Last updated on December 30, 2025
Most online Florida child-support calculators fail to predict what a judge will actually order. Two problems cause most of the error. First, online calculators typically ask for net income — but almost no one can estimate their own net correctly, and the program judges use starts from gross. Second, many calculators fail to account for overnights. Under Florida's current law (and the 2023 equal time-sharing presumption), the majority of paying parents have 20% or more of the overnights, which triggers the gross-up formula and significantly reduces the monthly obligation.
This calculator is based on the 2026 federal tax code and the Florida Child Support Guidelines (§61.30). It asks for gross income, applies filing-status-appropriate standard deductions, estimates FICA and federal tax the way the court program does, and implements the §61.30(11)(b) gross-up formula automatically. Results are estimates; for a binding calculation for your case, call 904-858-4334.
How the Calculator Works
Florida applies the Income Shares Model to determine child support. Step by step:
- Each parent's monthly gross income is entered.
- Federal income tax is estimated from filing status and the 2026 standard deduction, then FICA (Social Security + Medicare) is subtracted.
- Allowable monthly deductions are applied: health insurance for the parent, child care, union dues, mandatory retirement contributions, and any existing court-ordered support.
- The result is each parent's net monthly income.
- Combined net income and the number of children are used to look up the minimum monthly need in the Florida schedule (§61.30(6)).
- Each parent's share of that need equals their percentage of combined net income.
- If both parents have at least 20% of the overnights (73+ nights), Florida's gross-up formula under §61.30(11)(b) multiplies the need by 1.5 and credits each parent for time with the child.
For a line-by-line walkthrough of the actual court worksheet, see Explanation of a Florida Child Support Guidelines Worksheet.
Order a Child Support Guidelines Worksheet — $20
If you would like a Child Support Guidelines Worksheet — the kind used in court and in mediations — please submit your calculation via the email link in the calculator above, and then click here to pay the $20 fee. The worksheet is created manually, so allow a few hours to receive it.
Submitting your information or paying for a worksheet does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Talk to a Jacksonville Child Support Lawyer
If you need a formal Guidelines Worksheet for court or mediation, or want to discuss how overnights, imputed income, or health-insurance allocations could change your number, I can help. Call 904-858-4334 or send me a message.