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Child Support Arrears Calculator

Calculate unpaid child support arrears with state-specific interest rates. Plan your payment schedule and see how long it takes to pay off the balance.

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$
months
$
Any payments made during this period
Child Support Arrears Balance
$18,600
Total Owed$21,600
Amount Paid$3,000
Net Arrears$18,600
1-Year Interest$1,116
Child support arrears cannot be discharged in bankruptcy and never expire in most states. Generic (6%/yr) interest accrues on unpaid balances.
Advanced Calculator

10-state interest rate comparison, compound interest growth chart (6 states), payment plan options table, and state rate comparison grid.

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Arrears Inputs
$
yrs
Arrears with 10% Annual Interest
$24,158 after 5 yrs
Principal$15,000
Interest Accrued$9,158
Monthly Interest$125/mo
State Rate10%/yr
Arrears are non-dischargeable in bankruptcy and never expire in most states. Address immediately to prevent compounding growth.
California (10%)Washington (12%)New York (9%)Illinois (9%)Texas (6%)Florida (6%)
$0$7K$14K$21K$28KYr 0Yr 1Yr 2Yr 3Yr 4Yr 5
Professional Simulator

Full monthly arrears ledger with payment history, balance-over-time chart, income-based payment plan, enforcement impact analysis (wage withholding, tax intercept, passport, license).

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Order & State
$
$
Payment History (3 Periods)
Period 1
mos
$
Period 2
mos
$
Period 3
mos
$
Arrears Ledger Summary
$17,567 current balance
Total Owed$28,800
Total Paid$13,200
Interest Accrued$1,967
Monthly Interest$146/mo
Arrears Balance Over Time
$0$5K$9K$14K$18KMo 1Mo 5Mo 9Mo 13Mo 17Mo 21
Monthly ledger (24 months)
MonthOwedPaidInterestBalance
Mo 1$1,200$700$0$500
Mo 2$1,200$700$4$1,004
Mo 3$1,200$700$8$1,513
Mo 4$1,200$700$13$2,025
Mo 5$1,200$700$17$2,542
Mo 6$1,200$700$21$3,063
Mo 7$1,200$0$26$4,289
Mo 8$1,200$0$36$5,524
Mo 9$1,200$0$46$6,771
Mo 10$1,200$0$56$8,027
Mo 11$1,200$0$67$9,294
Mo 12$1,200$0$77$10,571
Mo 13$1,200$0$88$11,859
Mo 14$1,200$0$99$13,158
Mo 15$1,200$0$110$14,468
Mo 16$1,200$0$121$15,788
Mo 17$1,200$0$132$17,120
Mo 18$1,200$0$143$18,463
Mo 19$1,200$1,500$154$18,316
Mo 20$1,200$1,500$153$18,169
Mo 21$1,200$1,500$151$18,021
Mo 22$1,200$1,500$150$17,871
Mo 23$1,200$1,500$149$17,720
Mo 24$1,200$1,500$148$17,567

Understanding Child Support Arrears

Child support arrears are unpaid or underpaid support payments that accumulate when a non-custodial parent misses payments or pays less than the court-ordered amount. Arrears are taken extremely seriously by courts and cannot be eliminated through bankruptcy.

Interest on Arrears by State

Consequences of Arrears

Unpaid child support can lead to severe consequences: wage garnishment, bank levy, tax refund intercept, driver's license suspension, professional license suspension, passport denial, and in serious cases, criminal prosecution for felony non-support.

Arrears Balance = (Monthly Order × Months Missed) − Payments Made
Monthly Interest = Arrears Balance × (Annual Rate ÷ 12)
Balance After N Months = Principal × (1 + Monthly Rate)^N

Payoff Time = Arrears ÷ (Monthly Payment − Monthly Interest)

Example — California Arrears with 10% Interest

NCP missed 18 months of $1,200/mo support. Made $3,000 in partial payments. California (10% interest).

Total Owed (18 × $1,200)$21,600
Partial Payments-$3,000
Net Arrears$18,600
Annual Interest (10%)$1,860/yr
After 2 More Years Unpaid$22,320+

Without a payment plan, this debt grows rapidly due to compound interest.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Child support arrears are explicitly non-dischargeable in both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy under 11 U.S.C. §523(a)(5). The debt survives bankruptcy in full, including all accrued interest. This is one of the very few debts that cannot be eliminated through bankruptcy, along with student loans in most cases and criminal fines.
In most states, child support arrears do not expire. Many states have eliminated statutes of limitations on child support debt entirely. Some states allow collection for up to 10-20 years after the child reaches adulthood. A few states have limitations, but enforcement can be renewed. Unlike other debts, time does not protect a parent from child support arrears.
State-owed arrears (when the custodial parent received public assistance) can sometimes be compromised or settled through state programs. Private arrears owed directly to the custodial parent can only be waived with that parent's agreement and court approval. Courts rarely fully waive private arrears. Some states have compromise programs for large arrears in exchange for payment plans, but the NCP must demonstrate genuine hardship.
The federal and state tax refund intercept program (FTROP/STROP) automatically captures federal and state tax refunds when a parent owes child support arrears. For federal refunds, the arrears threshold is $150 if the child receives public assistance or $500 otherwise. State thresholds vary. The intercepted amount is applied to the arrears balance. If the parent filed jointly with a new spouse, the new spouse can file an "injured spouse" claim to recover their portion of the refund.
Child support arrears survive the death of the paying parent. The estate is liable for the debt. If the estate has assets, the custodial parent can file a claim against the estate for the arrears before other creditors are paid. However, future support obligations typically terminate at the parent's death (though some states require estate payment of ongoing support from life insurance or other assets). The children may also be entitled to Social Security survivor benefits.

Related Calculators

General Child Support
Current guideline calculation
Modification Calculator
Reduce future payments (not past arrears)
California Child Support
CA charges highest 10% interest on arrears
Texas Child Support
TX charges 6% annual interest on arrears
Self-Employment Income
Income verification to prevent underpayment
Duration Calculator
When does support — and arrears risk — end?