Florida Senate - 2010 SB 2246
By the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
586-02220A-10 20102246__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to child support guidelines; amending
3 s. 61.13, F.S.; requiring all child support orders
4 after a certain date to contain certain provisions;
5 creating s. 61.29, F.S.; providing principles for
6 implementing the support guidelines schedule; amending
7 s. 61.30, F.S.; requiring that census information be
8 used if information about earnings level in the
9 community is not available; providing that the burden
10 of proof is on the party seeking to impute income to
11 the other party; providing for the calculation of the
12 obligor parent’s child support payment under certain
13 circumstances; revising the deviation factors that a
14 court may consider when adjusting a parent’s share of
15 the child support award; providing an effective date.
16
17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
20 61.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
21 61.13 Support of children; parenting and time-sharing;
22 powers of court.—
23 (1)(a) In a proceeding under this chapter, the court may at
24 any time order either or both parents who owe a duty of support
25 to a child to pay support to the other parent or, in the case of
26 both parents, to a third party who has the person with custody
27 in accordance with the child support guidelines schedule in s.
28 61.30.
29 1. All child support orders and income deduction orders
30 entered on or after October 1, 2010, must provide:
31 a. For child support to terminate on a child’s 18th
32 birthday unless the court finds or previously found that s.
33 743.07(2) applies, or is otherwise agreed to by the parties;
34 b. A schedule, based on the record existing at the time of
35 the order, stating the amount of the monthly child support
36 obligation for all the minor children at the time of the order
37 and the amount of child support that will be owed for any
38 remaining children after one or more of the children is no
39 longer entitled to receive child support; and
40 c. The month, day, and year that the reduction or
41 termination of child support becomes effective.
42 2. The court initially entering an order requiring one or
43 both parents to make child support payments has continuing
44 jurisdiction after the entry of the initial order to modify the
45 amount and terms and conditions of the child support payments if
46 when the modification is found necessary by the court to be in
47 the best interests of the child;, when the child reaches
48 majority; if, when there is a substantial change in the
49 circumstances of the parties; if, when s. 743.07(2) applies;, or
50 when a child is emancipated, marries, joins the armed services,
51 or dies. The court initially entering a child support order has
52 continuing jurisdiction to require the obligee to report to the
53 court on terms prescribed by the court regarding the disposition
54 of the child support payments.
55 Section 2. Section 61.29, Florida Statutes, is created to
56 read:
57 61.29 Child support guidelines; principles.—The courts
58 shall adhere to the following principles in implementing the
59 child support guidelines schedule:
60 (1) A parent’s first and principal obligation is to support
61 his or her minor child.
62 (2) Both parents are mutually responsible for the support
63 of their children.
64 (3) Each parent should pay for the support of the children
65 according to a parent’s ability to pay.
66 (4) Children should share in the standard of living of both
67 parents. Child support may therefore be appropriately used to
68 improve the standard of living of the children’s primary
69 residence in order to improve the lives of the children.
70 (5) The guidelines schedule takes into account each
71 parent’s actual income and level of responsibility for the
72 children.
73 (6) It is presumed that the parent having primary physical
74 responsibility for the children contributes a significant
75 portion of his or her available resources for the support of the
76 children.
77 (7) The guidelines schedule is based on the parents’
78 combined net income estimated to have been allocated to the
79 child if the parents and children were living in an intact
80 household.
81 (8) The guidelines schedule encourages fair and efficient
82 settlement of conflicts between parents and minimizes the need
83 for litigation.
84 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and subsections
85 (6), (7), and (11) of section 61.30, Florida Statutes, are
86 amended to read:
87 61.30 Child support guidelines; retroactive child support.—
88 (2) Income shall be determined on a monthly basis for each
89 parent as follows:
90 (b) Monthly income on a monthly basis shall be imputed to
91 an unemployed or underemployed parent if when such unemployment
92 employment or underemployment is found by the court to be
93 voluntary on that parent’s part, absent a finding of fact by the
94 court of physical or mental incapacity or other circumstances
95 over which the parent has no control. In the event of such
96 voluntary unemployment or underemployment, the employment
97 potential and probable earnings level of the parent shall be
98 determined based upon his or her recent work history,
99 occupational qualifications, and prevailing earnings level in
100 the community if such information is available. If the
101 information is unavailable or the unemployed or underemployed
102 parent fails to supply the required financial information in a
103 child support proceeding, the earnings level shall be based on
104 the median income of year-round full-time workers as derived
105 from current population reports or replacement reports published
106 by the United States Bureau of Census. as provided in this
107 paragraph; However, the court may refuse to impute income to a
108 parent if the court finds it necessary for the parent to stay
109 home with the child who is the subject of a child support
110 calculation.
