Title: In re: Amendments to the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure - Forms 12.996(a) and 12.996(d)
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SC18-1908
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: December 5, 2019

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC18-1908 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA FAMILY LAW RULES OF 
PROCEDURE—FORMS 12.996(a) AND 12.996(d). 
 
December 5, 2019 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
This matter is before the Court for consideration of proposed amendments to 
the Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Forms.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. 
V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
The Family Law Rules Committee (Committee) filed an Out-of-Cycle 
Report of the Family Law Rules Committee Regarding Forms for Income 
Deduction Orders.  See Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.140(f).  The Committee’s proposals 
were made in response to this Court’s request in In re Amendments to the Florida 
Family Law Rules of Procedure—Form 12.996(d), 121 So. 3d 505 (Fla. 2013), that 
the Committee suggest an approach to address the confusion concerning the 
existing federal and Florida income deduction order and notices.  To resolve this 
issue, the Committee proposes amendments to Florida Family Law Rules of 
 
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Procedure Form 12.996(a) (Income Deduction Order) and the deletion of Form 
12.996(d) (Florida Addendum to Income Withholding Order). 
The Board of Governors approved both the proposed amendments to Form 
12.996(a) and the deletion of Form 12.996(d).  The Committee published the 
amendments for comment before filing them with this Court, but no comments 
were received.  Subsequently, this Court published the proposals for comments, 
and received one comment from the Florida Department of Revenue in support of 
the proposals. 
AMENDMENTS 
The instructions to Form 12.996(a) are amended so that it may be used in 
both Title IV-D and non-Title IV-D cases, and the title of the form is updated to 
reflect this change.  Also, a paragraph is added to the instructions advising the user 
that the federal Income Withholding for Support Form (IWO) should be attached 
as a notice to Form 12.996(a), and additional instructions are included for filling 
out the IWO.  Also, the form is amended to include additional options to include 
all forms of alimony and child support that may be deducted.  Additionally, 
editorial amendments and amendments to improve clarity are made throughout the 
instructions.  Finally, Form 12.996(d) is deleted because it is no longer needed due 
to the amendments to Form 12.996(a). 
 
 
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CONCLUSION 
Accordingly, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.996(a) is 
hereby amended as set forth in the appendix to this opinion, fully engrossed, and 
Form 12.996(d) is hereby deleted.  The amended form will also be available on the 
Florida State Courts’ website at www.flcourts.org/gen_public/family/forms_ 
rules/index.shtml.  The amendments shall become effective immediately upon 
release of this opinion. 
It is so ordered. 
 
CANADY, C.J., and POLSTON, LABARGA, LAWSON, LAGOA, and MUÑIZ, 
JJ., concur. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
Original Proceeding – Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Forms 
 
Mary Lou Cuellar-Stilo, Chair, and Maria Liliana Obradovich, Past Chair, Family 
Law Rules Committee, Tampa, Florida; and Joshua E. Doyle, Executive Director, 
and Mikalla Andies Davis, Bar Liaison, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
for Petitioner 
 
Joan K. Koch, Chief Counsel, Florida Department of Revenue-Child Support 
Program, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
Responding with comments 
 
 
 
Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.996(a), Income Deduction Order (12/19) 
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APPENDIX 
 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FLORIDA FAMILY LAW RULES OF PROCEDURE FORM 
12.996(a), INCOME DEDUCTION ORDER (12/19) 
When should this form be used? 
This form should be used in all cases when the court has ordered that support be paid by the obligor’s 
payor through an income deduction order. 
 
This form includes several blanks that must be filled in as applicable. The obligor is the person who is 
obligated to pay the support ordered by the court and the obligee is the person entitled to receive the 
support awarded by the court. 
 
In Paragraph 1, one of the three lines must be checked off. The court order that establishes the support 
award and/or the settlement or mediation agreement entered into between the parties should state the 
effective date of the Income Deduction Order. The appropriate effective date should be checked off in 
Paragraph 1. 
 
