Child Support Calculators for Every State
How much child support will you pay or receive?
If you’re getting divorced and have kids, child support will be on the table for discussion. Most likely, one parent (the “non-custodial” parent) will be ordered by the court to pay child support to the custodial parent. That said, in some divorce arrangements, the couple doesn’t need a court order because they work out a payment arrangement themselves. (Notably, the court will still have the chance to approve (or deny) that arrangement.)
State-by-state child support calculators
Each state has its own divorce laws, including the factors that impact a child support calculation. But if you’re getting divorced, you may feel anxious about how much you will be paying or receiving and want a hard number now.
Fortunately, there is a way to get an idea of how much child support you might pay or receive in every state. Some states make it very easy by offering a semi-quick “calculator” into which you can plug in your information. Other states offer online worksheets you can use to work the numbers. And a few states have tables, or schedules, you can refer to to get an idea about what to expect.
The following online child support calculators, worksheets, and schedules do not provide answers that are guaranteed to be accurate for your situation. However, you can refer to them to get an idea of how much money might be changing hands in the form of child support between you and your co-parent.
Alabama
Table: This is a schedule of basic child support obligations put forth by the state of Alabama. It is a table that intersects the adjusted gross income of both parents with the number of children they share.
If your child support case was initiated between 2009 and May of 2022, a different table applies to you. View that table here.
Other helpful links: Information about making payments is provided by the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Information about applying for child support is provided here.
Alaska
Worksheets: Alaska does not provide an automated online calculator for child support like some states do. However, you can get a good idea of how much you might pay or receive by visiting the Alaska Court System Self-Help Center and using the worksheets provided in the links.
You will need to understand how your custody situation is classified. Your case will likely be dictated by one of four schedules, whichever is most appropriate:
- Primary Custody Child Support Schedule
- Shared Custody Child Support Schedule
- Divided Custody Child Support Schedule
- Hybrid Custody Child Support Schedule
Other helpful links: Child support amounts in Alaska are based on Civil Rule 90.3. The Alaska Child Support Enforcement Division can help you initiate a child support order.
Arizona
Calculators: The Arizona Judicial Branch provides several online calculators for you to use, though you will need to choose which one is most appropriate based on the year your child support order originated. Choose between the 2022 calculator, the 2021 calculator, and the 2018 to 2021 calculator.
Another helpful link: More information about child support in Arizona, such as how to establish an order and how to make a payment, is provided by the Arizona Division of Child Support Services.
Arkansas
Calculator: The Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts provides this online tool you can use to calculate a child support estimate. You need a lot of information to use this calculator, including numbers from another online document with child support tables, found here. You will also need to know your combined gross income with the other parent and amounts for healthcare and childcare expenses.
Notably, Arkansas changed to the Income Shares model of child support calculation in recent years. This model considers the gross incomes of both parents in the support calculation. Until several years ago, the state of Arkansas generally only looked at the income of the non-custodial parent when making child support rulings.
Another helpful link: The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration provides information about initiating a child support case and making and receiving payments here.
California
Calculator: At Hello Divorce, we created a free child support calculator for residents of California. To use this calculator, you will first need to gather information about your wages and monthly expenses.
Two of the greatest factors that impact how much child support is awarded in California are the parents’ combined incomes and how much time the child (or children) spends with each parent. To arrive at a final child support amount, you will have to attend a hearing. Bring this paperwork, and all other relevant information, with you to the hearing.
Other helpful links: A full list of the data you need to collect can be found in our article, California Child Support Calculator. You can also visit the California Child Support Services website for information.
Note: There were new changes to California child support laws effective September 1, 2024. You can read about all the changes here. The most significant change to be aware of concerns the default method for splitting add-ons like uninsured medical costs and educational expenses. Under the new rules, the split calculation will be proportionate to each spouse's net income instead of 50/50. There are exceptions, and the parents can agree to whatever they want, but this is the default should it be left up to the court.
Colorado
Software: You can use Colorado's family law software by visiting this page and clicking on the link to the software. This software should be used for estimation purposes only. The formula is complex, and the judge presiding over your child support case may deviate from the straight formula when calculating an amount.