111 1. To impute income to a party in a child support
112 proceeding, the court must:
113 a. Conclude that the unemployment or underemployment was
114 voluntary.
115 b. Determine whether any subsequent underemployment
116 resulted from the spouse’s pursuit of his or her own interests
117 or through less than diligent and bona fide efforts to find
118 employment paying income at a level equal to or better than that
119 formerly received.
120 2. The burden of proof is on the party seeking to impute
121 income to the other party.
122 (c) Public assistance as defined in s. 409.2554 shall be
123 excluded from gross income.
124 (6) The following guidelines schedule shall be applied to
125 the combined net income to determine the minimum child support
126 need:
127 Combined Monthly
128 Net Income Child or Children
129 One Two Three Four Five Six
130 650.00 74 75 75 76 77 78
131 700.00 119 120 121 123 124 125
132 750.00 164 166 167 169 171 173
133 800.00 190 211 213 216 218 220
134 850.00 202 257 259 262 265 268
135 900.00 213 302 305 309 312 315
136 950.00 224 347 351 355 359 363
137 1000.00 235 365 397 402 406 410
138 1050.00 246 382 443 448 453 458
139 1100.00 258 400 489 495 500 505
140 1150.00 269 417 522 541 547 553
141 1200.00 280 435 544 588 594 600
142 1250.00 290 451 565 634 641 648
143 1300.00 300 467 584 659 688 695
144 1350.00 310 482 603 681 735 743
145 1400.00 320 498 623 702 765 790
146 1450.00 330 513 642 724 789 838
147 1500.00 340 529 662 746 813 869
148 1550.00 350 544 681 768 836 895
149 1600.00 360 560 701 790 860 920
150 1650.00 370 575 720 812 884 945
151 1700.00 380 591 740 833 907 971
152 1750.00 390 606 759 855 931 996
153 1800.00 400 622 779 877 955 1022
154 1850.00 410 638 798 900 979 1048
155 1900.00 421 654 818 923 1004 1074
156 1950.00 431 670 839 946 1029 1101
157 2000.00 442 686 859 968 1054 1128
158 2050.00 452 702 879 991 1079 1154
159 2100.00 463 718 899 1014 1104 1181
160 2150.00 473 734 919 1037 1129 1207
161 2200.00 484 751 940 1060 1154 1234
162 2250.00 494 767 960 1082 1179 1261
163 2300.00 505 783 980 1105 1204 1287
164 2350.00 515 799 1000 1128 1229 1314
165 2400.00 526 815 1020 1151 1254 1340
166 2450.00 536 831 1041 1174 1279 1367
167 2500.00 547 847 1061 1196 1304 1394
168 2550.00 557 864 1081 1219 1329 1420
169 2600.00 568 880 1101 1242 1354 1447
170 2650.00 578 896 1121 1265 1379 1473
171 2700.00 588 912 1141 1287 1403 1500
172 2750.00 597 927 1160 1308 1426 1524
173 2800.00 607 941 1178 1328 1448 1549
174 2850.00 616 956 1197 1349 1471 1573
175 2900.00 626 971 1215 1370 1494 1598
176 2950.00 635 986 1234 1391 1517 1622
177 3000.00 644 1001 1252 1412 1540 1647
178 3050.00 654 1016 1271 1433 1563 1671
179 3100.00 663 1031 1289 1453 1586 1695
180 3150.00 673 1045 1308 1474 1608 1720
181 3200.00 682 1060 1327 1495 1631 1744
182 3250.00 691 1075 1345 1516 1654 1769
183 3300.00 701 1090 1364 1537 1677 1793
184 3350.00 710 1105 1382 1558 1700 1818
185 3400.00 720 1120 1401 1579 1723 1842
186 3450.00 729 1135 1419 1599 1745 1867
187 3500.00 738 1149 1438 1620 1768 1891
188 3550.00 748 1164 1456 1641 1791 1915
189 3600.00 757 1179 1475 1662 1814 1940
190 3650.00 767 1194 1493 1683 1837 1964
191 3700.00 776 1208 1503 1702 1857 1987
192 3750.00 784 1221 1520 1721 1878 2009
193 3800.00 793 1234 1536 1740 1899 2031
194 3850.00 802 1248 1553 1759 1920 2053
195 3900.00 811 1261 1570 1778 1940 2075
196 3950.00 819 1275 1587 1797 1961 2097
197 4000.00 828 1288 1603 1816 1982 2119
198 4050.00 837 1302 1620 1835 2002 2141
