Understanding Child Support Payments Calculations

Many states have a way to get an estimate of a child support calculation. Websites allow an individual to input information and come to child support calculation based on that information. A court will take into account how much money both parents make, as well as the taxes that they pay yearly. If the non-custodial parent is paying child support for other children as well, that will be taken into account. The custodial parent's child care expenses for the year are considered as well. The biggest factor is how much money the non-custodial parent makes.

Some states, like New York, have particular guidelines that they often use for child support calculations. A non-custodial parent may have to pay 17% of their net income to the custodial parent. If the non-custodial parent is already paying child support for other children, then the courts will usually subtract that amount from their income before making a child support calculation. Therefore, the parent's annual income would be their income, minus the amount of money that they already pay for child support.

It is important to remember that online child support calculations are only estimates. Since many states have different ways of making child support calculations, the amount of money one may have to pay can vary greatly, depending on an individual's circumstances. However, there is one general guideline that tends to remain constant no matter the state. The amount of child support that the non-custodial parent will have to pay relies heavily on their income. If they have a low income, the courts will usually order a low amount of child support to be paid, especially if the custodial parent has a higher income. One may have to pay a much higher amount in a particular state than they would in another.


While an individual can use the Internet to make a child support calculation, they should remember that the estimates might be wrong. A non-custodial parent will get a better idea of the amount of child support they will have to pay by speaking with a family court attorney. In truth, the non-custodial parent will not know the actual amount they have to pay until they go to court.

NEXT: Understanding The Child Support Payments Formula