Child Support Calculator & Guidelines by State

Based on the idea that a child should receive the same share of parental income they'd have gotten if both parents lived in one household. Both parents' incomes are combined, then support is split between them in proportion to each parent's share of that combined income.

Sets support as a percentage of the paying parent's income only — the other parent's income generally isn't part of the calculation. Alaska, Mississippi, Nevada, and Wisconsin use a flat percentage that stays the same regardless of income level; North Dakota and Texas use a varying percentage that changes as income rises.

A more detailed version of the Income Shares model that first sets aside a minimum amount for each parent's own basic needs, then calculates support from what's left over. It originated in Delaware family courts and is still used mainly there.

Used only in Washington, D.C.: support starts as a varying percentage of the paying parent's income, similar to Texas or North Dakota, then that amount is reduced based on the other parent's income.