Florida Senate - 2010 CS for CS for SB 2246
By the Committees on Judiciary; Children, Families, and Elder
Affairs; and Children, Families, and Elder Affairs
590-04405-10 20102246c2
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 effective
19 dates.
20
21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
22
23 Section 1. Effective October 1, 2010, paragraph (a) of
24 subsection (1) of section 61.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to
25 read:
26 61.13 Support of children; parenting and time-sharing;
27 powers of court.—
28 (1)(a) In a proceeding under this chapter, the court may at
29 any time order either or both parents who owe a duty of support
30 to a child to pay support to the other parent or, in the case of
31 both parents, to a third party who has the person with custody
32 in accordance with the child support guidelines schedule in s.
33 61.30.
34 1. All child support orders and income deduction orders
35 entered on or after October 1, 2010, must provide:
36 a. For child support to terminate on a child’s 18th
37 birthday unless the court finds or previously found that s.
38 743.07(2) applies, or is otherwise agreed to by the parties;
39 b. A schedule, based on the record existing at the time of
40 the order, stating the amount of the monthly child support
41 obligation for all the minor children at the time of the order
42 and the amount of child support that will be owed for any
43 remaining children after one or more of the children is no
44 longer entitled to receive child support; and
45 c. The month, day, and year that the reduction or
46 termination of child support becomes effective.
47 2. The court initially entering an order requiring one or
48 both parents to make child support payments has continuing
49 jurisdiction after the entry of the initial order to modify the
50 amount and terms and conditions of the child support payments if
51 when the modification is found necessary by the court to be in
52 the best interests of the child;, when the child reaches
53 majority; if, when there is a substantial change in the
54 circumstances of the parties; if, when s. 743.07(2) applies;, or
55 when a child is emancipated, marries, joins the armed services,
56 or dies. The court initially entering a child support order has
57 continuing jurisdiction to require the obligee to report to the
58 court on terms prescribed by the court regarding the disposition
59 of the child support payments.
60 Section 2. Section 61.29, Florida Statutes, is created to
61 read:
62 61.29 Child support guidelines; principles.-The following
63 principles establish the public policy of the State of Florida
64 in the creation of the child support guidelines:
65 (1) Each parent has a fundamental obligation to support his
66 or her minor or legally dependent child.
67 (2) The guidelines schedule is based on the parent’s
68 combined net income estimated to have been allocated to the
69 child as if the parents and children were living in an intact
70 household.
71 (3) The guidelines encourage fair and efficient settlement
72 of support issues between parents and minimizes the need for
73 litigation.
74 Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and subsections
75 (6), (7), and (11) of section 61.30, Florida Statutes, are
76 amended to read:
77 61.30 Child support guidelines; retroactive child support.—
78 (2) Income shall be determined on a monthly basis for each
79 parent as follows:
80 (b) Monthly income on a monthly basis shall be imputed to
81 an unemployed or underemployed parent if when such unemployment
82 employment or underemployment is found by the court to be
83 voluntary on that parent’s part, absent a finding of fact by the
84 court of physical or mental incapacity or other circumstances
85 over which the parent has no control. In the event of such
86 voluntary unemployment or underemployment, the employment
87 potential and probable earnings level of the parent shall be
88 determined based upon his or her recent work history,
89 occupational qualifications, and prevailing earnings level in
90 the community if such information is available. If the
91 information concerning a parent’s income is unavailable, a
92 parent fails to participate in a child support proceeding, or a
93 parent fails to supply adequate financial information in a child
94 support proceeding, income shall be automatically imputed to the
95 parent and there is a rebuttable presumption that the parent has
96 income equivalent to the median income of year-round full-time
97 workers as derived from current population reports or
98 replacement reports published by the United States Bureau of the
99 Census. as provided in this paragraph; However, the court may
100 refuse to impute income to a parent if the court finds it
101 necessary for that the parent to stay home with the child who is
102 the subject of a child support calculation or as set forth
103 below:.
104 1. In order for the court to impute income at an amount
105 other than the median income of year-round full-time workers as
106 derived from current population reports or replacement reports
107 published by the United States Bureau of the Census, the court
108 must make specific findings of fact consistent with the
109 requirements of this paragraph. The party seeking to impute
110 income has the burden to present competent, substantial evidence
111 that:
112 a. The unemployment or underemployment is voluntary; and
113 b. Identifies the amount and source of the imputed income,
114 through evidence of income from available employment for which
115 the party is suitably qualified by education, experience,
116 current licensure, or geographic location, with due
117 consideration being given to the parties’ time-sharing schedule
118 and their historical exercise of the time-sharing provided in
119 the parenting plan or relevant order.
