Child support, alimony and settlement calculators

Free Child Support Calculator

This child support calculator uses your state's official guideline formula. Pick the state where the case is filed.

Full guide for this calculator →
$/month
Before tax: salary, wages, overtime, tips, commissions and bonuses.
In another household
Deductions (child's health insurance, union dues)
$/month
Only the child's share. If the plan also covers other children, divide the cost by the number of children covered.
$/month
Guideline child support
$839.83
per month, at 20% of net resources
Gross wages$5,000.00
Social Security (6.2%)−$310.00
Medicare (1.45%)−$72.50
Federal income tax (single, standard deduction)−$418.33
Child's health insurance−$0.00
Union dues−$0.00
Net resources$4,199.17

Texas has no state income tax, so none is deducted.

Estimate only, not legal advice. This calculator applies the published rules to the numbers you enter. A judge can order a different amount, and the result depends on how income is proven in your case. Settle101 is not a law firm. For advice on your situation, talk to a family-law attorney, legal aid or your state's child support agency.

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How states calculate child support

  • Income shares (most states, including Florida; California uses its own statewide formula): add both parents' net incomes, look up the basic cost of raising the children at that income in the state's schedule, and split it by each parent's share of income.
  • Percentage of income (Texas and a few others): apply a set percentage to the paying parent's net income, rising with the number of children, up to a cap.
  • Melson formula (a small number of states): an income shares variant that first sets aside a self-support amount for each parent.
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Same family, two states

A paying parent with $6,000 a month in wages and two children owes $1,239 a month under the Texas guidelines, which look only at that parent's income. In Florida the answer depends on both parents' net incomes and how many nights the children spend with each parent, so it can be higher or lower. That is why there is no single national child support calculator.

What you need before you start

  • Each parent's gross pay (Texas) or net pay after taxes and required deductions (Florida).
  • The number of children in this case, and any other children a parent supports.
  • The overnight schedule, child care costs and the children's health insurance premium.

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Frequently asked questions

How does a child support calculator work?

A child support calculator applies your state’s guideline formula to the parents’ incomes and the number of children. Most states combine both parents’ incomes and split a table amount by income share; Texas applies a percentage to the paying parent’s net income. The result is the guideline amount a court starts from.

Is child support the same in every state?

No. Each state sets its own formula, deductions and caps, so the same incomes can give very different amounts in Texas and Florida. Always use the calculator for the state where the case is filed.

Which states does this child support calculator cover?

Texas, Florida and California so far. We publish a state only after its formula has been built from the official statute and tested against the state's official tables and worksheet. Last review: 2026-11-11.

Can a judge order a different amount?

Yes. Every state lets the court deviate from the guideline amount in some situations, for example a child’s special needs, very high income or unusual parenting time. The calculator shows the guideline starting point.

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