Simple Child Support Calculator
For a simple and easy calculation of child support in South Dakota, we recommend using the South Dakota Department of Social Services calculator.
The South Dakota Department of Social Services calculator is quite simple and easy to use. You can also expect it to be accurate and kept up to date in 2024.
For the state of South Dakota, we advise against using a different calculator as the results may be innacurate or misleading.
South Dakota Parenting Time Calculator
While South Dakota child support guidelines focus on which parent is the "custodial parent", parenting time shares have the potential to affect child support. Actual parenting time percentages could influence the order a judge makes or how much parents agree to.
Use this overnights calculator to work out your parenting time percentage. Most states measure parenting time based on overnight stays.
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 South Dakota
Child support payments in South Dakota are calculated using the income shares only method. Payments depend on the combined income of the parents as well as the number of children eligible for support. A bigger combined income or extra children typically means higher payments.
The amounts transferred also depend on each parent’s income share or income percentage. South Dakotans paying the most support are non-custodial parents with high incomes. The biggest receivers are low-income parents with primary physical custody and a high-earning payer.
We refer to the method as "income shares only" since South Dakota lacks a well-defined way of adjusting payments for the exact amount of parenting time each parent contributes. A parent’s share of care time is not a detailed part of the guidelines, as is usually the case with income sharing models.
Standard deductions to gross income are for Federal Income Tax, Social Security and Medicare deductions. The calculator provides an estimate only and is not a guarantee of the amount of child support that may be ordered by the court. Other factors may affect the payments awarded.
The joint monthly net incomes of both parents must be used in determining the obligation and divided proportionately between the parents based on their net incomes, even if the parties have joint physical custody. The noncustodial parent’s proportionate share establishes the amount of the child support obligation.
South Dakota Law Help
South Dakotan child support guidelines apply to the whole state, including the cities of Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Variations in support payments may be made by the agreement of parents or at the discretion of a judge presiding over your case.
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