California Child Support Calculator

How to Use the California Child Support Calculator

1. Complete the Total Monthly Net Income. This will be the disposable income of both parties after taxes and garnishments.
2. Enter the Higher Earner Relative Physical Responsibility Percentage. This is the approximate percentage of time that the high earner has or will have primary physical responsibility for the children compared to the other parent.
3. Fill in the High Earner Disposable Income. This will be the higher earner’s net monthly disposable income (after taxes/garnishments).
4. Complete the Number of Children. This does not include children from other relationships. Qualifying children must be in high school or under 19 years old.

The child support estimate generated by this calculator is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Child support calculations can be complex and vary depending on individual circumstances. For an accurate determination of child support obligations, it is strongly recommended that you consult with an attorney.

California Child Support Calculator

Understanding the right amount to pay in child support and how child support is calculated can ease the transition into co-parenting, ensure that your child receives the care that they need, and help you avoid running into any of the dire consequences that the state of California has in place for delinquent parents. Pinkham & Associates can help you navigate California guidelines and set a level of child support that is both sustainable for the parent and necessary for your child. Please use our child support calculator below to help calculate your potential child support costs. As this is just an estimate, please contact our team for more information.

What is the Purpose of Child Support?

According to the state of California, both parents are on the hook for the costs of raising their child to adulthood, regardless of the status of their marriage. Child support in California is a set monthly payment dedicated to your child’s living expenses. It can be agreed upon between two ex-spouses, or, if agreement is not possible, the amount may be ordered by a judge. The purpose of child support is to help your child maintain their previous standard of living when both parents were together and contributing to their expenses.

Child support is generally paid by one parent, typically the non-custodial parent, to the parent who is primarily caring for the underage child or children. In some cases, child support may be paid by both parents to another primary caretaker for their child, such as a grandparent or another relative.

Areas that might be covered by child support include their food, clothing, transportation, medical needs, and housing. Additional costs like private school tuition, after school sports and lessons, private tutors, a child’s car or car insurance, and college expenses are generally not included in state-ordered child support. However, there are times when educational expenses may be included in child support. If both parents agree to include educational costs for their child, if entering or staying in a private school is deemed in the child’s best interests by a judge, and if payment for private school is financially viable for the non-custodial parent, then tuition may be included in the final calculation.

The courts may increase or decrease child support at their discretion. Family law judges in California weigh a number of factors in making their decisions about how much money your child needs set aside each month.

California Child Support Guidelines

In California family courts, every decision is made with the best interests of the child at the heart. Therefore, factors that influence child support decisions include how much money both parents make, how much time they spend with their children, how they share parental responsibilities, how they file their taxes, and more.

A child support order is used by a judge to legally allocate each parent’s financial responsibility to their underage child. It is enforceable under California divorce laws, and may require an employer to automatically deduct a certain amount from your paycheck each month.

Factors Influencing Child Support Payments in California

Child support payments are variable based on a number of factors under California state law. If both parents cannot agree on child support payments, it is very common to hire a divorce lawyer for help. Having skilled representation during the proceedings can help create a fuller picture of both your financial picture as well as your child’s needs. The following factors all can influence a court’s decision in how much child support a parent will have to pay after a divorce:

• Income & Expenses: Each parent’s total income and expenses are accounted for when determining a sustainable level of child support. The court will ask you to include not only salaried jobs but also commissions, royalties, additional wages, bonuses, rents, dividends, pensions, interest, trust income, annuities, workers’ disability insurance benefits, social security benefits, and spousal support you might receive from an ex-spouse other than your divorcing partner. The Court will take into account financial hardship and extraordinary circumstances, but you should not expect to be told that only one parent will need to bear the total cost of raising a child to adulthood.
• Number of Children: The number of children that a former couple shares together will influence the amount that one spouse is ordered to pay in child support. For two children, the formula used by the California court system is multiplied by 1.6, and similar adjustments follow for additional siblings. Children are considered eligible for child support until they are 18 years of age, or 19 years and still in high school.
• Childcare Costs: Childcare costs are factored in not only for a child’s direct expenses like food and shelter, but also for the parent who spends more time with them and some of those associated costs. Examples of this might include child care like a nanny or afterschool program so a parent can work or get job training, travel expenses that one parent incurs for visitation, or the cost of rent for a larger apartment to accommodate the child’s room. However, childcare costs are always separate from one parent’s general expenses, and are also separate from spousal support or alimony payments they might receive.
• High Income Earners: A high asset divorce involves more at stake, as well as additional rules for high income earners. A high asset divorce attorney will be experienced in helping you navigate additional concerns and liability that may come into play during your divorce. For instance, at times the Court may consider earning capacity as well as actual income when deciding upon child support. If one parent has retired early but has the capacity to pay for more of their child’s expenses through their former career’s salary and investment income, then they may be ordered to pay a higher amount in child support than a parent who is a lower earner.
• Special Needs Children: Uninsured health care expenses or additional requirements for children with special needs will be taken into account by the Courts when deciding upon child support arrangements. Your child’s unique needs are at the center of the Court’s decision making.
• Shared Custody: The amount of time each parent spends with their child is a factor in shared custody arrangements when it comes to deciding upon child support. In general, spending less time with your child will create higher child support payments, as the other parent will need to bear more expenses. However, even in cases where parents share time equally in a 50/50 split for their children, there is still usually some amount of child support at play. The goal with child support is to maintain the child’s standard of living equal to their circumstances before the divorce, across both households. Therefore, if one parent makes significantly less money but shares the same amount of time with the child as the other ex-spouse, they may still receive child support payments to support the child moving between the two homes.

Unexpected Results? A Lawyer Can Review Your Estimated Child Support Payments

Agreeing on child support payments is always the best way to come to a sustainable conclusion, but sometimes doing so is simply not possible. Both parents might not see eye to eye on child care costs, your costs might change over time especially with special needs child support, or there might be an unequal division of assets from start. There are situations when you might be ordered to pay an amount that is unsustainable, or when you are shouldering the brunt of expenses that you believe your ex-spouse should be contributing to as well. Child support after divorce should not be an undue burden for either party involved.

In any of these situations and more, it is crucial to seek out legal advice from an experienced Orange County child custody attorney. Child support calculations can be adjusted over time, and many complex areas of accounting go into deciding upon payments. If you are receiving unexpected results or seeing discrepancies between the calculated amount and your expectations, contact one of our expert divorce attorneys with Pinkham & Associates for a consultation. We will be able to explain your results as well as get you on track for a better and fairer outcome.

Additional Child Support Resources

The following are some additional child support resources that you may find helpful when filing for a divorce in California with minor children:

• California Child Support Services
• California Courts
• California Court Self-Help Center
• National Domestic Violence Hotline

Seek Help from a California Child Support Lawyer

Our child support payment calculator is just a sample of how much you might expect to pay for your children’s needs moving forwards. For personalized guidance, as well as expert representation in complex child support situations, contact Pinkham & Associates today. We can represent your interests in divorce court or mediation, helping you come to a conclusion that works for your family.