FL HB 1014 Child Support Table: What 2026 Parents Should Know

Quick answer

Florida's child support guidelines in F.S. §61.30 remain the mandatory starting point for every divorce involving minor children, and reported 2026 changes plus appellate enforcement have renewed attention on the statutory income schedule. Courts must apply the guideline table, make written findings, and follow the correct order of calculation. Parents with an agreed number still get it reviewed against the guidelines before a judge signs off.

The news

Several Florida family-law commentators are reporting on 2026 legislative and appellate activity surrounding the state's child support guidelines, including coverage tied to a bill circulated as HB 1014 and to appellate decisions scrutinizing how trial courts apply the income schedule in F.S. §61.30. The through-line in the reporting is not a brand-new formula but tighter enforcement of the rules that already exist: use the guideline schedule, show your math, and make the written findings the statute requires.

We always tell readers to treat legislative summaries carefully. Bill numbers, effective dates, and the precise scope of any schedule update should be confirmed against the official text at the Florida Legislature and the current version of F.S. §61.30 before anyone relies on a specific figure. What is clearly established Florida law — and what the appellate reporting reinforces — is that the child support guidelines are presumptive and enforced on appeal.

Legal implications for Florida cases

Florida child support is not a negotiation in a vacuum. Under F.S. §61.30, the court starts from a statutory schedule keyed to the parents' combined net monthly income and the number of children, then allocates the total between the parents in proportion to their incomes. Health insurance, childcare, and the time-sharing overnight count adjust the result. A judge may deviate from the guideline amount, but only with written findings explaining why the guideline number would be unjust or inappropriate.

That written-findings requirement is where appellate courts keep reversing. When a trial court enters a support number without the underlying findings — net income for each parent, the guideline amount, and the basis for any deviation — the order is vulnerable on appeal. Florida's District Courts of Appeal have repeatedly sent cases back for that reason, a pattern we covered in our note on appellate reversals for missing written findings.

The order of operations matters too. Because alimony changes both parties' net incomes, it must be decided before child support is run through the guidelines. The Second District made that sequencing explicit, which we broke down in set alimony first, then child support. Any 2026 attention on the income schedule sits on top of these existing procedural rules — it does not replace them.

Florida-specific analysis

A few Florida-specific threads make this development worth watching.

First, the guideline schedule interacts with imputed income. When a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court can impute income at what that parent could earn, and Florida's minimum wage floor feeds into that analysis. We explained how the state's rising wage affects imputation in Florida's $15 minimum wage and imputed income. A larger or updated income schedule changes the guideline output for the same imputed number.

Second, 2023's alimony reform under SB 1416 reshaped how support is awarded and eliminated permanent alimony for cases going forward. Because alimony is calculated first, changes on the alimony side ripple into the child support guideline result. Practitioners should model both together, not in isolation.

Third, time-sharing drives the math. Florida uses a gross-up calculation when a parent exercises a substantial number of overnights, which can materially lower or shift the obligation. A well-drafted parenting plan with an accurate overnight count is not just a custody document — it is a child support input. Note the Florida terminology: the statute speaks in time-sharing and parenting plans under F.S. §61.046, not custody or visitation.

Fourth, none of this changes how an uncontested case is handled procedurally. In an uncontested divorce with minor children, the parties still submit a child support guidelines worksheet, financial affidavits, a parenting plan, and — where required — a UCCJEA affidavit. The guideline number is presented to the court for approval. That is exactly the package our flat-fee service builds, as described in our uncontested divorce with children guide.

Practical takeaways

For Florida parents navigating a divorce in 2026, here is what actually matters:

• The guideline schedule is the anchor. Even if you and your spouse agree on a support number, the court reviews it against F.S. §61.30 before approving your judgment.
• Accurate net income is everything. Wages, self-employment income, bonuses, and allowable deductions all feed the calculation. Underreporting income invites a challenge later.
• Written findings protect your order. An order that states each parent's net income, the guideline amount, and any deviation reasoning is far harder to overturn.
• Sequence correctly. If alimony is on the table, it is decided first, then child support.
• Your parenting plan is a financial document. The overnight count changes the number.
• Confirm any 2026 figure. Before relying on a specific schedule amount tied to a bill number, verify it against the current statute and the official legislative record.

An uncontested divorce with children in Florida is our flat $750 attorney fee — the same price as a no-children case — with the package expanded to include the parenting plan, the child support guidelines worksheet, and the UCCJEA affidavit. Court filing fees and notary costs are separate. If your situation is genuinely uncontested and both spouses agree, that structure keeps the guideline math clean and the paperwork court-ready. If you want to talk it through first, you can ask Victoria or review our simplified dissolution overview.

Frequently asked questions

See the FAQ section below for common questions about Florida's 2026 child support developments.

Legal disclaimer

This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. Florida child support is governed by F.S. §61.30 and related statutes, and legislative summaries — including any reference to HB 1014 — should be confirmed against the official text before you rely on them. Every case turns on its own facts. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed Florida attorney.

Antonio G. Jimenez, Esq., Florida Bar No. 21022