120 2. Except as set forth in subparagraph 1., income may not
121 be imputed based upon:
122 a. Income records that are more than 5 years old at the
123 time of the hearing or trial at which imputation is sought; or
124 b. Income at a level that a party has never earned in the
125 past, unless recently degreed, licensed, certified, relicensed,
126 or recertified and thus qualified for, subject to geographic
127 location, with due consideration of the parties’ existing time
128 sharing schedule and their historical exercise of the time
129 sharing provided in the parenting plan or relevant order.
130 (6) The following guidelines schedule shall be applied to
131 the combined net income to determine the minimum child support
132 need:
133 Combined Monthly
134 Net Income Child or Children
135 One Two Three Four Five Six
136 650.00 74 75 75 76 77 78
137 700.00 119 120 121 123 124 125
138 750.00 164 166 167 169 171 173
139 800.00 190 211 213 216 218 220
140 850.00 202 257 259 262 265 268
141 900.00 213 302 305 309 312 315
142 950.00 224 347 351 355 359 363
143 1000.00 235 365 397 402 406 410
144 1050.00 246 382 443 448 453 458
145 1100.00 258 400 489 495 500 505
146 1150.00 269 417 522 541 547 553
147 1200.00 280 435 544 588 594 600
148 1250.00 290 451 565 634 641 648
149 1300.00 300 467 584 659 688 695
150 1350.00 310 482 603 681 735 743
151 1400.00 320 498 623 702 765 790
152 1450.00 330 513 642 724 789 838
153 1500.00 340 529 662 746 813 869
154 1550.00 350 544 681 768 836 895
155 1600.00 360 560 701 790 860 920
156 1650.00 370 575 720 812 884 945
157 1700.00 380 591 740 833 907 971
158 1750.00 390 606 759 855 931 996
159 1800.00 400 622 779 877 955 1022
160 1850.00 410 638 798 900 979 1048
161 1900.00 421 654 818 923 1004 1074
162 1950.00 431 670 839 946 1029 1101
163 2000.00 442 686 859 968 1054 1128
164 2050.00 452 702 879 991 1079 1154
165 2100.00 463 718 899 1014 1104 1181
166 2150.00 473 734 919 1037 1129 1207
167 2200.00 484 751 940 1060 1154 1234
168 2250.00 494 767 960 1082 1179 1261
169 2300.00 505 783 980 1105 1204 1287
170 2350.00 515 799 1000 1128 1229 1314
171 2400.00 526 815 1020 1151 1254 1340
172 2450.00 536 831 1041 1174 1279 1367
173 2500.00 547 847 1061 1196 1304 1394
174 2550.00 557 864 1081 1219 1329 1420
175 2600.00 568 880 1101 1242 1354 1447
176 2650.00 578 896 1121 1265 1379 1473
177 2700.00 588 912 1141 1287 1403 1500
178 2750.00 597 927 1160 1308 1426 1524
179 2800.00 607 941 1178 1328 1448 1549
180 2850.00 616 956 1197 1349 1471 1573
181 2900.00 626 971 1215 1370 1494 1598
182 2950.00 635 986 1234 1391 1517 1622
183 3000.00 644 1001 1252 1412 1540 1647
184 3050.00 654 1016 1271 1433 1563 1671
185 3100.00 663 1031 1289 1453 1586 1695
186 3150.00 673 1045 1308 1474 1608 1720
187 3200.00 682 1060 1327 1495 1631 1744
188 3250.00 691 1075 1345 1516 1654 1769
189 3300.00 701 1090 1364 1537 1677 1793
190 3350.00 710 1105 1382 1558 1700 1818
191 3400.00 720 1120 1401 1579 1723 1842
192 3450.00 729 1135 1419 1599 1745 1867
193 3500.00 738 1149 1438 1620 1768 1891
194 3550.00 748 1164 1456 1641 1791 1915
195 3600.00 757 1179 1475 1662 1814 1940
196 3650.00 767 1194 1493 1683 1837 1964
197 3700.00 776 1208 1503 1702 1857 1987
198 3750.00 784 1221 1520 1721 1878 2009
199 3800.00 793 1234 1536 1740 1899 2031
200 3850.00 802 1248 1553 1759 1920 2053
201 3900.00 811 1261 1570 1778 1940 2075
202 3950.00 819 1275 1587 1797 1961 2097
203 4000.00 828 1288 1603 1816 1982 2119
204 4050.00 837 1302 1620 1835 2002 2141