Another helpful link: The Colorado Office of Economic Security provides a helpful informational website regarding child support services in the state.
Connecticut
Worksheet: The state of Connecticut provides an online worksheet you can use to calculate a possible amount. Behind this worksheet is a complex mathematical formula. The final ruling on a child support amount may differ from the amount you come up with if you use this worksheet; it's for estimation purposes only.
Another helpful link: General information about Connecticut’s child support program is available at this state link.
Delaware
Worksheet: The Delaware Child Support Formula, sometimes called the Melson formula, is used to calculate child support. You can download a worksheet from the Delaware Courts Judicial Branch and use it to make your calculation, though the final amount may differ depending on your unique circumstances.
Other helpful links: A child support overview is available from the Delaware Courts Judicial Branch here, and you can also get lots of helpful information from the Delaware Division of Child Support Services here.
District of Columbia
Calculator: If you live in the District of Columbia and want an estimate as to how much child support you might pay or receive, enter your information in the Child Support Services Division Child Support Guideline Calculator here. Washington, D.C., follows the Income Shares Model of child support.
Another helpful link: The territory's Child Support Services Division (CSSD) has a wealth of information about how to set up child support and make or receive payments, among other things.
Florida
Table and worksheet: The state of Florida provides an online table where you can get an idea of how much money might be involved in your child support case. You can also access a worksheet here that may help you with your estimate.
Other helpful links: The Florida Department of Revenue grants access to child support information and a means of paying child support here. There is also an online self-help center with access to paperwork you might need.
Georgia
Calculator: Your judge will have the final say, but the online Georgia Child Support Calculator can give you a good idea of what to expect. It is provided by the Judicial Council of Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts.
Another helpful link: The Georgia Department of Health and Human Services oversees child support actions in Georgia. To initiate a child support order, you must open a child support case and establish paternity. Click on the Division of Child Support Services page to learn more.
Hawaii
Worksheet: To calculate child support in Hawaii, you can fill out the State Judiciary’s Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, which prompts you to calculate an estimated child support payment.
Other helpful links: More information about child support is given by the State of Hawaii Child Support Enforcement Agency here and here.
Idaho
Worksheet: You can use the Idaho Standard Child Support Worksheet, found online, to get an idea of how much child support might be awarded. The worksheet is brief and asks for basic parental information about income and expenses.
Another helpful link: If you have questions about child support, you might find the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare website to be useful.
Illinois
Estimator: Based on each parent’s financial status, the needs of the child, and several other factors, your judge will have the final say in an Illinois child support case. However, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services offers an online estimator where you can get an idea of the amount that might be awarded.
Another helpful link: The judge will adhere to Illinois state guidelines when making this decision. Click here to learn more.
Indiana
Calculator and worksheet: In addition to the Child Support Calculator, the state of Indiana has a Child Support Worksheet to help you get an idea of what child support might look like. The amount is derived from a calculation based on parents’ weekly gross income as well as other factors, such as the amount of money each parent makes and the amount of time each spends with the child.
Payments in Indiana last until the child turns 19. At that time, the payer must petition to stop payments by filing a Petition to Emancipate.
Another helpful link: The Indiana Department of Child Services offers information about Indiana child support here.
Iowa
Estimator: The Iowa Department of Human Services publishes a free online child support estimator. This will give you an idea of how much you might pay or receive, though the judge will have the final say. Iowa judges refer to the state’s Child Support Guidelines, which include a chart that integrates net income with the number of children to generate an amount.
Another helpful link: The Iowa Department of Human Services assists with starting child support cases and making and receiving payments on this page.
Kansas
Worksheet: As part of a child support case, you will need to fill out a Child Support Worksheet for Kansas, found here. This worksheet incorporates information about both parents’ incomes, the number of children to receive support, and other related costs. It’s not a quick process to get an estimate, and the final say is given to the judge presiding over the case.
Other helpful links: Two other helpful online resources for people with questions about child support in Kansas are the Kansas Department for Children and Families webpage and the online Kansas Child Support Services Handbook.
Kentucky
Estimator: Kentucky uses a formula to calculate child support payments. You can use the state government’s online estimator to get an idea of what the amount might be, but you won’t know for sure until an amount is approved by a judge.
