California Family Law Tools
California Child Support Calculator
Estimate basic child support using California’s statewide guideline formula. Then learn about additional factors that may affect the amount a court orders.
This calculator provides an estimate based on California’s current statewide child support guideline and 2026 tax settings. It is for general information only. It is not legal advice or a guarantee of what a judge or child support commissioner will order.
Your result may change if income is disputed, a parent is self-employed, parenting time differs from the schedule entered, tax information is incomplete, a low-income adjustment applies, or the court includes additional expenses. Using this calculator does not create an attorney-client relationship.
For questions about your circumstances, speak with a California family law attorney.
Need a More Personalized Estimate?
An online California child support calculator cannot account for every detail. Share a few facts with our team, and a California family law attorney can help you understand the numbers, the information the court may use, and what could happen next.
Beyond the number
What Can Change Your California Child Support Estimate
Your California child support estimate depends on the information you enter. Changes in income, parenting time, tax deductions, or child-related costs can change the result. Courts generally order the guideline amount, but a judge may order a different amount when California law allows it, and the facts support that result.
California’s formula uses net disposable income, but the calculation begins with gross income. Income may include wages, bonuses, commissions, self-employment earnings, rental income, interest, pensions, and some benefits. Taxes, health insurance premiums, mandatory retirement contributions, and certain other deductions may affect the net disposable income used in the formula.
California’s permitted deductions are explained in Family Code § 4059.
Business income, expenses, overtime, commissions, bonuses, and seasonal work can make the numbers harder to pin down. A court may look beyond a single paycheck or tax return when income changes from month to month.
California child support is affected by the percentage of time each parent has primary physical responsibility for the children. Use the schedule the family actually follows when possible. Weekends, holidays, school breaks, and overnight arrangements can all affect the timeshare percentage.
If parenting time is disputed or may change, learn more about child custody and parenting time in California before relying on one estimate.
California courts generally must order qualifying childcare expenses related to employment or education or training needed for employment, along with reasonable uninsured healthcare costs. These expenses are usually divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted net disposable incomes unless a different division is requested or ordered.
A judge may add expenses for a child’s education or other special needs. The court may also include travel expenses related to parenting time. These costs are not automatically ordered in every case.
The availability and cost of health insurance for the children may affect the order. Enter only the portion of a premium tied to the children when the calculator asks for that amount.
A parent with qualifying low net disposable income may receive a low-income adjustment. Under the current guideline, the threshold is tied to the gross monthly income earned from full-time work at California’s minimum wage. The adjustment is not a separate payment; it may reduce the guideline support amount for an eligible paying parent.
The guideline result is presumed correct, but that presumption can be challenged. A court may order a different amount in situations involving an extraordinarily high-income parent, different parenting schedules for different children, special medical or other needs, an agreed amount that meets California’s legal requirements, or another special circumstance that makes the formula result unjust or inappropriate.
What Does This Mean for Your Case?
Your result is a useful starting point, not the final answer. The strongest estimate comes from accurate income, tax, parenting-time, and expense information. A California child support attorney can review what went into the number and explain which details could increase or reduce the amount.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Child Support in California
Attorney-reviewed answers to common questions about California child support calculations, parenting time, add-on expenses, and modifications.
California uses a statewide formula written as CS = K[HN − (H%)(TN)]. In the formula, HN is the higher earner’s net monthly disposable income, H% is that parent’s percentage of parenting time, and TN is both parents’ combined net monthly disposable income. K is a factor set by California law that determines how much of the parents’ income is allocated for child support.
The number of children and additional costs, such as qualifying childcare and uninsured healthcare expenses, may also affect the final amount.
You can review the formula in California Family Code section 4055 or compare your information with the state’s official California Child Support Guideline Calculator.
California generally starts with income from any source. This may include wages, bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, rental income, interest, dividends, pensions, benefits, and spousal support received from the other parent. The court then applies taxes and allowed deductions to determine net disposable income.
The income of a new spouse or nonmarital partner is generally not included, except in limited extraordinary circumstances.
Yes. The formula considers each parent’s percentage of time with the children. A schedule with more time for one parent can change the calculation, but parenting time is only one factor. Income and other financial information still matter.
Use the schedule that is actually being followed when you estimate support. If the parents disagree about the timeshare percentage, the court may decide what percentage to use.
No. Equal parenting time does not automatically mean that no child support will be owed. If one parent has a higher net disposable income, that parent may still pay support, so the children share in both parents’ incomes.
Learn more about how 50/50 custody works in California.
Add-ons are child-related expenses ordered in addition to basic guideline support. Under California Family Code section 4062, California courts generally must order qualifying employment-related childcare and reasonable uninsured healthcare costs. Courts may also order costs for a child’s education or special needs and travel expenses related to parenting time.
Under the current guideline, add-ons are generally divided in proportion to the parents’ adjusted net disposable incomes unless a different allocation is requested or ordered.
The low-income adjustment may reduce support when the paying parent’s net disposable income falls below the threshold tied to full-time work at California’s minimum wage. Whether it applies depends on the parent’s financial information and the guideline calculation. A judge can also consider whether the resulting order would exceed 50% of the paying parent’s net disposable income.
Often, yes. A parent may ask to modify child support when circumstances change, such as a change in income, job status, parenting time, or the child’s needs. A new amount usually does not take effect just because circumstances have changed. A parent generally needs a new court order.
Learn more about changing a child support amount in California, including some of the financial and parenting-time changes that may support a modification request.
Under California Family Code section 3901, California child support usually continues until a child turns 18. If the child is 18, unmarried, still attending high school full time, and not self-supporting, support generally continues until the child completes 12th grade or turns 19, whichever happens first. Support may end earlier if the child marries, joins the military, becomes legally emancipated, or dies. Different rules may apply for an adult child who cannot support themselves because of a disability.
Tools & Resources
Explore More California Family Law Calculators
Child support is one part of the financial picture. Use our other California calculators to estimate attorney fees and explore how property, spousal support, and parenting schedules may affect your family.
Need Help Understanding Your Results?
Whether you are setting child support for the first time or asking to change an existing order, we can help you understand what went into the estimate and what information you may need next.
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