199 4100.00 846 1315 1637 1854 2023 2163
200 4150.00 854 1329 1654 1873 2044 2185
201 4200.00 863 1342 1670 1892 2064 2207
202 4250.00 872 1355 1687 1911 2085 2229
203 4300.00 881 1369 1704 1930 2106 2251
204 4350.00 889 1382 1721 1949 2127 2273
205 4400.00 898 1396 1737 1968 2147 2295
206 4450.00 907 1409 1754 1987 2168 2317
207 4500.00 916 1423 1771 2006 2189 2339
208 4550.00 924 1436 1788 2024 2209 2361
209 4600.00 933 1450 1804 2043 2230 2384
210 4650.00 942 1463 1821 2062 2251 2406
211 4700.00 951 1477 1838 2081 2271 2428
212 4750.00 959 1490 1855 2100 2292 2450
213 4800.00 968 1503 1871 2119 2313 2472
214 4850.00 977 1517 1888 2138 2334 2494
215 4900.00 986 1530 1905 2157 2354 2516
216 4950.00 993 1542 1927 2174 2372 2535
217 5000.00 1000 1551 1939 2188 2387 2551
218 5050.00 1006 1561 1952 2202 2402 2567
219 5100.00 1013 1571 1964 2215 2417 2583
220 5150.00 1019 1580 1976 2229 2432 2599
221 5200.00 1025 1590 1988 2243 2447 2615
222 5250.00 1032 1599 2000 2256 2462 2631
223 5300.00 1038 1609 2012 2270 2477 2647
224 5350.00 1045 1619 2024 2283 2492 2663
225 5400.00 1051 1628 2037 2297 2507 2679
226 5450.00 1057 1638 2049 2311 2522 2695
227 5500.00 1064 1647 2061 2324 2537 2711
228 5550.00 1070 1657 2073 2338 2552 2727
229 5600.00 1077 1667 2085 2352 2567 2743
230 5650.00 1083 1676 2097 2365 2582 2759
231 5700.00 1089 1686 2109 2379 2597 2775
232 5750.00 1096 1695 2122 2393 2612 2791
233 5800.00 1102 1705 2134 2406 2627 2807
234 5850.00 1107 1713 2144 2418 2639 2820
235 5900.00 1111 1721 2155 2429 2651 2833
236 5950.00 1116 1729 2165 2440 2663 2847
237 6000.00 1121 1737 2175 2451 2676 2860
238 6050.00 1126 1746 2185 2462 2688 2874
239 6100.00 1131 1754 2196 2473 2700 2887
240 6150.00 1136 1762 2206 2484 2712 2900
241 6200.00 1141 1770 2216 2495 2724 2914
242 6250.00 1145 1778 2227 2506 2737 2927
243 6300.00 1150 1786 2237 2517 2749 2941
244 6350.00 1155 1795 2247 2529 2761 2954
245 6400.00 1160 1803 2258 2540 2773 2967
246 6450.00 1165 1811 2268 2551 2785 2981
247 6500.00 1170 1819 2278 2562 2798 2994
248 6550.00 1175 1827 2288 2573 2810 3008
249 6600.00 1179 1835 2299 2584 2822 3021
250 6650.00 1184 1843 2309 2595 2834 3034
251 6700.00 1189 1850 2317 2604 2845 3045
252 6750.00 1193 1856 2325 2613 2854 3055
253 6800.00 1196 1862 2332 2621 2863 3064
254 6850.00 1200 1868 2340 2630 2872 3074
255 6900.00 1204 1873 2347 2639 2882 3084
256 6950.00 1208 1879 2355 2647 2891 3094
257 7000.00 1212 1885 2362 2656 2900 3103
258 7050.00 1216 1891 2370 2664 2909 3113
259 7100.00 1220 1897 2378 2673 2919 3123
260 7150.00 1224 1903 2385 2681 2928 3133
261 7200.00 1228 1909 2393 2690 2937 3142
262 7250.00 1232 1915 2400 2698 2946 3152
263 7300.00 1235 1921 2408 2707 2956 3162
264 7350.00 1239 1927 2415 2716 2965 3172
265 7400.00 1243 1933 2423 2724 2974 3181
266 7450.00 1247 1939 2430 2733 2983 3191
267 7500.00 1251 1945 2438 2741 2993 3201
268 7550.00 1255 1951 2446 2750 3002 3211
269 7600.00 1259 1957 2453 2758 3011 3220
270 7650.00 1263 1963 2461 2767 3020 3230
271 7700.00 1267 1969 2468 2775 3030 3240
272 7750.00 1271 1975 2476 2784 3039 3250
273 7800.00 1274 1981 2483 2792 3048 3259
274 7850.00 1278 1987 2491 2801 3057 3269
275 7900.00 1282 1992 2498 2810 3067 3279
276 7950.00 1286 1998 2506 2818 3076 3289
277 8000.00 1290 2004 2513 2827 3085 3298
278 8050.00 1294 2010 2521 2835 3094 3308
279 8100.00 1298 2016 2529 2844 3104 3318
280 8150.00 1302 2022 2536 2852 3113 3328
281 8200.00 1306 2028 2544 2861 3122 3337
