Florida Senate - 2010 CS for SB 2246
By the Committees on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; and
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
586-03227-10 20102246c1
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.; creating a rebuttable presumption of
8 census-level wages if information about earnings level
9 is not provided; providing that the burden of proof is
10 on the party seeking to impute income to the other
11 party; prohibiting imputation of income for out-of
12 date records or unprecedented earnings; removing the
13 first three combined monthly net income amounts on the
14 guidelines schedule; providing for the calculation of
15 the obligor parent’s child support payment under
16 certain circumstances; revising the deviation factors
17 that a court may consider when adjusting a parent’s
18 share of the child support award; providing an
19 effective date.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
24 61.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
25 61.13 Support of children; parenting and time-sharing;
26 powers of court.—
27 (1)(a) In a proceeding under this chapter, the court may at
28 any time order either or both parents who owe a duty of support
29 to a child to pay support to the other parent or, in the case of
30 both parents, to a third party who has the person with custody
31 in accordance with the child support guidelines schedule in s.
32 61.30.
33 1. All child support orders and income deduction orders
34 entered on or after October 1, 2010, must provide:
35 a. For child support to terminate on a child’s 18th
36 birthday unless the court finds or previously found that s.
37 743.07(2) applies, or is otherwise agreed to by the parties;
38 b. A schedule, based on the record existing at the time of
39 the order, stating the amount of the monthly child support
40 obligation for all the minor children at the time of the order
41 and the amount of child support that will be owed for any
42 remaining children after one or more of the children is no
43 longer entitled to receive child support; and
44 c. The month, day, and year that the reduction or
45 termination of child support becomes effective.
46 2. The court initially entering an order requiring one or
47 both parents to make child support payments has continuing
48 jurisdiction after the entry of the initial order to modify the
49 amount and terms and conditions of the child support payments if
50 when the modification is found necessary by the court to be in
51 the best interests of the child;, when the child reaches
52 majority; if, when there is a substantial change in the
53 circumstances of the parties; if, when s. 743.07(2) applies;, or
54 when a child is emancipated, marries, joins the armed services,
55 or dies. The court initially entering a child support order has
56 continuing jurisdiction to require the obligee to report to the
57 court on terms prescribed by the court regarding the disposition
58 of the child support payments.
59 Section 2. Section 61.29, Florida Statutes, is created to
60 read:
61 61.29 Child support guidelines; principles.-The following
62 principles establish the public policy of the State of Florida
63 in the creation of the child support guidelines:
64 (1) Each parent has a fundamental obligation to support his
65 or her minor or legally dependent child.
66 (2) The guidelines schedule is based on the parent’s
67 combined net income estimated to have been allocated to the
68 child as if the parents and children were living in an intact
69 household.
70 (3) The guidelines encourage fair and efficient settlement
71 of support issues between parents and minimizes the need for
72 litigation.
73 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and subsections
74 (6), (7), and (11) of section 61.30, Florida Statutes, are
75 amended to read:
76 61.30 Child support guidelines; retroactive child support.—
77 (2) Income shall be determined on a monthly basis for each
78 parent as follows:
79 (b) Monthly income on a monthly basis shall be imputed to
80 an unemployed or underemployed parent if when such unemployment
81 employment or underemployment is found by the court to be
82 voluntary on that parent’s part, absent a finding of fact by the
83 court of physical or mental incapacity or other circumstances
84 over which the parent has no control. In the event of such
85 voluntary unemployment or underemployment, the employment
86 potential and probable earnings level of the parent shall be
87 determined based upon his or her recent work history,
88 occupational qualifications, and prevailing earnings level in
89 the community if such information is available. If the
90 information concerning a parent’s income is unavailable, a
91 parent fails to participate in a child support proceeding, or a
92 parent fails to supply adequate financial information in a child
93 support proceeding, income shall be automatically imputed to the
94 parent and there is a rebuttable presumption that the parent has
95 income equivalent to the median income of year-round full-time
96 workers as derived from current population reports or
97 replacement reports published by the United States Bureau of the
98 Census. as provided in this paragraph; However, the court may
99 refuse to impute income to a parent if the court finds it
100 necessary for that the parent to stay home with the child who is
101 the subject of a child support calculation or as set forth
102 below:.
103 1. In order for the court to impute income at an amount
104 other than the median income of year-round full-time workers as
105 derived from current population reports or replacement reports
106 published by the United States Bureau of the Census, the court
107 must make specific findings of fact consistent with the
108 requirements of this paragraph. The party seeking to impute
109 income has the burden to present competent, substantial evidence
110 that:
111 a. The unemployment or underemployment is voluntary; and
112 b. Identifies the amount and source of the imputed income,
113 through evidence of income from available employment for which
114 the party is suitably qualified by education, experience,
115 current licensure, or geographic location, with due
116 consideration being given to the parties’ time-sharing schedule
117 and their historical exercise of the time-sharing provided in
118 the parenting plan or relevant order.