The blank lines in Paragraph 2 should be completed tracking the same terms of support as are in the court 
order that establishes the support award and/or the settlement or mediation agreement.  The first blank 
in each line should state the amount of the support payment and the second blank in each line should 
state the time period that covers said support award.  For example, if the child support is $100 per month 
the first blank would say $ “100” and the second blank in that line would say “month”.  Similarly, if the 
payments are to be payable weekly, then the second blank would say “week”.  If there are any arrearages 
owed at the time the Income Deduction Order is entered, they must be included in the line for arrears, 
along with the amount and frequency of the payments due for the arrears, which must be no less than 
20% of the current support obligation. All orders for immediate income deduction must be paid through 
the State Disbursement Unit. The actual dollar amount of the Clerk’s fee for the support awarded in your 
case (4% of each payment not to exceed $5.25 per payment) must be included on the appropriate line. 
 
Paragraph 6 must be completed to show what percentage, if any, of a one-time payment made to the 
obligor should be applied to any arrearage in support that may be due to the obligee.  
 
If the Income Deduction Order is addressing child support, you must complete the schedule in paragraph 
7 to show the amount of child support for all the minor children at the time of the entry of this order and 
the amount of the child support that will be owed for any remaining child(ren) after one or more of the 
children are no longer entitled to receive child support. You should also show in the schedule the day, 
month, and year that the child support obligation terminates for each minor child. The date child support 
terminates should be listed as the child’s 18th birthday unless the court has found that section 743.07(2), 
Florida Statues, applies, or the parties have otherwise agreed to a different date. You should use the 
record existing at the time of this order for the basis of computing all child support obligations. 
 
If the Income Deduction Order is addressing child support, you must also complete and attach the federal 
INCOME WITHHOLDING FOR SUPPORT (IWO) FORM (OMB Form 0970-0154) to the Income Deduction 
Order.  When filling out an Income Withholding for Support Form, please note the following additional 
instructions for that form: 
1. The Remittance Identifier is the County Code for the county in which the case was heard 
Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.996(a), Income Deduction Order (12/19) 
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followed by the Case Number.  A list of county codes is included with these instructions. 
2. The FIPS code may be found on the attached list.  Use the code for the County in which the 
case is pending. 
FIPS and County Codes 
 COUNTY 
 
ALACHUA 
BAKER 
BAY 
BRADFORD 
BREVARD 
BROWARD 
CALHOUN 
CHARLOTTE 
CITRUS 
CLAY 
COLLIER 
COLUMBIA 
DADE 
DESOTO 
DIXIE 
DUVAL 
ESCAMBIA 
FLAGLER 
FRANKLIN 
GADSDEN 
GILCHRIST 
GLADES 
GULF 
HAMILTON 
HARDEE 
HENDRY 
HERNANDO 
HIGHLANDS 
HILLSBOROUGH 
HOLMES 
INDIAN RIVER 
JACKSON 
JEFFERSON 
LAFAYETTE 
FIPS 
 
 12001 
 12003 
 12005 
 12007 
 12009 
 12011 
 12013 
 12015 
 12017 
 12019 
 12021 
 12023 
 12025 
 12027 
 12029 
 12031 
 12033 
 12035 
 12037 
 12039 
 12041 
 12043 
 12045 
 12047 
 12049 
 12051 
 12053 
 12055 
 12057 
 12059 
 12061 
 12063 
 12065 
 12067 
COUNTY  
CODE 
01 
02 
03 
04 
05 
06 
07 
08 
09 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
COUNTY 
 
LAKE 
LEE 
LEON 
LEVY 
LIBERTY 
MADISON 
MANATEE 
MARION 
MARTIN 
MONROE 
NASSAU 
OKALOOSA 
OKEECHOBEE 
ORANGE 
OSCEOLA 
PALM BEACH 
PASCO 
PINELLAS 
POLK 
PUTNAM 
ST. JOHNS 
ST. LUCIE 
SANTA ROSA 
SARASOTA 
SEMINOLE 
SUMTER 
SUWANNEE 
TAYLOR 
UNION 
VOLUSIA 
WAKULLA 
WALTON 
WASHINGTON 
 
FIPS 
 
12069 
12071 
12073 
12075 
12077 
12079 
12081 
12083 
12085 
12087 
12089 
12091 
12093 
12095 
12097 
12099 
12101 
12103 
12105 
12107 
12109 
12111 
12113 
12115 
12117 
12119 
12121 
12123 
12125 
12127 
12129 
12131 
12133 
 
COUNTY  
CODE 
 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
59 
60 
61 
62 
63 
64 
65 
66 
67
 
Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.996(a), Income Deduction Order (12/19) 
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What should I do next? 
 
