How to Get An Estimate of the Amount of Child Support that Will Be Ordered

California has a calculator at its website that will estimate the amount of child support that can be ordered. Before going there, you should gather all of your financial information together. You will need to estimate the amount of time the children will spend with you as a percentage. For example, the estimate might be fifty percent. You will use your tax records, pay stubs, health insurance records, any business expenses if you are self-employed, as well as mortgage and property tax records, required union dues, retirement contributions, etc., to fill in the information on the forms. Once you have gathered all of your financial records together, plug the numbers from your records into the calculator that can be found here.

Go to Calculator


WARNING: This calculator provides an estimate of the amount of child support that a court will order to be paid. It is based on California Child Support Guidelines. But the Court Commissioner or Family Law Judge will have the final authority to determine the amount of a child support order. This estimate should not be construed as a guarantee of how much child support will be ordered in your particular case. There could be additional factors that are not being considered in your calculation that will impact the actual amount of child support ordered in your case.

If you have any questions about the child support guidelines, you should talk with your lawyer or contact a family law facilitator where your case has been filed.

Also, as many cusotdial parents have found out the hard way, a court order is not the same thing as a timely payment.  You may need to take the order to your local agency in charge of enforcing child support orders to receive payments.  These agencies can try to collect child suppor by garnishing wages, obtaining tax refund checks, withholding licenses, such as professional licenses and drivers licenses, etc.


copyright © 2015 Christine Esser

The information contained here is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. Online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Information on this blog is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship between you and Christine Esser. An attorney-client relationship is only established when a written retainer has been signed.

For more information, we recommend these books from NOLO press that have helped others understand the process of collecting child support.  Good luck.