205 4100.00 846 1315 1637 1854 2023 2163
206 4150.00 854 1329 1654 1873 2044 2185
207 4200.00 863 1342 1670 1892 2064 2207
208 4250.00 872 1355 1687 1911 2085 2229
209 4300.00 881 1369 1704 1930 2106 2251
210 4350.00 889 1382 1721 1949 2127 2273
211 4400.00 898 1396 1737 1968 2147 2295
212 4450.00 907 1409 1754 1987 2168 2317
213 4500.00 916 1423 1771 2006 2189 2339
214 4550.00 924 1436 1788 2024 2209 2361
215 4600.00 933 1450 1804 2043 2230 2384
216 4650.00 942 1463 1821 2062 2251 2406
217 4700.00 951 1477 1838 2081 2271 2428
218 4750.00 959 1490 1855 2100 2292 2450
219 4800.00 968 1503 1871 2119 2313 2472
220 4850.00 977 1517 1888 2138 2334 2494
221 4900.00 986 1530 1905 2157 2354 2516
222 4950.00 993 1542 1927 2174 2372 2535
223 5000.00 1000 1551 1939 2188 2387 2551
224 5050.00 1006 1561 1952 2202 2402 2567
225 5100.00 1013 1571 1964 2215 2417 2583
226 5150.00 1019 1580 1976 2229 2432 2599
227 5200.00 1025 1590 1988 2243 2447 2615
228 5250.00 1032 1599 2000 2256 2462 2631
229 5300.00 1038 1609 2012 2270 2477 2647
230 5350.00 1045 1619 2024 2283 2492 2663
231 5400.00 1051 1628 2037 2297 2507 2679
232 5450.00 1057 1638 2049 2311 2522 2695
233 5500.00 1064 1647 2061 2324 2537 2711
234 5550.00 1070 1657 2073 2338 2552 2727
235 5600.00 1077 1667 2085 2352 2567 2743
236 5650.00 1083 1676 2097 2365 2582 2759
237 5700.00 1089 1686 2109 2379 2597 2775
238 5750.00 1096 1695 2122 2393 2612 2791
239 5800.00 1102 1705 2134 2406 2627 2807
240 5850.00 1107 1713 2144 2418 2639 2820
241 5900.00 1111 1721 2155 2429 2651 2833
242 5950.00 1116 1729 2165 2440 2663 2847
243 6000.00 1121 1737 2175 2451 2676 2860
244 6050.00 1126 1746 2185 2462 2688 2874
245 6100.00 1131 1754 2196 2473 2700 2887
246 6150.00 1136 1762 2206 2484 2712 2900
247 6200.00 1141 1770 2216 2495 2724 2914
248 6250.00 1145 1778 2227 2506 2737 2927
249 6300.00 1150 1786 2237 2517 2749 2941
250 6350.00 1155 1795 2247 2529 2761 2954
251 6400.00 1160 1803 2258 2540 2773 2967
252 6450.00 1165 1811 2268 2551 2785 2981
253 6500.00 1170 1819 2278 2562 2798 2994
254 6550.00 1175 1827 2288 2573 2810 3008
255 6600.00 1179 1835 2299 2584 2822 3021
256 6650.00 1184 1843 2309 2595 2834 3034
257 6700.00 1189 1850 2317 2604 2845 3045
258 6750.00 1193 1856 2325 2613 2854 3055
259 6800.00 1196 1862 2332 2621 2863 3064
260 6850.00 1200 1868 2340 2630 2872 3074
261 6900.00 1204 1873 2347 2639 2882 3084
262 6950.00 1208 1879 2355 2647 2891 3094
263 7000.00 1212 1885 2362 2656 2900 3103
264 7050.00 1216 1891 2370 2664 2909 3113
265 7100.00 1220 1897 2378 2673 2919 3123
266 7150.00 1224 1903 2385 2681 2928 3133
267 7200.00 1228 1909 2393 2690 2937 3142
268 7250.00 1232 1915 2400 2698 2946 3152
269 7300.00 1235 1921 2408 2707 2956 3162
270 7350.00 1239 1927 2415 2716 2965 3172
271 7400.00 1243 1933 2423 2724 2974 3181
272 7450.00 1247 1939 2430 2733 2983 3191
273 7500.00 1251 1945 2438 2741 2993 3201
274 7550.00 1255 1951 2446 2750 3002 3211
275 7600.00 1259 1957 2453 2758 3011 3220
276 7650.00 1263 1963 2461 2767 3020 3230
277 7700.00 1267 1969 2468 2775 3030 3240
278 7750.00 1271 1975 2476 2784 3039 3250
279 7800.00 1274 1981 2483 2792 3048 3259
280 7850.00 1278 1987 2491 2801 3057 3269
281 7900.00 1282 1992 2498 2810 3067 3279
282 7950.00 1286 1998 2506 2818 3076 3289
283 8000.00 1290 2004 2513 2827 3085 3298
284 8050.00 1294 2010 2521 2835 3094 3308
285 8100.00 1298 2016 2529 2844 3104 3318
286 8150.00 1302 2022 2536 2852 3113 3328
287 8200.00 1306 2028 2544 2861 3122 3337
288 8250.00 1310 2034 2551 2869 3131 3347