For this order to be effective, it must be signed by the judge. This form should be typed or printed in black 
ink. After completing this form, you must first send a copy to the other party or his or her attorney, if he 
or she is represented by an attorney, for approval or objection to the form before you send it to the judge 
assigned to your case. If the opposing party or his or her attorney, if represented, approves the form 
order, you may send the original proposed order and two copies to the judge assigned to your case with 
a letter telling the judge that you have first sent a copy of this proposed order to the opposing counsel or 
party, if unrepresented, and that they have no objection to the judge signing this order.  If the other party 
or his or her attorney, if represented, has an objection to the proposed order as completed by you, you 
must tell the judge that you have sent a copy of this proposed order to the opposing party or his or her 
counsel, if represented, and that they specifically object to the entry of the proposed form Income 
Deduction Order. You must also send stamped self-addressed envelopes to the judge addressed to you 
and the opposing party or his or her attorney, if represented.  You should keep a copy for your own 
records. If the judge signs the Income Deduction Order, the judge will mail you and the opposing party 
(or their attorney) copies of the signed order in the envelopes you provide to the court. 
 
Where can I look for more information? 
 
Before proceeding, you should read “General Information for Self-Represented Litigants” found at the 
beginning of these forms.  The words that are in “bold underline” in these instructions are defined there. 
For further information see section 61.1301, Florida Statutes. 
 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING E-FILING 
 
The Florida Rules of Judicial Administration now require that all petitions, pleadings, and documents be 
filed electronically except in certain circumstances. Self-represented litigants may file petitions or other 
pleadings or documents electronically; however, they are not required to do so. If you choose to file 
your pleadings or other documents electronically, you must do so in accordance with Florida Rule of 
Judicial Administration 2.525, and you must follow the procedures of the judicial circuit in which you file. 
The rules and procedures should be carefully read and followed.  
 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING E-SERVICE ELECTION 
 
The Florida Rules of Judicial Administration now require that all documents required or permitted to be 
served on the other party must be served by electronic mail (e-mail) except in certain circumstances.  
You must strictly comply with the format requirements set forth in the Rules of Judicial 
Administration.  If you elect to participate in electronic service, which means serving or receiving 
pleadings by electronic mail (e-mail), or through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, you must review 
Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516.  You may find this rule at www.flcourts.org through the 
link to the Rules of Judicial Administration provided under either Family Law Forms: Getting Started, or 
Rules of Court in the A-Z Topical Index.  
 
SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANTS MAY SERVE DOCUMENTS BY E-MAIL; HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT 
REQUIRED TO DO SO. If a self-represented litigant elects to serve and receive documents by e-mail, the 
procedures must always be followed once the initial election is made. 
 
Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.996(a), Income Deduction Order (12/19) 
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To serve and receive documents by e-mail, you must designate your e-mail address by using the 
Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 
12.915, and you must provide your e-mail address on each form on which your signature appears.  
Please CAREFULLY read the rules and instructions for: Certificate of Service (General), Florida Supreme 
Court Approved Family Law Form 12.914; Designation of Current Mailing and E-mail Address, Florida 
Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.915; and Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.516. 
 
Special Instructions... 
 
When the Income Deduction Order becomes effective (either immediately or delayed until arrearage), 
you must then also send a copy of the Income Deduction Order, by certified mail, return receipt 
requested, to the obligor’s employer along with a Notice to Payor, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure 
Form 12.996(b), for the Income Deduction Order to take effect. 
 
It is your responsibility to determine what extra steps and/or forms, if any, must be taken, supplied, and/or 
filed to insure the Income Deduction Order is implemented. 
 