Another helpful link: More information about child support in Kentucky is available at Kentucky Justice Online.
Louisiana
Estimator: The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services provides an online child support estimator. This tool can be used to get an idea of how much you might pay or receive. The estimator takes into account both parents’ gross incomes as well as other child-related expenses.
Another helpful link: To start a child support case in Louisiana, visit the Child Support Enforcement page online.
Maine
Worksheet and affidavit: There is no online “calculator” for child support in Maine, but you can fill out a worksheet, found at the state's Judicial Branch website, to prepare yourself for your case management conference regarding child support.
Before you fill out the worksheet, you will want to fill out a Child Support Affidavit, which is used to calculate parents' gross income – a contributing factor in the calculation.
Both of these documents can be found at the link above.
Another helpful link: Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services provides a wealth of online information about child support here.
Maryland
Worksheets: Four different fillable worksheets are available online from Maryland Department of Human Services. Each takes into account when the petition for child support was filed and what type of custody the petitioner has: primary physical custody or shared physical custody.
Another helpful link: To apply for child support, you can visit the Maryland DHS Child Support Services page. You can also make a payment here.
Massachusetts
Worksheet: The guidelines for child support in Massachusetts have changed several times over the past decade. So, when you visit the Mass.gov Child Support Guidelines page, you will need to know which links to click. The website states that most people will use this worksheet.
Another helpful link: Information about requesting child support and enforcing a child support order is found here.
Michigan
Calculator: In Michigan, when making a decision about child support, the court accounts for each parent’s income, time schedule, and other expenses as well as the cost of health insurance and the number of children to be supported. A detailed and somewhat lengthy resource that you can use is the online MiChildSupport Calculator. You can also read the state’s child support guidelines here.
Another helpful link: Visit the MiChildSupport homepage for a directory of other information about child support in Michigan.
Minnesota
Calculators: The guidelines for child support changed in Minnesota on January 1, 2023. To use the state’s online tool for child support calculation, you should click here if your child support order went into effect before that date and here if it will go into effect after that date.
Factors considered when a Minnesota court awards child support include each parent’s income, the amount of time each adult spends with the child or children, the amount of money spent on health and dental insurance, and more.
Another helpful link: The Minnesota Department of Human Services provides a lot more information about child support in the state here.
Mississippi
Guidelines: There is not an online calculator or worksheet, but there are viewable online child support guidelines, established by the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS). Child support is typically calculated as a percentage of the non-custodial parent’s income and based on the number of children receiving support.
A judge may stray from these guidelines when awarding child support if circumstances warrant it. For example, if a non-custodial parent has excessive medical expenses beyond their control, it may affect how much support they are required to pay.
Another helpful link: The MDHS provides a lot of helpful information about child support enforcement on its website.
Missouri
Worksheet: The state of Missouri provides an online version of Form 14, which you can use to calculate a “presumed child support amount.” To fill out this form, you need information about each parent’s monthly gross income as well as childcare costs, health insurance costs, and other child-rearing costs.
Another helpful link: In Missouri, one or both parents may be ordered to pay child support. Orders for child support are enforced by the Missouri Court and/or the Missouri Family Support Division. The support obligation typically ends when the child is 18 or 21, depending on the circumstances. Click here to access Missouri child support forms.
Montana
Worksheet: Online guidelines are provided by the Montana Department of Health and Human Services and reviewed by the state every four years for timeliness. Parents can examine this worksheet to calculate their support amount. Both parents’ incomes are factored into the decision.
Another helpful link: Montana’s Child Support Services Division page contains helpful information about enrolling for child support as well as making payments.
Nebraska
Calculator: Both parents’ incomes are factored into the calculation of child support in Nebraska. Civilians can use this online calculator for a trial period of 30 days to anticipate how much money might be involved in their child support order. However, the final dollar amount could differ from what the calculator says based on other factors.
Another helpful link: The Judicial Branch of Nebraska outlines its rules and policies regarding child support here.
Nevada
Guidelines and worksheet: There is not a quick online calculator you can use to calculate child support in Nevada. However, the state does provide online guidelines that inform the judge in determining the amount. The court will consider employment, income, and medical insurance, among a variety of other factors. Parents can also use the online worksheet to get a payment estimate.
