California uses a statewide guideline formula to calculate child support. The formula considers several factors, including each parent's income, how much time each parent spends with the child, tax filing status, and certain child-related expenses like health insurance and work-related childcare.
Because every family's finances are different, child support isn't a fixed percentage of income. Even small changes to your income or parenting schedule can affect the amount.

Yes. California updated its child support guidelines in 2026. The changes include updates to the statewide formula used to calculate child support, a new way of calculating low-income adjustments that automatically keeps pace with California's minimum wage, and changes to how some additional child-related expenses, like work-related childcare and uninsured healthcare costs, are generally shared between parents.
Depending on your family's circumstances, these updates may change the amount of child support, even if your income and parenting schedule stay the same. This calculator reflects California's current child support guidelines.

There's no set amount because child support depends on your family's specific circumstances. California uses a statewide guideline formula that considers each parent's income, parenting time, health insurance costs, childcare expenses, and other factors.
The easiest way to get an idea of what you might pay or receive is to use the California Child Support Calculator. It can give you a personalized estimate based on the information you enter before you make important financial decisions.

Typically, California courts start with the statewide guideline child support calculation. But in some situations, the judge may order a different amount if California law allows a departure from the guideline, and the facts of the case support it.
That's one reason an online calculator is a good starting point, but it can't account for every circumstance that may affect a court's decision.

To get the most accurate estimate, you'll generally need information about:

• Each parent's income
• Parenting time or custody schedule
• Health insurance costs for the child
• Work-related childcare expenses
• Tax filing status
• The number of children who need support

The more accurate the information you enter, the more useful your estimate will be.

Yes. Parenting time is one of the biggest factors in California's child support calculation. Usually, the more time a child spends with each parent, the more it can affect the amount of child support. Even relatively small changes to your parenting schedule may change the calculation.
But remember, parenting time is only one part of the formula. California also considers each parent's income and certain child-related expenses, so there isn't a set amount of child support for any exact parenting schedule.

Yes. A California child support order may be modified if legal requirements are met. Common reasons include a significant change in income, a change in parenting time, or changes in a child's needs or expenses.
If your family's circumstances have changed since your child support order was entered, you may be able to ask the court to increase or decrease child support.

California child support is based on each parent's income, including wages, salaries, overtime, bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, rental income, and some other sources of earnings.
If your income changes from month to month or you're self-employed, calculating child support can be more complicated than entering a regular paycheck into a calculator.

This California child support calculator gives you an estimate based on the information you enter and California's statewide child support guidelines. For many families, it's a helpful way to understand what child support could look like.
Keep in mind that it's still an estimate. Things like parenting time, childcare costs, health insurance, self-employment income, overtime, bonuses, and other factors can affect the final amount. A judge may also consider circumstances that an online calculator can't.
You can find more information and resources on the California Courts website's Child Support Self-Help Guide.