Simple Child Support Calculator
To calculate child support, you need to use a calculator for your country. Please choose a country using the select tool above or from the list at the bottom of the page.
Every country has a unique set of child support guidelines, meaning the calculation method is always country-specific. Depending on the nation or state, the calculator could be simple and easy to use, or complicated and difficult.
Parenting Time Overnights Calculator
Child support payments often depend on how much time a child spends with each parent. The most common and simplest way to calculate parenting time is by the number of overnights a child has with each parent in a typical year.
Use this calculator to work out how much care a parent provides, expressed as both overnights per year and the parenting time percentage.
Calculate annual overnight stays
Regular nights
Vacation nights each year*
183 overnight stays per year.
50.0% of parenting time.
* Vacation nights are all nights when the regular schedule does not apply.
How Child Support is Calculated
Payments depend on the way support obligations are calculated in your country or state. We have classed the calculation methods into several groups. You can see which applies on each local calculator page.
- With the income shares calculation method, parents notionally contribute to a pool of support funds based on their incomes and the number of children. The funds are then distributed back to the parents according to parenting time percentages. You receive child support if your overall contribution is tilted more towards parenting time than earning income.
- The income percentage method designates each parent as a custodial or non-custodial parent. Only the income of the non-custodial parent matters. A percentage of his or income, with the exact percentage depending on the number of children, is given to the other parent. There may be an adjustment for parenting time percentages.
- With the income shares only method, parents contribute to child support based on their share of combined income. The custodial parent receives the money and the non-custodial parent pays, with no adjustment for the amount of parenting time each parent puts in.
- The income shares category method is a hybrid system. Payments depend on the incomes of the parents. Adjustments are made according to parenting time categories. For example, payments may be lower when there is shared parenting instead of sole custody.
- A scenario based method puts each case into a particular group, based on characteristics such as the number of overnights per year. A different calculation applies to each group.
Child support shares the costs of raising a child or children between parents and improves child living standards. Unless parents agree on their own arrangement, child support is usually paid in the form of regular payments by one parent to the other to help support the child’s care and development.
Child support may be calculated as a percentage of the payer’s income. With a sensible formula, the amount reduces as the payer’s parenting time approaches 50 percent. The income shares model is also widely used. But, while this scheme may sound good in theory, parents often find themselves lumped with unfair, unrealistic payment obligations.
Dr Andrew Lancaster
Country Calculators