119 2. Except as set forth in subparagraph 1., income may not
120 be imputed based upon:
121 a. Income records that are more than 5 years old at the
122 time of the hearing or trial at which imputation is sought; or
123 b. Income at a level that a party has never earned in the
124 past, unless recently degreed, licensed, certified, relicensed,
125 or recertified and thus qualified for, subject to geographic
126 location, with due consideration of the parties’ existing time
127 sharing schedule and their historical exercise of the time
128 sharing provided in the parenting plan or relevant order.
129 (6) The following guidelines schedule shall be applied to
130 the combined net income to determine the minimum child support
131 need:
132 Combined Monthly
133 Net Income Child or Children
134 One Two Three Four Five Six
135 650.00 74 75 75 76 77 78
136 700.00 119 120 121 123 124 125
137 750.00 164 166 167 169 171 173
138 800.00 190 211 213 216 218 220
139 850.00 202 257 259 262 265 268
140 900.00 213 302 305 309 312 315
141 950.00 224 347 351 355 359 363
142 1000.00 235 365 397 402 406 410
143 1050.00 246 382 443 448 453 458
144 1100.00 258 400 489 495 500 505
145 1150.00 269 417 522 541 547 553
146 1200.00 280 435 544 588 594 600
147 1250.00 290 451 565 634 641 648
148 1300.00 300 467 584 659 688 695
149 1350.00 310 482 603 681 735 743
150 1400.00 320 498 623 702 765 790
151 1450.00 330 513 642 724 789 838
152 1500.00 340 529 662 746 813 869
153 1550.00 350 544 681 768 836 895
154 1600.00 360 560 701 790 860 920
155 1650.00 370 575 720 812 884 945
156 1700.00 380 591 740 833 907 971
157 1750.00 390 606 759 855 931 996
158 1800.00 400 622 779 877 955 1022
159 1850.00 410 638 798 900 979 1048
160 1900.00 421 654 818 923 1004 1074
161 1950.00 431 670 839 946 1029 1101
162 2000.00 442 686 859 968 1054 1128
163 2050.00 452 702 879 991 1079 1154
164 2100.00 463 718 899 1014 1104 1181
165 2150.00 473 734 919 1037 1129 1207
166 2200.00 484 751 940 1060 1154 1234
167 2250.00 494 767 960 1082 1179 1261
168 2300.00 505 783 980 1105 1204 1287
169 2350.00 515 799 1000 1128 1229 1314
170 2400.00 526 815 1020 1151 1254 1340
171 2450.00 536 831 1041 1174 1279 1367
172 2500.00 547 847 1061 1196 1304 1394
173 2550.00 557 864 1081 1219 1329 1420
174 2600.00 568 880 1101 1242 1354 1447
175 2650.00 578 896 1121 1265 1379 1473
176 2700.00 588 912 1141 1287 1403 1500
177 2750.00 597 927 1160 1308 1426 1524
178 2800.00 607 941 1178 1328 1448 1549
179 2850.00 616 956 1197 1349 1471 1573
180 2900.00 626 971 1215 1370 1494 1598
181 2950.00 635 986 1234 1391 1517 1622
182 3000.00 644 1001 1252 1412 1540 1647
183 3050.00 654 1016 1271 1433 1563 1671
184 3100.00 663 1031 1289 1453 1586 1695
185 3150.00 673 1045 1308 1474 1608 1720
186 3200.00 682 1060 1327 1495 1631 1744
187 3250.00 691 1075 1345 1516 1654 1769
188 3300.00 701 1090 1364 1537 1677 1793
189 3350.00 710 1105 1382 1558 1700 1818
190 3400.00 720 1120 1401 1579 1723 1842
191 3450.00 729 1135 1419 1599 1745 1867
192 3500.00 738 1149 1438 1620 1768 1891
193 3550.00 748 1164 1456 1641 1791 1915
194 3600.00 757 1179 1475 1662 1814 1940
195 3650.00 767 1194 1493 1683 1837 1964
196 3700.00 776 1208 1503 1702 1857 1987
197 3750.00 784 1221 1520 1721 1878 2009
198 3800.00 793 1234 1536 1740 1899 2031
199 3850.00 802 1248 1553 1759 1920 2053
200 3900.00 811 1261 1570 1778 1940 2075
201 3950.00 819 1275 1587 1797 1961 2097
202 4000.00 828 1288 1603 1816 1982 2119
203 4050.00 837 1302 1620 1835 2002 2141
