 365) = $1,062.96.
Parent B’s grossed amount: $3,180.17 × 33.3% × (182 ÷ 365) = $528.58.
Transfer: $534.38/month from Parent A to Parent B.

Equal time does not cancel support when incomes differ — the formula equalizes the child’s standard of living across both homes. Support reaches $0 only when incomes are nearly identical and time and expenses are split equally, which is rare in practice.

What the calculator does not cover

Prepaid credits: the worksheet subtracts childcare, health insurance, and medical amounts each parent already paid. This tool splits add-ons by income share instead — if you already pay a bill in full, your court figure will be lower by that credit.
Deviations: courts may deviate up to 5% without written findings, and more with specific written justification (extraordinary medical, psychological, or educational needs; the child’s independent income; seasonal income variation; the child’s age and needs; assets available).
Low-income cases: when the paying parent’s net income is below the schedule range, the amount is set case by case, capped at the lesser of their actual share or 90% of the difference between their net income and the federal poverty guideline for a single person. Treat calculator results below $2,000 combined income as especially rough.
Other children, imputed income, and retroactive support: prior court-ordered obligations, voluntarily reduced income, and support for past periods all change the worksheet result and are not modeled here.
No $50 minimum is assumed: some generic calculators quote a $50/month floor. No such general floor was verified in § 61.30 for this page, so none is applied.

Converting pay to monthly income

The schedule runs on monthly figures. Convert other pay frequencies like this:

Paid twice a month: paycheck × 2 = monthly income.
Paid every two weeks: paycheck × 26 ÷ 12 = monthly income.
Paid weekly: paycheck × 52 ÷ 12 = monthly income.

Use the same conversion for recurring bonuses or overtime averaged over the year.

When support ends, modification, and enforcement

When support ends: support generally ends at 18. If the child is still in high school at 18 and expected to graduate before 19, it can continue until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first. Support can continue indefinitely for a child who cannot become self-supporting due to a mental or physical incapacity that began before 18. It can also end early if the child marries, joins the military, or is legally emancipated. With several children, the order usually steps down (not off) as each child ages out.
Modification: either parent can ask the court to modify support on a substantial change in circumstances — the guideline test is a difference of at least 15% or $50 per month, whichever is greater, from the current amount. Common triggers: job loss or promotion, a changed overnight schedule, new medical needs, or changed childcare or insurance costs. The Florida Department of Revenue also reviews orders every three years on request. Keep paying the existing order until a judge changes it — arrears keep accumulating otherwise.
Enforcement: the Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program handles establishment, modification review, and enforcement — including income deduction (automatic paycheck withholding, the default for new orders), license suspension, tax refund intercept, passport denial for arrears over $2,500, bank levies, property liens, and credit reporting. Support and time-sharing are separate issues: being denied time-sharing does not pause support, and withholding support does not create time-sharing rights — each needs its own court motion.
Tax treatment: child support is not taxable income to the receiving parent and not tax-deductible for the paying parent.

Frequently asked questions

How is child support calculated in Florida?

Florida uses the income-shares model in Fla. Stat. § 61.30: combine both parents’ net monthly incomes, look up the basic obligation in the § 61.30(6) schedule for that income and number of children, split it by each parent’s income share, add health insurance and work-related childcare split the same way, and apply the substantial time-sharing gross-up if both parents have at least 73 overnights a year.

What is the 73-overnight rule in Florida?

When each parent exercises time-sharing for at least 20% of the year’s overnights — 73 nights — § 61.30(11)(b) requires the gross-up formula: basic obligation × 1.5, each parent’s income share of that amount multiplied by the other parent’s overnight percentage, and the difference paid by the parent with the larger result. Below 73 overnights for either parent, the parent with fewer overnights simply pays their income share.

Does 50/50 custody mean no child support in Florida?

No. With equal overnights but different incomes, the higher-earning parent still pays — $534/month in the worked example above ($6,000 vs $3,000, 2 children). Only nearly identical incomes plus equally shared expenses bring the transfer close to zero.

What counts as income for Florida child support?

Nearly every recurring source: wages, bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, self-employment income, rental income, dividends, interest, royalties, pensions, Social Security, disability, workers’ compensation, unemployment, and spousal support received. Courts may impute income based on earning capacity if a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.

Can child support be modified in Florida?

Yes, on a substantial change in circumstances that would change the guideline amount by at least 15% or $50 per month, whichever is greater. Job changes, overnight-schedule changes, and new medical or childcare costs are the most common grounds. In child support cases, modifications generally run from the filing date, not retroactively.

When does child support end in Florida?

At 18, or at high school graduation if the child is still in school at 18 and expected to graduate before 19 — never past 19 on that basis. It can continue indefinitely for an incapacitated child, and can end early on marriage, military service, or emancipation.

Is there a maximum child support amount in Florida?

No statutory maximum. The schedule tops out at $10,000 combined monthly net income, and above that the statute adds a fixed percentage of the excess (5.0% to 12.5% depending on the number of children), so support amounts rise with income and there is no cap.

Does a new spouse’s income affect child support in Florida?

Generally no. The obligation runs between the child’s parents; a new partner’s earnings are not added to either parent’s income for the guideline calculation.

What if a parent does not pay?

The Florida Department of Revenue can enforce through wage withholding, license suspension, tax refund intercept, passport denial (arrears over $2,500), bank levy, liens, and credit reporting, and a court can hold a willfully non-paying parent in contempt. Do not stop paying without a court order changing the amount.

Sources

Florida Statute 61.30 — Child support guidelines; retroactive child support (Florida Legislature)
Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, Form 12.902(e) — Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (Florida Courts)
Florida Department of Revenue — Child Support Program (enforcement and modification review)

Disclaimer

This calculator and guide are for general information and planning only. They are not legal advice, do not create an attorney-client relationship, and do not predict what any court will order. Guideline figures are interpolated between verified schedule rows (with 4–6 child values at some incomes derived as explained in the table note), and the tool does not apply prepaid credits, deviations, or case-specific findings. Confirm your figures with the official Form 12.902(e) worksheet and a family-law attorney licensed in Florida before relying on them.