Child Support Calculators

How Child Support is Calculated

US states use three primary models for calculating child support:

• Income Shares Model — Used by 40+ states. Combines both parents' incomes, looks up the amount typically spent on children at that income level, then splits it proportionally. States include California, Florida, New York (hybrid), and most others.
• Percentage of Income Model — Used by Texas and a few others. Takes a flat percentage of the non-custodial parent's net income: 20% for 1 child, 25% for 2, and so on.
• Melson Formula — Used by Delaware, Hawaii, and Montana. A more complex version of income shares that first accounts for each parent's basic needs.

Every state has unique adjustments for health insurance, childcare costs, extraordinary expenses, and shared custody time. Our calculators incorporate the most common factors.