289 8300.00 1313 2040 2559 2878 3141 3357
290 8350.00 1317 2046 2566 2887 3150 3367
291 8400.00 1321 2052 2574 2895 3159 3376
292 8450.00 1325 2058 2581 2904 3168 3386
293 8500.00 1329 2064 2589 2912 3178 3396
294 8550.00 1333 2070 2597 2921 3187 3406
295 8600.00 1337 2076 2604 2929 3196 3415
296 8650.00 1341 2082 2612 2938 3205 3425
297 8700.00 1345 2088 2619 2946 3215 3435
298 8750.00 1349 2094 2627 2955 3224 3445
299 8800.00 1352 2100 2634 2963 3233 3454
300 8850.00 1356 2106 2642 2972 3242 3464
301 8900.00 1360 2111 2649 2981 3252 3474
302 8950.00 1364 2117 2657 2989 3261 3484
303 9000.00 1368 2123 2664 2998 3270 3493
304 9050.00 1372 2129 2672 3006 3279 3503
305 9100.00 1376 2135 2680 3015 3289 3513
306 9150.00 1380 2141 2687 3023 3298 3523
307 9200.00 1384 2147 2695 3032 3307 3532
308 9250.00 1388 2153 2702 3040 3316 3542
309 9300.00 1391 2159 2710 3049 3326 3552
310 9350.00 1395 2165 2717 3058 3335 3562
311 9400.00 1399 2171 2725 3066 3344 3571
312 9450.00 1403 2177 2732 3075 3353 3581
313 9500.00 1407 2183 2740 3083 3363 3591
314 9550.00 1411 2189 2748 3092 3372 3601
315 9600.00 1415 2195 2755 3100 3381 3610
316 9650.00 1419 2201 2763 3109 3390 3620
317 9700.00 1422 2206 2767 3115 3396 3628
318 9750.00 1425 2210 2772 3121 3402 3634
319 9800.00 1427 2213 2776 3126 3408 3641
320 9850.00 1430 2217 2781 3132 3414 3647
321 9900.00 1432 2221 2786 3137 3420 3653
322 9950.00 1435 2225 2791 3143 3426 3659
323 10000.00 1437 2228 2795 3148 3432 3666
324 (a) If the obligor parent’s For combined monthly net income
325 is less than the amount in set out on the above guidelines
326 schedule:,
327 1. The parent should be ordered to pay a child support
328 amount, determined on a case-by-case basis, to establish the
329 principle of payment and lay the basis for increased support
330 orders should the parent’s income increase in the future.
331 2. The obligor parent’s child support payment shall be the
332 lesser of the obligor parent’s actual dollar share of the total
333 minimum child support amount, as determined in subparagraph 1.,
334 and 90 percent of the difference between the obligor parent’s
335 monthly net income and the current poverty guidelines as
336 periodically updated in the Federal Register by the United
337 States Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to 42
338 U.S.C. s. 9902(2) for a single individual living alone.
339 (b) For combined monthly net income greater than the amount
340 set out in the above guidelines schedule, the obligation is
341 shall be the minimum amount of support provided by the
342 guidelines schedule plus the following percentages multiplied by
343 the amount of income over $10,000:
344 Child or Children
345 One Two Three Four Five Six
346 5.0% 7.5% 9.5% 11.0% 12.0% 12.5%
347 (7) Child care costs incurred on behalf of the children due
348 to employment, job search, or education calculated to result in
349 employment or to enhance income of current employment of either
350 parent shall be reduced by 25 percent and then shall be added to
351 the basic obligation. After the adjusted child care costs are
352 added to the basic obligation, any moneys prepaid by a parent
353 for child care costs for the child or children of this action
354 shall be deducted from that parent’s child support obligation
355 for that child or those children. Child care costs may shall not
356 exceed the level required to provide quality care from a
357 licensed source for the children.