204 4100.00 846 1315 1637 1854 2023 2163
205 4150.00 854 1329 1654 1873 2044 2185
206 4200.00 863 1342 1670 1892 2064 2207
207 4250.00 872 1355 1687 1911 2085 2229
208 4300.00 881 1369 1704 1930 2106 2251
209 4350.00 889 1382 1721 1949 2127 2273
210 4400.00 898 1396 1737 1968 2147 2295
211 4450.00 907 1409 1754 1987 2168 2317
212 4500.00 916 1423 1771 2006 2189 2339
213 4550.00 924 1436 1788 2024 2209 2361
214 4600.00 933 1450 1804 2043 2230 2384
215 4650.00 942 1463 1821 2062 2251 2406
216 4700.00 951 1477 1838 2081 2271 2428
217 4750.00 959 1490 1855 2100 2292 2450
218 4800.00 968 1503 1871 2119 2313 2472
219 4850.00 977 1517 1888 2138 2334 2494
220 4900.00 986 1530 1905 2157 2354 2516
221 4950.00 993 1542 1927 2174 2372 2535
222 5000.00 1000 1551 1939 2188 2387 2551
223 5050.00 1006 1561 1952 2202 2402 2567
224 5100.00 1013 1571 1964 2215 2417 2583
225 5150.00 1019 1580 1976 2229 2432 2599
226 5200.00 1025 1590 1988 2243 2447 2615
227 5250.00 1032 1599 2000 2256 2462 2631
228 5300.00 1038 1609 2012 2270 2477 2647
229 5350.00 1045 1619 2024 2283 2492 2663
230 5400.00 1051 1628 2037 2297 2507 2679
231 5450.00 1057 1638 2049 2311 2522 2695
232 5500.00 1064 1647 2061 2324 2537 2711
233 5550.00 1070 1657 2073 2338 2552 2727
234 5600.00 1077 1667 2085 2352 2567 2743
235 5650.00 1083 1676 2097 2365 2582 2759
236 5700.00 1089 1686 2109 2379 2597 2775
237 5750.00 1096 1695 2122 2393 2612 2791
238 5800.00 1102 1705 2134 2406 2627 2807
239 5850.00 1107 1713 2144 2418 2639 2820
240 5900.00 1111 1721 2155 2429 2651 2833
241 5950.00 1116 1729 2165 2440 2663 2847
242 6000.00 1121 1737 2175 2451 2676 2860
243 6050.00 1126 1746 2185 2462 2688 2874
244 6100.00 1131 1754 2196 2473 2700 2887
245 6150.00 1136 1762 2206 2484 2712 2900
246 6200.00 1141 1770 2216 2495 2724 2914
247 6250.00 1145 1778 2227 2506 2737 2927
248 6300.00 1150 1786 2237 2517 2749 2941
249 6350.00 1155 1795 2247 2529 2761 2954
250 6400.00 1160 1803 2258 2540 2773 2967
251 6450.00 1165 1811 2268 2551 2785 2981
252 6500.00 1170 1819 2278 2562 2798 2994
253 6550.00 1175 1827 2288 2573 2810 3008
254 6600.00 1179 1835 2299 2584 2822 3021
255 6650.00 1184 1843 2309 2595 2834 3034
256 6700.00 1189 1850 2317 2604 2845 3045
257 6750.00 1193 1856 2325 2613 2854 3055
258 6800.00 1196 1862 2332 2621 2863 3064
259 6850.00 1200 1868 2340 2630 2872 3074
260 6900.00 1204 1873 2347 2639 2882 3084
261 6950.00 1208 1879 2355 2647 2891 3094
262 7000.00 1212 1885 2362 2656 2900 3103
263 7050.00 1216 1891 2370 2664 2909 3113
264 7100.00 1220 1897 2378 2673 2919 3123
265 7150.00 1224 1903 2385 2681 2928 3133
266 7200.00 1228 1909 2393 2690 2937 3142
267 7250.00 1232 1915 2400 2698 2946 3152
268 7300.00 1235 1921 2408 2707 2956 3162
269 7350.00 1239 1927 2415 2716 2965 3172
270 7400.00 1243 1933 2423 2724 2974 3181
271 7450.00 1247 1939 2430 2733 2983 3191
272 7500.00 1251 1945 2438 2741 2993 3201
273 7550.00 1255 1951 2446 2750 3002 3211
274 7600.00 1259 1957 2453 2758 3011 3220
275 7650.00 1263 1963 2461 2767 3020 3230
276 7700.00 1267 1969 2468 2775 3030 3240
277 7750.00 1271 1975 2476 2784 3039 3250
278 7800.00 1274 1981 2483 2792 3048 3259
279 7850.00 1278 1987 2491 2801 3057 3269
280 7900.00 1282 1992 2498 2810 3067 3279
281 7950.00 1286 1998 2506 2818 3076 3289
282 8000.00 1290 2004 2513 2827 3085 3298
283 8050.00 1294 2010 2521 2835 3094 3308
284 8100.00 1298 2016 2529 2844 3104 3318
285 8150.00 1302 2022 2536 2852 3113 3328
286 8200.00 1306 2028 2544 2861 3122 3337
287 8250.00 1310 2034 2551 2869 3131 3347
