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Income Shares

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Melson Formula

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Child Support Percentage By State 2021

In family law, child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other relationship. Payment is made by an obligor, often the non-custodial parent, to an obligee, typically the custodial parent, a caregiver, a guardian, or the state.

Child support is often arranged as a result of a divorce, material separation, annulment, determination of parentage, or a dissolution of a civil union.

Child support laws vary between jurisdictions. Typically, one has the same obligation to pay the support irrespective of sex, so a mother is required to pay the father just as a father must pay the mother. In some jurisdictions where there is joint custody, the child is considered to have two custodial parents and no non-custodial parent. This might result in the parent with a higher income being required to pay the other custodial parent.

The 1992 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is a being connection that was signed by every UN member state and formally ratified by all members except for the U.S. This convention declares that the upbringing and development of children and providing them a standard of living that is adequate for their development is a human the responsibility of both parents.

Child Support in the United States

In the United States, the Office of Child Support Enforcement is responsible for the federal child support enforcement program. Federal regulations, in accordance with Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, require the uniform application of child support guidelines throughout a state, but each state may determine its own method of calculating support. Code of Federal Regulations Title 45 302.56 requires each state to establish and publish a guideline and review the guideline every four years. Most states have adopted their own “Child Support Guidelines Worksheet” that determines the standard calculation of child support in that state.

How Child Support is Calculated

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, child support guidelines in each state follow one of three models: the income share model, the percentage of income model, and the Melson Formula.

The income shares model combines both parents’ income, determines the basic child support, \ adds expenses, and then an obligation is prorated between the parents based on their percentage of the combined income. Forty states use the income share model

The percentage of income model determines the non-custodial parent’s income, determines the percentage of the non-custodial parent’s income that will be applied, applies the percentage to the income, and finalizes the obligation by making adjustments for add-ons and deductions. Seven states use the percentage income model, four of which use the flat percentage model.

The Melson Formula is a more complicated version of the Income Shares model, which incorporates public policy judgments to unsure each parent’s basic needs are met in addition to the children. Only Delaware, Hawaii, and Montana use the Melson Formula.

The District of Columbia uses a hybrid model that starts as a varying percentage of income model and is then reduced by a formula based on the custodial parent’s income.

Alabama

Alaska

  • Percentage of obligor's income
  • Multiply the non-custodial parent’s (obligor’s) annual net income by 20% for one child, 27% for two children, and 33% for three children. For each additional child, add 3%.
  • Child Support Calculator

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Delaware

District of Columbia

  • Because D.C. has a hybrid model, child support can be very complex and confusing. The best way to determine the child support obligation is to use the Child Support Guideline Calculator or contact an attorney.

Florida

  • Income shares model
  • If monthly income exceeds $10,000, child support is calculated by multiplying the amount of income over $10,000 by a percentage based on the number of children. For this, one child is 5%, two is 7.5%, three is 9.5%, four is 11%, five is 12%, and six is 12.5%.
  • Florida Child Support Guidelines
  • Child Support Calculator

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

  • Percentage of obligor’s income
  • The guideline formula for determining the amount of child support is 14% of noncustodial parent's income for one child, 20% for two children, 22% for three children, 24% for four children and 26% for five or more children
  • Mississippi Child Support Calculator

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

  • Percentage of obligor’s income
  • One child= 20% of Net Monthly Income, two children = 25%, three children = 30%, four children = 35%, five children = 40%, and six children = no less than 40%
  • Monthly Child Support Calculator

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Child Support Percentage By State 2021

CSV JSON
State Guideline Type
AlabamaIncome Shares
ArizonaIncome Shares
ArkansasIncome Shares
CaliforniaIncome Shares
ColoradoIncome Shares
ConnecticutIncome Shares
FloridaIncome Shares
GeorgiaIncome Shares
IdahoIncome Shares
IllinoisIncome Shares
IndianaIncome Shares
IowaIncome Shares
KansasIncome Shares
KentuckyIncome Shares
LouisianaIncome Shares
MaineIncome Shares
MarylandIncome Shares
MassachusettsIncome Shares
MichiganIncome Shares
MinnesotaIncome Shares
MissouriIncome Shares
NebraskaIncome Shares
New HampshireIncome Shares
New JerseyIncome Shares
New MexicoIncome Shares
New YorkIncome Shares
North CarolinaIncome Shares
OhioIncome Shares
OklahomaIncome Shares
OregonIncome Shares
PennsylvaniaIncome Shares
Rhode IslandIncome Shares
South CarolinaIncome Shares
South DakotaIncome Shares
TennesseeIncome Shares
UtahIncome Shares
VermontIncome Shares
VirginiaIncome Shares
WashingtonIncome Shares
West VirginiaIncome Shares
WyomingIncome Shares
DelawareMelson Formula
HawaiiMelson Formula
MontanaMelson Formula
AlaskaPercentage of Income
MississippiPercentage of Income
NevadaPercentage of Income
North DakotaPercentage of Income
TexasPercentage of Income
WisconsinPercentage of Income

Child Support Percentage By State 2021