Remember, a person who is NOT an attorney is called a nonlawyer. If a nonlawyer helps you fill out these 
forms, that person must give you a copy of a Disclosure from Nonlawyer, Florida Family Law Rules of 
Procedure Form 12.900(a), before he or she helps you. A nonlawyer helping you fill out these forms also 
must put his or her name, address, and telephone number on the bottom of the last page of every form 
he or she helps you complete. 
 
Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.996(a), Income Deduction Order (12/19) 
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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE _____________________ JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, 
IN AND FOR ______________________________ COUNTY, FLORIDA 
 
 
 
Case No: ________________________ 
 
Division: ________________________ 
 
_________________________________, 
Petitioner, 
and 
_________________________________, 
Respondent. 
 
INCOME DEDUCTION ORDER  
 
TO: 
 ANY PRESENT OR SUBSEQUENT EMPLOYERS/PAYORS OF OBLIGOR 
 
{name} ________________________________________________________ 
 
YOU ARE HEREBY ORDERED to make regular deductions from all income due and payable to the 
above-named obligor in accordance with the terms of this order as follows: 
 
1. This Income Deduction Order shall be effective  
{Choose only one} 
     _____ immediately. 
 _____ upon a delinquency in the amount of $___________ but not to exceed one month’s payment,  
               pursuant to the order establishing, enforcing, or modifying the obligation. 
    _____   beginning {date} __________________. 
 
2. You shall deduct: 
$____________ per __________ for ongoing child support. Child support shall be automatically 
reduced or terminated consistent with the schedule in paragraph 7; and 
$____________ per ____________ for retroactive child support; and 
$____________ per ____________ for child support arrears totaling $__________ as of 
__________; and 
$____________ per ____________ for bridge-the-gap alimony; and 
$ ___________ per ____________ for permanent alimony; and 
$____________ per ___________   for rehabilitative alimony; and 
$____________ per ____________ for durational alimony; and 
$____________ per ____________ for permanent alimony; and 
$____________ per ____________ for retroactive alimony; and 
$____________ per ____________ for alimony arrears totaling $________ as of________; and 
$____________ per____________ for _____________________; and 
$____________ per____________ for Clerk’s Fee (4% of each payment not to exceed $5.25 per 
payment);  
$____________Total amount of income to be deducted each ________________. 
 
Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.996(a), Income Deduction Order (12/19) 
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3. You shall pay the deducted amount to the “State of Florida Disbursement Unit”, and mail it to the 
State of Florida Disbursement Unit P.O. Box 8500, Tallahassee, FL 32314-8500, (tel.) (877) 769-0251. 
All payments must include the obligor’s name (last, middle, first), obligor’s social security number, 
obligee’s name (last, middle, first), name of county where court order originated, and case 
number/depository number.  All payments must be made by check, money order, cashier’s check, 
certified check, or through the Internet with access provided by the State of Florida 
https://fl.smartchildsupport.com/. No credit will be given for any payments made directly to the 
obligee without a court order permitting direct payments. 
4. If a delinquency accrues after the order establishing, modifying, or enforcing the obligation has been 
entered and there is no order for repayment of the delinquency or a preexisting arrearage, a payor 
shall deduct an additional 20 percent of the current support obligation or other amount agreed to 
by the parties until the delinquency and any attorneys’ fees and costs are paid in full. No deduction 
may be applied to attorneys’ fees and costs until the delinquency is paid in full.  
5. You shall not deduct in excess of the amounts allowed under the Consumer Credit Protection Act, 15 
U.S.C. §673(b), as amended.  
6. You shall deduct {Choose only one} (     ) the full amount, (     ) _____%, or (      ) none of the income 
which is payable to the obligor in the form of a bonus or other similar one-time payment, up to the 
amount of arrearage reported in the Income Deduction Order or the remaining balance thereof, and 
forward the payment to the State of Florida Disbursement Unit. For purposes of this subparagraph, 
“bonus” means a payment in addition to an obligor's usual compensation and which is in addition to 
any amounts contracted for or otherwise legally due and shall not include any commission 
payments due an obligor. 
7. Child Support Reduction/Termination Schedule.  Child support shall be automatically reduced or 
terminated as set forth in the following schedule: 
 
