Section 61.30 of the Florida Statutes contains the Uniform Child Support Guidelines.  These Guidelines establish a presumptively correct amount of support based upon each party’s net income and the number of children of the marriage.  The parents’ combined monthly net income is used to determine how much money is available for child support.  The net amount is related to a fixed support number.  For example if the father has an after tax income of $3,000 per month and the mother has an after tax income of $2,000 per month, this makes $5,000 available for the family needs.  If the parties have two children, $5,000 under the guidelines chart corresponds to a presumed need of $1,551 per month.  In the example given the father earns 60% of that $5,000 so he will pay 60% of the $1,551 and the mother will make up the balance.

The foregoing is a simplified explanation of the guidelines but is a good starting point to discuss with your lawyer.  The factors not included above are the costs of health care, day care, time-sharing and any special needs of the children.