358 (11)(a) The court may adjust the total minimum child
359 support award, or either or both parents’ share of the total
360 minimum child support award, based upon the following deviation
361 factors:
362 1. Extraordinary medical, psychological, educational, or
363 dental expenses.
364 2. Independent income of the child, not to include moneys
365 received by a child from supplemental security income.
366 3. The payment of support for a parent which regularly has
367 been regularly paid and for which there is a demonstrated need.
368 4. Seasonal variations in one or both parents’ incomes or
369 expenses.
370 5. The age of the child, taking into account the greater
371 needs of older children.
372 6. Special needs, such as costs that may be associated with
373 the disability of a child, that have traditionally been met
374 within the family budget even though the fulfilling of those
375 needs will cause the support to exceed the presumptive amount
376 established by the guidelines.
377 7. Total available assets of the obligee, obligor, and the
378 child.
379 8. The impact of the Internal Revenue Service Child &
380 Dependent Care Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, and
381 dependency exemption and waiver of that exemption. The court may
382 order a parent to execute a waiver of the Internal Revenue
383 Service dependency exemption if the paying parent is current in
384 support payments.
385 9. An When application of the child support guidelines
386 schedule that requires a person to pay another person more than
387 55 percent of his or her gross income for a child support
388 obligation for current support resulting from a single support
389 order.
390 10. The particular parenting plan, such as where the child
391 spends a significant amount of time, but less than 20 40 percent
392 of the overnights, with one parent, thereby reducing the
393 financial expenditures incurred by the other parent; or the
394 refusal of a parent to become involved in the activities of the
395 child.
396 11. Any other adjustment that which is needed to achieve an
397 equitable result which may include, but not be limited to, a
398 reasonable and necessary existing expense or debt. Such expense
399 or debt may include, but is not limited to, a reasonable and
400 necessary expense or debt that which the parties jointly
401 incurred during the marriage.
402 (b) Whenever a particular parenting plan provides that each
403 child spend a substantial amount of time with each parent, the
404 court shall adjust any award of child support, as follows:
405 1. In accordance with subsections (9) and (10), calculate
406 the amount of support obligation apportioned to each parent
407 without including day care and health insurance costs in the
408 calculation and multiply the amount by 1.5.
409 2. Calculate the percentage of overnight stays the child
410 spends with each parent.
411 3. Multiply each parent’s support obligation as calculated
412 in subparagraph 1. by the percentage of the other parent’s
413 overnight stays with the child as calculated in subparagraph 2.
414 4. The difference between the amounts calculated in
415 subparagraph 3. shall be the monetary transfer necessary between
416 the parents for the care of the child, subject to an adjustment
417 for day care and health insurance expenses.
418 5. Pursuant to subsections (7) and (8), calculate the net
419 amounts owed by each parent for the expenses incurred for day
420 care and health insurance coverage for the child. Day care shall
421 be calculated without regard to the 25-percent reduction applied
422 by subsection (7).
423 6. Adjust the support obligation owed by each parent
424 pursuant to subparagraph 4. by crediting or debiting the amount
425 calculated in subparagraph 5. This amount represents the child
426 support which must be exchanged between the parents.
427 7. The court may deviate from the child support amount
428 calculated pursuant to subparagraph 6. based upon the deviation
429 factors in paragraph (a), as well as the obligee parent’s low
430 income and ability to maintain the basic necessities of the home
431 for the child, the likelihood that either parent will actually
432 exercise the time-sharing schedule set forth in the parenting
433 plan granted by the court, and whether all of the children are
434 exercising the same time-sharing schedule.
435 8. For purposes of adjusting any award of child support
436 under this paragraph, “substantial amount of time” means that a
437 parent exercises time-sharing visitation at least 20 40 percent
438 of the overnights of the year.
439 (c) A parent’s failure to regularly exercise the court
440 ordered or agreed time-sharing schedule not caused by the other
441 parent which resulted in the adjustment of the amount of child
442 support pursuant to subparagraph (a)10. or paragraph (b) shall
443 be deemed a substantial change of circumstances for purposes of
444 modifying the child support award. A modification pursuant to
445 this paragraph is shall be retroactive to the date the
446 noncustodial parent first failed to regularly exercise the
447 court-ordered or agreed time-sharing schedule.
448 Section 4. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
449 act and except for this section, which shall take effect October
450 1, 2010, this act shall take effect January 1, 2011.