Please list 
children  
by initials 
from eldest to 
youngest 
 
Insert in this 
column the 
day, month, 
and year the 
child support 
obligation 
terminates for 
each 
designated 
child (see 
instructions) 
 
Insert in 
this column 
the amount 
of child 
support for 
all minor 
children 
remaining 
(including 
designated 
child).   
Child 1 
(Eldest) 
Initials & year 
of birth: 
 
 
From the effective 
date of this Income 
Deduction Order 
until the following 
date: 
 
child support for Child 1 and 
all other younger child(ren) 
should be paid in the 
following monthly amount: 
 
 
Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.996(a), Income Deduction Order (12/19) 
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Child 2 
Initials & year 
of birth: 
 
 
After the date set 
forth in the row 
above until the 
following date:  
 
child support for Child 2 and 
all other younger child(ren) 
should be paid in the 
following monthly amount: 
 
Child 3 
Initials & year 
of birth:  
 
 
After the date set 
forth in the row 
above until the 
following date: 
 
child support for Child 3 and 
all other younger child(ren) 
should be paid in the 
following monthly amount: 
 
Child 4 
Initials & year 
of birth: 
 
 
After the date set 
forth in the row 
above until the 
following date: 
 
child support for Child 4 and 
all other younger child(ren) 
should be paid in the 
following monthly amount: 
 
Child 5  
Initials & year 
of birth: 
 
 
After the date set 
forth in the row 
above until the 
following date: 
 
child support for Child 5 and 
all other younger child(ren) 
should be paid in the 
following monthly amount: 
 
 
(Continue on additional pages for additional children) 
 
8. This Income Deduction Order shall remain in effect so long as the underlying order of support is 
effective or until further order of the court. 
 
STATEMENT OF OBLIGOR’S RIGHTS, REMEDIES, AND DUTIES 
 
9. The obligor is required to pay all amounts and fees specified within this Income Deduction Order. 
10. The amounts deducted may not be in excess of that allowed under the Consumer Credit Protection 
Act, 15 U.S.C. §1673(b) as amended. 
11. This income deduction order applies to all of the obligor’s current and subsequent payors and 
periods of employment. 
12. A copy of the Income Deduction Order will be served upon the obligor’s payor or payors. 
13. Enforcement of the Income Deduction Order may only be contested on the ground of mistake of 
fact regarding the amount owed pursuant to the order establishing, enforcing, or modifying the 
obligation, the arrearages, or the identity of the obligor, the payor, or the obligee. 
14. The obligor is required to notify the obligee and, when the obligee is receiving IV-D services, the IV-D 
agency, within 7 days of any changes in the obligor’s address, payors, and the addresses of the 
obligor’s payors. 
 
 
Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.996(a), Income Deduction Order (12/19) 
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15. In a Title IV-D case, if an obligation to pay current support is reduced or terminated due to 
emancipation of a child and the obligor owes an arrearage, retroactive support, delinquency, or 
costs, income deduction continues at the rate in effect immediately prior to emancipation until all 
arrearages, retroactive support, delinquencies, and costs are paid in full or until the amount of 
withholding is modified. 
16. If any form of child support is provided for above, attached hereto and incorporated herein by 
reference is an INCOME WITHHOLDING FOR SUPPORT (IWO) Form notice in accordance with OMB 
Form 0970-0154 and 42 U.S.C. §666(b)(6)(A)(ii).   
 
 
ORDERED on_____________________________. 
 
 
 
____________________________________ 
 
CIRCUIT JUDGE 
 
 
I certify that a copy of this document was served {check all used} to the person(s) listed below on {date}. 
 
_____Petitioner: (     ) e-mailed (     ) mailed (     ) faxed  (     ) hand delivered 
 
_____Attorney for Petitioner: (     ) e-mailed  (     ) mailed (     ) faxed (     ) hand delivered 
 
_____Respondent: (     ) e-mailed  (     ) mailed (     ) faxed  (     ) hand delivered 
 
_____Attorney for Respondent: (     ) e-mailed  (     ) mailed (     ) faxed  (     ) hand delivered 
 
_____Other: __________________________: (     ) e-mailed  (     ) mailed (     ) faxed  (     ) hand delivered  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
_________________________________ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Title