Another helpful link: You can visit the state’s Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) page for more information about child support including how to apply, make, and receive payments.
New Hampshire
Calculator: New Hampshire provides an online interactive calculator where parents can enter their monthly gross incomes and other data to give them an idea of how much child support might be ordered in a child support case.
Another helpful link: For answers to many questions about child support, you can visit the New Hampshire DHHS page.
New Jersey
Calculator: The New Jersey Department of Human Services offers an online calculator that can give you an idea of how much you might pay or receive. When determining what is fair, the judge looks at each person’s income and assigns a percentage of that as child support.
Another helpful link: Child support guidelines and payment information can be found here.
New Mexico
Calculator: New Mexico’s online child support calculator takes information such as each parent’s gross income, the number of children who will be receiving support, and facts about other expenses to provide a child support estimate.
The number generated by this calculator is not the final answer. The judge presiding over the child support case will have the final say.
Another helpful link: Check the New Mexico Human Services Department child support page for more helpful information.
New York
Calculator: An online calculator is provided by the state of New York and can be found here. Instructions and other details about the calculator are provided here.
Factors the court takes into consideration before approving a monthly child support amount include each parent’s income and assets. They also look at the child’s expenses and educational needs.
Other helpful links: If you want more information, there is an elaborate formula behind the calculator that is explained by the New York State Bar Association here.
North Carolina
Worksheets: The North Carolina Division of Social Services Child Support Services provides several online worksheets to help you calculate what a child support payment might look like.
For situations in which one parent has primary custody, this worksheet can be used. There is also a joint custody worksheet and a split custody worksheet. Parents should use the worksheet that applies to their situation.
This simple calculator only asks for a few key pieces of information, including the monthly gross income of each parent and numbers related to healthcare expenses. As such, the answer you get from this calculator is an estimate only.
Another helpful link: The North Carolina Judicial Branch offers helpful information about child support here.
North Dakota
Calculator: The child support calculator provided by the State of North Dakota is for estimation purposes only. You can use it, but be aware that the actual amount ordered by a judge may be different.
Other helpful links: North Dakota's child support guidelines are viewable here. Many factors are taken into account, including earning potential and the type of custody arrangement the parents are using.
Another helpful link: Visit this page to start a case, view your case, or make a child support payment.
Ohio
Calculator: For residents of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services provides an online calculator for child support. However, the amount you derive from using this estimator might not be the actual amount awarded. The Child Support Guideline Manual for Ohio Courts and Agencies, also available online, provides greater detail about how the amount is calculated.
Another helpful link: You can visit this page to learn more and to download a mobile app.
Oklahoma
Worksheets: On the state website, Oklahoma parents can take advantage of fillable forms and instructions that help them compute a child support amount. Directions and links are available for this at Oklahoma.gov.
Another helpful link: Both parents' incomes are taken into account when computing child support in Oklahoma. A great deal of further information is available on the Oklahoma Human Services page online.
Oregon
Calculator: Each parent's income and their parenting time arrangements play a large role in how child support is calculated in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Justice offers an online child support calculator to give parents an idea of how much they might expect to pay or receive in child support. At this website, you can open a petition for child support, make or receive payments, and a lot more.
Another helpful link: Parents tend to have a lot of questions about child support. To start getting answers, visit the Child Support Guidelines FAQ offered by the Oregon Department of Justice.
Pennsylvania
Estimator: The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services provides an online child support estimator which you can use to get an idea of what might be awarded. The state uses the Income Shares Model to calculate child support, its goal to identify the amount of money that would have been spent on the child if the parents had stayed together and keep it consistent despite the divorce.
Another helpful link: The state provides more information about child support amounts here.
Rhode Island
Table and worksheet: Visit this page to view Rhode Island's child support table. It intersects parents' combined incomes with the number of children to be supported to provide a ballpark figure.
The Office of Child Support Services in Rhode Island also provides access to a child support worksheet which you can use to calculate an estimated amount. The state uses the Income Shares Model to calculate a weekly child support amount.
The court takes note of many financial details when determining child support. This includes medical expenses, debts, and things like retirement and life insurance benefits. Therefore, the number you arrive at using your own calculations might not be the number prescribed by the judge presiding over your case.