282 8250.00 1310 2034 2551 2869 3131 3347
283 8300.00 1313 2040 2559 2878 3141 3357
284 8350.00 1317 2046 2566 2887 3150 3367
285 8400.00 1321 2052 2574 2895 3159 3376
286 8450.00 1325 2058 2581 2904 3168 3386
287 8500.00 1329 2064 2589 2912 3178 3396
288 8550.00 1333 2070 2597 2921 3187 3406
289 8600.00 1337 2076 2604 2929 3196 3415
290 8650.00 1341 2082 2612 2938 3205 3425
291 8700.00 1345 2088 2619 2946 3215 3435
292 8750.00 1349 2094 2627 2955 3224 3445
293 8800.00 1352 2100 2634 2963 3233 3454
294 8850.00 1356 2106 2642 2972 3242 3464
295 8900.00 1360 2111 2649 2981 3252 3474
296 8950.00 1364 2117 2657 2989 3261 3484
297 9000.00 1368 2123 2664 2998 3270 3493
298 9050.00 1372 2129 2672 3006 3279 3503
299 9100.00 1376 2135 2680 3015 3289 3513
300 9150.00 1380 2141 2687 3023 3298 3523
301 9200.00 1384 2147 2695 3032 3307 3532
302 9250.00 1388 2153 2702 3040 3316 3542
303 9300.00 1391 2159 2710 3049 3326 3552
304 9350.00 1395 2165 2717 3058 3335 3562
305 9400.00 1399 2171 2725 3066 3344 3571
306 9450.00 1403 2177 2732 3075 3353 3581
307 9500.00 1407 2183 2740 3083 3363 3591
308 9550.00 1411 2189 2748 3092 3372 3601
309 9600.00 1415 2195 2755 3100 3381 3610
310 9650.00 1419 2201 2763 3109 3390 3620
311 9700.00 1422 2206 2767 3115 3396 3628
312 9750.00 1425 2210 2772 3121 3402 3634
313 9800.00 1427 2213 2776 3126 3408 3641
314 9850.00 1430 2217 2781 3132 3414 3647
315 9900.00 1432 2221 2786 3137 3420 3653
316 9950.00 1435 2225 2791 3143 3426 3659
317 10000.00 1437 2228 2795 3148 3432 3666
318 (a) If the obligor parent’s For combined monthly net income
319 is less than the amount in set out on the above guidelines
320 schedule:,
321 1. The parent should be ordered to pay a child support
322 amount, determined on a case-by-case basis, to establish the
323 principle of payment and lay the basis for increased support
324 orders should the parent’s income increase in the future.
325 2. The obligor parent’s child support payment shall be the
326 lesser of the obligor parent’s actual dollar share of the total
327 minimum child support amount, as determined in subparagraph 1.,
328 and 90 percent of the difference between the obligor parent’s
329 monthly net income and the current poverty guidelines as
330 periodically updated in the Federal Register by the United
331 States Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to 42
332 U.S.C. s. 9902(2) for a single individual living alone.
333 (b) For combined monthly net income greater than the amount
334 set out in the above guidelines schedule, the obligation is
335 shall be the minimum amount of support provided by the
336 guidelines schedule plus the following percentages multiplied by
337 the amount of income over $10,000:
338 Child or Children
339 One Two Three Four Five Six
340 5.0% 7.5% 9.5% 11.0% 12.0% 12.5%
341 (7) Child care costs incurred on behalf of the children due
342 to employment, job search, or education calculated to result in
343 employment or to enhance income of current employment of either
344 parent shall be reduced by 25 percent and then shall be added to
345 the basic obligation. After the adjusted child care costs are
346 added to the basic obligation, any moneys prepaid by a parent
347 for child care costs for the child or children of this action
348 shall be deducted from that parent’s child support obligation
349 for that child or those children. Child care costs may shall not
350 exceed the level required to provide quality care from a
351 licensed source for the children.