288 8300.00 1313 2040 2559 2878 3141 3357
289 8350.00 1317 2046 2566 2887 3150 3367
290 8400.00 1321 2052 2574 2895 3159 3376
291 8450.00 1325 2058 2581 2904 3168 3386
292 8500.00 1329 2064 2589 2912 3178 3396
293 8550.00 1333 2070 2597 2921 3187 3406
294 8600.00 1337 2076 2604 2929 3196 3415
295 8650.00 1341 2082 2612 2938 3205 3425
296 8700.00 1345 2088 2619 2946 3215 3435
297 8750.00 1349 2094 2627 2955 3224 3445
298 8800.00 1352 2100 2634 2963 3233 3454
299 8850.00 1356 2106 2642 2972 3242 3464
300 8900.00 1360 2111 2649 2981 3252 3474
301 8950.00 1364 2117 2657 2989 3261 3484
302 9000.00 1368 2123 2664 2998 3270 3493
303 9050.00 1372 2129 2672 3006 3279 3503
304 9100.00 1376 2135 2680 3015 3289 3513
305 9150.00 1380 2141 2687 3023 3298 3523
306 9200.00 1384 2147 2695 3032 3307 3532
307 9250.00 1388 2153 2702 3040 3316 3542
308 9300.00 1391 2159 2710 3049 3326 3552
309 9350.00 1395 2165 2717 3058 3335 3562
310 9400.00 1399 2171 2725 3066 3344 3571
311 9450.00 1403 2177 2732 3075 3353 3581
312 9500.00 1407 2183 2740 3083 3363 3591
313 9550.00 1411 2189 2748 3092 3372 3601
314 9600.00 1415 2195 2755 3100 3381 3610
315 9650.00 1419 2201 2763 3109 3390 3620
316 9700.00 1422 2206 2767 3115 3396 3628
317 9750.00 1425 2210 2772 3121 3402 3634
318 9800.00 1427 2213 2776 3126 3408 3641
319 9850.00 1430 2217 2781 3132 3414 3647
320 9900.00 1432 2221 2786 3137 3420 3653
321 9950.00 1435 2225 2791 3143 3426 3659
322 10000.00 1437 2228 2795 3148 3432 3666
323 (a) If the obligor parent’s For combined monthly net income
324 is less than the amount in set out on the above guidelines
325 schedule:,
326 1. The parent should be ordered to pay a child support
327 amount, determined on a case-by-case basis, to establish the
328 principle of payment and lay the basis for increased support
329 orders should the parent’s income increase in the future.
330 2. The obligor parent’s child support payment shall be the
331 lesser of the obligor parent’s actual dollar share of the total
332 minimum child support amount, as determined in subparagraph 1.,
333 and 90 percent of the difference between the obligor parent’s
334 monthly net income and the current poverty guidelines as
335 periodically updated in the Federal Register by the United
336 States Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to 42
337 U.S.C. s. 9902(2) for a single individual living alone.
338 (b) For combined monthly net income greater than the amount
339 set out in the above guidelines schedule, the obligation is
340 shall be the minimum amount of support provided by the
341 guidelines schedule plus the following percentages multiplied by
342 the amount of income over $10,000:
343 Child or Children
344 One Two Three Four Five Six
345 5.0% 7.5% 9.5% 11.0% 12.0% 12.5%
346 (7) Child care costs incurred on behalf of the children due
347 to employment, job search, or education calculated to result in
348 employment or to enhance income of current employment of either
349 parent shall be reduced by 25 percent and then shall be added to
350 the basic obligation. After the adjusted child care costs are
351 added to the basic obligation, any moneys prepaid by a parent
352 for child care costs for the child or children of this action
353 shall be deducted from that parent’s child support obligation
354 for that child or those children. Child care costs may shall not
355 exceed the level required to provide quality care from a
356 licensed source for the children.
