Simple Child Support Calculator
For a simple and easy calculation of child support in Colorado, we suggest trying the Divorce HQ child support calculator. Colorado appears to lack an official, government calculator that is easy to use.
The Divorce HQ child support calculator is quite simple and easy to use. But note that the estimator may not always be accurate and up to date for 2024. For a more reliable assessment, you can try the official version.
In the state of Colorado, the result of an online calculation should be interpreted carefully. You should treat the estimate as just a preliminary indication of the child support amount you could receive or be required to pay.
Overnights Calculator for Colorado
According to Colorado child support guidelines, payment amounts depend on how many overnight stays a child has with each parent annually.
Use this overnights calculator to work out how many nights of care you provide.
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 in Colorado
Child support payments in Colorado are calculated using the income shares method. Payments depend on the combined incomes of the parents as well as the number of children. A larger combined income or more children usually means greater payments.
The amount paid or received by an individual parent also depends on income and parenting time percentages.
- If your income percentage (your share of combined income) is higher than your care percentage (share of parenting time), you are probably the payer.
- The receiver is normally the parent with a care percentage above their income percentage.
Coloradans paying the most child support have high incomes and rarely look after their children. On the flipside, the biggest receivers are parents who (a) work little (b) have their kids nearly all the time and (c) have a high earner as the other parent.
Factors that can affect you child support assessment are: (i) gross income (before taxes) of parents (ii) any child income (iii) how many overnights the child has with each parent (iv) expenses such as health insurance and daycare and (v) any other child support orders, financial support for other children, or alimony.
Because the Guidelines are so complicated, every family law attorney and judge in the state has a child support calculator that does all the math for us. The support amount, after factors are considered, is called the presumptive amount. Judges have the ability to deviate from the presumptive amount, up or down, but rarely do.
John Beski
Coloradan child support guidelines apply to the whole state, including the cities of Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, Lakewood and Thornton. Variations in support payments may be made by the agreement of parents or at the discretion of a judge presiding over your case.
Payment Calculators by State