How Does the Number of Children Being Supported Impact Child Support in Florida?
In Florida, a non-custodial parent is often required to pay child support. Our state has guidelines in place for child support calculations. Income is a big factor when applying these guidelines, but it is not the only one: the number of children being supported also matters. Here, our Clearwater child support lawyer explains how the number of kids being supported impacts calculations in Florida.
The Florida Child Support Guidelines Expressly Account for the Number of Children
Florida Statutes § 61.30 contains a child support guidelines schedule that establishes a presumptive minimum support need based on two variables: the parents’ combined monthly net income and the number of children covered by the support calculation. The schedule contains separate amounts for one through six children. As the number of supported children increases, the total presumptive support obligation generally increases as well.
However, the obligation does not simply multiply by the number of children. Instead, Florida law has established progressively higher guideline amounts that recognize some household expenses are shared among multiple children. Indeed, the schedule provides separate amounts for one, two, three, four, five, and six children. As an example, at $10,000 in combined monthly net income, the scheduled minimum need is:
- $1,437 for one child;
- $2,228 for two children;
- $2,795 for three children;
- $3,148 for four children;
- $3,432 for five children; and
- $3,666 for six children.
Higher-Income Cases Use Different Percentages Based on Child Count
Florida uses a specific formula when the parents’ combined net monthly income exceeds $10,000. The court starts with the guideline amount at $10,000 and adds a percentage of the income above that threshold. State law sets that percentage at 5% for one child, 7.5% for two children, 9.5% for three children, 11% for four children, 12% for five children, and 12.5% for six children.
Child Support Does Not Simply Drop by an Equal Share When One Child Ages Out
Multiple-child support awards are not ordinarily divided into equal amounts for each child. A $2,000 obligation for two children, for example, does not necessarily become $1,000 when the older child is no longer entitled to support. The guideline calculation for one child is different from the guideline calculation for two.
Child Support Obligations for Other Kids Can Affect Net Income
It should be noted that children who are not part of the pending case can also affect the calculation. Under Florida Statutes 61.30(3), court-ordered support for other children that is actually paid is an allowable deduction from gross income when determining a parent’s net income. That deduction can reduce the income attributed to that parent for purposes of calculating the current support obligation. Florida law treats later-born or subsequently adopted children differently. Their existence ordinarily does not justify reducing an existing support award. However, the specific circumstances always matter.
Call Our Clearwater Child Support Attorney Today
At the Law Office of Gale H. Moore P.A., our Clearwater child support attorney is a compassionate, experienced advocate for parents. If you have any questions about how child support is calculated, we can help. Contact us right away to set up a strictly confidential, no obligation case review. We handle child support cases in Largo, Clearwater, and throughout Pinellas County.