357 (11)(a) The court may adjust the total minimum child
358 support award, or either or both parents’ share of the total
359 minimum child support award, based upon the following deviation
360 factors:
361 1. Extraordinary medical, psychological, educational, or
362 dental expenses.
363 2. Independent income of the child, not to include moneys
364 received by a child from supplemental security income.
365 3. The payment of support for a parent which regularly has
366 been regularly paid and for which there is a demonstrated need.
367 4. Seasonal variations in one or both parents’ incomes or
368 expenses.
369 5. The age of the child, taking into account the greater
370 needs of older children.
371 6. Special needs, such as costs that may be associated with
372 the disability of a child, that have traditionally been met
373 within the family budget even though the fulfilling of those
374 needs will cause the support to exceed the presumptive amount
375 established by the guidelines.
376 7. Total available assets of the obligee, obligor, and the
377 child.
378 8. The impact of the Internal Revenue Service Child &
379 Dependent Care Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, and
380 dependency exemption and waiver of that exemption. The court may
381 order a parent to execute a waiver of the Internal Revenue
382 Service dependency exemption if the paying parent is current in
383 support payments.
384 9. An When application of the child support guidelines
385 schedule that requires a person to pay another person more than
386 55 percent of his or her gross income for a child support
387 obligation for current support resulting from a single support
388 order.
389 10. The particular parenting plan, such as where the child
390 spends a significant amount of time, but less than 40 percent of
391 the overnights, with one parent, thereby reducing the financial
392 expenditures incurred by the other parent; or the refusal of a
393 parent to become involved in the activities of the child.
394 11. Any other adjustment that which is needed to achieve an
395 equitable result which may include, but not be limited to, a
396 reasonable and necessary existing expense or debt. Such expense
397 or debt may include, but is not limited to, a reasonable and
398 necessary expense or debt that which the parties jointly
399 incurred during the marriage.
400 (b) If Whenever a particular parenting plan provides that
401 each child spend a substantial amount of time with each parent,
402 the court shall adjust any award of child support, as follows:
403 1. In accordance with subsections (9) and (10), calculate
404 the amount of support obligation apportioned to each parent
405 without including day care and health insurance costs in the
406 calculation and multiply the amount by 1.5.
407 2. Calculate the percentage of overnight stays the child
408 spends with each parent.
409 3. Multiply each parent’s support obligation as calculated
410 in subparagraph 1. by the sum of one and the smaller percentage
411 calculated in subparagraph 2.
412 4.3. Multiply each parent’s support obligation as
413 calculated in subparagraph 3. 1. by the percentage of the other
414 parent’s overnight stays with the child as calculated in
415 subparagraph 2.
416 5.4. The difference between the amounts calculated in
417 subparagraph 4. is 3. shall be the monetary transfer necessary
418 between the parents for the care of the child, subject to an
419 adjustment for day care and health insurance expenses.
420 6.5. Pursuant to subsections (7) and (8), calculate the net
421 amounts owed by each parent for the expenses incurred for day
422 care and health insurance coverage for the child. Day care shall
423 be calculated without regard to the 25-percent reduction applied
424 by subsection (7).
425 7.6. Adjust the support obligation owed by each parent
426 pursuant to subparagraph 5. 4. by crediting or debiting the
427 amount calculated in subparagraph 6. 5. This amount represents
428 the child support which must be exchanged between the parents.
429 8.7. The court may deviate from the child support amount
430 calculated pursuant to subparagraph 7. 6. based upon the
431 deviation factors in paragraph (a), as well as the obligee
432 parent’s low income and ability to maintain the basic
433 necessities of the home for the child, the likelihood that
434 either parent will actually exercise the time-sharing schedule
435 set forth in the parenting plan granted by the court, and
436 whether all of the children are exercising the same time-sharing
437 schedule.
438 8. For purposes of adjusting any award of child support
439 under this paragraph, “substantial amount of time” means that a
440 parent exercises visitation at least 40 percent of the
441 overnights of the year.
442 (c) A parent’s failure to regularly exercise the court
443 ordered or agreed time-sharing schedule not caused by the other
444 parent which resulted in the adjustment of the amount of child
445 support pursuant to subparagraph (a)10. or paragraph (b) shall
446 be deemed a substantial change of circumstances for purposes of
447 modifying the child support award. A modification pursuant to
448 this paragraph is shall be retroactive to the date the
449 noncustodial parent first failed to regularly exercise the
450 court-ordered or agreed time-sharing schedule.
451 Section 4. This act shall take effect January 1, 2011.