To use the child support calculator, select or enter the appropriate information next to each statement.
When you have completed the form, click on the calculate button to get an estimate of the amount of child support that the non-custodial parent will have to pay to the custodial parent in Florida.
The Florida Child Support Enforcement Program is administered by the Florida Department of Revenue. They provide a number of services to families that need assistance with child support throughout Florida. There are only two counties in which an alternative organization handles child support services: Miami-Dade County (child support matters are handled by the State Attorney's Office) and Manatee County (child support matters are handled by the Manatee County Clerk of Court).
Contact the Florida Child Support Enforcement Program for help with any of the following matters related to child support:
Determining Paternity
If you had a child out of wedlock and are not sure who the father is or need to establish legal paternity, the Florida Child Support Enforcement Program can help you. In Florida, there are five ways to establish paternity: marriage, acknowledgement of paternity, administrative order based on genetic testing, court order and legitimation. The Florida Child Support Enforcement Program can assist with all of these methods of determining paternity.
Establishing Child Support Orders
If you do not have a child support order in place, the Florida Child Support Enforcement Program can assist you with applying for court-ordered child support. You must have a child support order through the courts for child support payments to be a legal obligation. It is the goal of the Child Support Enforcement Program to get both parents to agree to the amount of child support based on state guidelines that are in place to help determine appropriate amounts of child support.
Enforcing Child Support Orders
The Florida Child Support Enforcement Program can help enforce child support orders by suspending the offender's licenses (professional, driver, hunting, fishing, etc.), denying a passport, issuing an income deduction order, intercepting money (IRS tax refunds, lottery winnings, workers' compensation benefits, unemployment benefits, insurance settlements, etc.), placing liens against property and freezing financial accounts. When all else fails, a negligent parent may be arrested.
Modifying Child Support Orders
Over time, financial and life circumstances change and child support orders need to be modified. Either parent may request a review of an existing support order. For a support order to change, either parent's financial situation must have changed enough to create at least a 10 percent difference in monthly child support. Generally, a parent must wait at least three years to seek a child support modification.
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