Can child support be modified up or down in Florida?
The short answer is yes it can be modified, but there are a few rules. In order for the child support to be modified either up or down, you have to be able to show that the child support would be modified by $50 or 15% – whichever of those amounts is greater.
So, a few examples. Suppose the child support amount is $200. Based on those rules, the child support amount cannot be increased at all unless it increases to $250 or higher or it cannot be decreased at all unless it goes down to $150 or lower. That is the $50 rule.
An example of the 15% rule would be if you have a $1000 child support, it’s not going to go up at all unless you are at $1150 and it’s not going to go down at all unless you are at $850 or lower.
All child support calculations, from the first time a child support amount is established to the last time it is modified, are done according to the Florida Child Support Guidelines.