Another helpful link: Visit the Rhode Island Office of Child Support Services here.
South Carolina
Calculator: The South Carolina Department of Social Services provides an online child support calculator with the disclaimer that it is for estimation purposes only. When using the calculator, you need to know each parent's monthly gross income, information about other child support or alimony obligations, healthcare costs, information about your use of the Child Care Tax Credit, and more.
Another helpful link: The DSS also has a service portal where you can learn more about the state's child support program and how it works.
South Dakota
Calculator: South Dakota provides online access to its Child Support Obligation Calculator, which asks for information about each parent's gross monthly income, health insurance contributions, and more.
Another helpful link: To learn more details about the child support program in the state, including how to initiate a child support case and how to make and receive payments, visit the South Dakota Department of Social Services page.
Tennessee
Guidelines and calculator: You can read child support guidelines for Tennessee here and make use of the state’s Excel child support calculator here. Both parents’ adjusted gross incomes are taken into account, as well as the amount of time each parent spends with the child and other expenses.
Another helpful link: Payments are typically withheld from the non-custodial parent’s paycheck and presented to the recipient via cash or a debit card, the Tennessee Way2Go card. The Tennessee Department of Human Services provides helpful information to payors and recipients on its website
Texas
Estimator and guidelines: An online estimator for Texas child support is provided by Attorney General Ken Paxton. You can also read about the guidelines that navigate the court’s decisions. The amount awarded is generally guided by a table of percentages, which you can view in the Hello Divorce article, How to Calculate Child Support in Texas. For example, if only one child is being supported, they might be given 20% of the non-custodial parent’s net resources. Two children would share 25% of the non-custodial parent’s net resources between them.
Another helpful link: Learn how to apply for child support in Texas here.
Utah
Calculator: An online calculator is available on the Utah Department of Human Services website. However, this calculator provides an estimate, not a final answer about the child support amount to be awarded. The final amount is based upon the gross income of both parents and the number of nights a child spends in each parent’s home.
Another helpful link: You can read more about Utah child support in this Hello Divorce article.
Vermont
Calculator: You can visit Vermont's online child support calculator here. You will have to answer questions about each parent's monthly gross income, health care expenses, and other financial information.
Another helpful link: For more general questions about child support in Vermont, including how to get child support ordered and how to make and receive payments, click here for information from the Agency of Human Services Department for Children and Families.
Virginia
Calculator and table: A quick online child support calculator is not available for Virginia residents. However, there is a formula for child support in Virginia, which you can read about here. Perhaps even more helpful, you can view a guideline table of cash amounts that integrates gross income with the number of children click here.
Another helpful link: There are many rules involved with child support in Virginia, and the final amount awarded may certainly differ from what you see in the aforementioned links. The Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE)lists many of its rules here.
Washington
Estimator: An online estimator is provided by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Using the estimator is a quick process that takes the income of both parents and the number of children they share into account.
Another helpful link: Washington residents who want to enroll in child support services should click here for instructions on enrollment.
West Virginia
Worksheets and outsourced calculator: There is not a state-sponsored online calculator you can quickly use to get an estimate of your child support payment. The judge presiding over your child custody case will use a pre-existing formula to calculate child support. The state provides a link to an outside calculator as well as the Income Shares Worksheets you may need in your child support journey.
Another helpful link: You can visit the Bureau of Child Support Enforcement online to learn about applying for child support, making and receiving payments, and more.
Wisconsin
Calculator and worksheet: There are online tools available to give you a general idea of how much you might pay or receive in child support. Wisconsin provides a downloadable Excel calculator you can use to estimate the amount. There is also a worksheet you can refer to and use to get an idea of how much might be awarded.
Another helpful link: Visit the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families child support page here.
Wyoming
Calculator: The state provides an online Child Support Guidelines Calculator. Each parent's income, as well as the type of custody arrangement you have, can impact child support payments. The online calculator is meant to give you a general idea of what might be awarded. However, you won't know for sure until you go through the court to get a child support order established.
Another helpful link: To learn more about how child support works in Wyoming, click here to learn about the Wyoming Child Support Program.
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