Calculating Child Support

Calculating child support is one of the key discussions during any divorce or allocation of parental responsibilities. Colorado uses a formula based on the gross income of both parties, along with expenses for the child, including child care, medical expenses, and educational expenses, to determine the amount of child support. This article is a very general overview of how the formula works.

The following items are considered income for purposes of calculating child support:

  • Wages

  • Income from self-employment

  • Monetary gifts

  • Interest and dividends

  • Expense reimbursements, if they are significant and reduce living expenses

  • Maintenance

  • Rental income

  • Social security benefits

  • Workers’ compensation benefits

  • Unemployment

  • Disability insurance benefits

  • Monetary prizes, such as lottery winnings

The following are NOT considered income for child support purposes:

  • Overtime, if it is voluntary

  • Income from a second job that results in more than 40 hours of work per week

  • Benefits from a means-tested public assistance program (i.e., food stamps)

  • Gains on a retirement account (as long as the parent is not taking distributions

Both parent’s gross incomes are entered into the child support worksheet. Next, the number of overnights the child has with each parent is entered into the worksheet. If the number of overnights with one parent is 92 or fewer, Worksheet A will be used. If both parents have more than 92 overnights, Worksheet B is used.

Next, each parent gets credit for the following expenses:

  • Work-related child care costs

  • Health insurance premiums (for the parent who agrees to cover the child)

  • Educational expenses (such as private school, if agreed to by the parties)

  • Extraordinary medical expenses (uninsured expenses greater than $250 per calendar year, unless altered by the parties) 

  • Extraordinary travel expenses (if there is a long-distance parenting plan in place)

All of these items are input into the proper child support worksheet (A or B) to determine the amount of child support.

Do you have additional questions about how child support is calculated? Call Katelyn today!

Child SupportKatelyn ParkerChild Support, Money, Children