352 (11)(a) The court may adjust the total minimum child
353 support award, or either or both parents’ share of the total
354 minimum child support award, based upon the following deviation
355 factors:
356 1. Extraordinary medical, psychological, educational, or
357 dental expenses.
358 2. Independent income of the child, not to include moneys
359 received by a child from supplemental security income.
360 3. The payment of support for a parent which regularly has
361 been regularly paid and for which there is a demonstrated need.
362 4. Seasonal variations in one or both parents’ incomes or
363 expenses.
364 5. The age of the child, taking into account the greater
365 needs of older children.
366 6. Special needs, such as costs that may be associated with
367 the disability of a child, that have traditionally been met
368 within the family budget even though the fulfilling of those
369 needs will cause the support to exceed the presumptive amount
370 established by the guidelines.
371 7. Total available assets of the obligee, obligor, and the
372 child.
373 8. The impact of the Internal Revenue Service Child &
374 Dependent Care Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, and
375 dependency exemption and waiver of that exemption. The court may
376 order a parent to execute a waiver of the Internal Revenue
377 Service dependency exemption if the paying parent is current in
378 support payments.
379 9. An When application of the child support guidelines
380 schedule that requires a person to pay another person more than
381 55 percent of his or her gross income for a child support
382 obligation for current support resulting from a single support
383 order.
384 10. The particular parenting plan, such as where the child
385 spends a significant amount of time, but less than 40 percent of
386 the overnights, with one parent, thereby reducing the financial
387 expenditures incurred by the other parent; or the refusal of a
388 parent to become involved in the activities of the child.
389 11. Any other adjustment that which is needed to achieve an
390 equitable result which may include, but not be limited to, a
391 reasonable and necessary existing expense or debt. Such expense
392 or debt may include, but is not limited to, a reasonable and
393 necessary expense or debt that which the parties jointly
394 incurred during the marriage.
395 (b) If Whenever a particular parenting plan provides that
396 each child spend a substantial amount of time with each parent,
397 the court shall adjust any award of child support, as follows:
398 1. In accordance with subsections (9) and (10), calculate
399 the amount of support obligation apportioned to each parent
400 without including day care and health insurance costs in the
401 calculation and multiply the amount by 1.5.
402 2. Calculate the percentage of overnight stays the child
403 spends with each parent.
404 3. Multiply each parent’s support obligation as calculated
405 in subparagraph 1. by the sum of one and the smaller percentage
406 calculated in subparagraph 2.
407 4.3. Multiply each parent’s support obligation as
408 calculated in subparagraph 3. 1. by the percentage of the other
409 parent’s overnight stays with the child as calculated in
410 subparagraph 2.
411 5.4. The difference between the amounts calculated in
412 subparagraph 4. is 3. shall be the monetary transfer necessary
413 between the parents for the care of the child, subject to an
414 adjustment for day care and health insurance expenses.
415 6.5. Pursuant to subsections (7) and (8), calculate the net
416 amounts owed by each parent for the expenses incurred for day
417 care and health insurance coverage for the child. Day care shall
418 be calculated without regard to the 25-percent reduction applied
419 by subsection (7).
420 7.6. Adjust the support obligation owed by each parent
421 pursuant to subparagraph 5. 4. by crediting or debiting the
422 amount calculated in subparagraph 6. 5. This amount represents
423 the child support which must be exchanged between the parents.
424 8.7. The court may deviate from the child support amount
425 calculated pursuant to subparagraph 7. 6. based upon the
426 deviation factors in paragraph (a), as well as the obligee
427 parent’s low income and ability to maintain the basic
428 necessities of the home for the child, the likelihood that
429 either parent will actually exercise the time-sharing schedule
430 set forth in the parenting plan granted by the court, and
431 whether all of the children are exercising the same time-sharing
432 schedule.
433 8. For purposes of adjusting any award of child support
434 under this paragraph, “substantial amount of time” means that a
435 parent exercises visitation at least 40 percent of the
436 overnights of the year.
437 (c) A parent’s failure to regularly exercise the court
438 ordered or agreed time-sharing schedule not caused by the other
439 parent which resulted in the adjustment of the amount of child
440 support pursuant to subparagraph (a)10. or paragraph (b) shall
441 be deemed a substantial change of circumstances for purposes of
442 modifying the child support award. A modification pursuant to
443 this paragraph is shall be retroactive to the date the
444 noncustodial parent first failed to regularly exercise the
445 court-ordered or agreed time-sharing schedule.
446 Section 4. This act shall take effect January 1, 2011.