Child support calculators that show every line

What does a guideline amount mean?

Each state publishes a formula for calculating child support. Courts and state agencies start from that guideline, but can depart from it for reasons the law allows. An online result is an estimate, not an order.

Virginia’s Code §20-108.2 creates a rebuttable presumption: the guideline amount is treated as correct unless grounds are established for a different amount. The court or state agency decides the actual order. The state pages explain the applicable guideline and its limits.

How do state formulas differ?

There is no single national child support formula. The starting income and the way parents share the calculated amount depend on the state.

• Percentage of the paying parent’s income: Texas uses net resources under Family Code §154.125. Wisconsin uses gross income under Administrative Code DCF 150.
• Percentage of combined income: New York starts with combined parental income and applies percentages based on the number of children under Domestic Relations Law §240.
• Income shares means each parent pays a share of one combined amount. Illinois selects a scheduled amount using combined monthly net income and the number of children, then calculates each parent’s share under 750 ILCS 5/505.
• California’s own formula uses net income and includes parenting time within the calculation under Family Code §4055. This site shows an estimate because the calculation needs each parent’s income after federal and state taxes.

What changes the calculated amount?

The same income and parenting schedule can produce different results across states. A monthly child support estimate needs the state’s definitions, not just a take-home-pay figure.

• Income basis: Indiana starts with gross income under its Child Support Rules and Guidelines. Florida starts with net income under F.S. 61.30.
• Children covered: Pennsylvania’s schedule uses combined monthly net income and the number of children under Rule 1910.16-3.
• Overnights: Illinois uses its shared-care calculation when each parent has at least 146 overnights a year under 750 ILCS 5/505. Texas has no parenting-time adjustment in its formula under §154.125.
• Child care and health insurance: North Carolina’s basic schedule excludes these costs, so the scheduled amount alone does not account for them.
• Other children: Texas §154.129 provides adjusted guideline percentages based on children before the court and other children.

How are state pages checked?

We check the statute or court rule, its section, and the edition in effect. The Texas edition is dated September 1, 2025, confirmed in the official text on October 15, 2026. Florida’s current edition date is being verified rather than assigned an unconfirmed date.

We compare calculations with official examples where available and identify official worksheets, forms, and calculator links. Texas’s official calculator comes from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Child Support Division; Florida’s Department of Revenue does not publish a calculator. The methodology explains these distinctions, while state agencies, court self-help centers, and legal aid offer routes to free help.