Simple Child Support Calculator
For a simple and easy calculation of child support in Utah, we recommend using the Office of Recovery Services Child Support Calculator.
The Office of Recovery Services Child Support 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 Utah, we advise against using a different calculator as the results may be innacurate or misleading.
Overnights Calculator for Utah
According to Utah 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 Utah
Child support payments in Utah are calculated using the income shares category 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 their income percentage. The higher your percentage of combined parent income, the more you pay or less you receive.
Payments are also affected by which parenting time category applies. Payments may be lower because of a "shared" (fairly equal) care arrangement.
Utahns paying the most child support have high incomes and limited parenting time. Conversely, the biggest receivers are parents who (a) work little (b) have their kids most of the time and (c) have a high earner as the other parent.
The number of overnights a child spends in each home affects child support. Joint physical custody is where a child spends at least 111 nights a year with each parent. Sole physical custody is where the child spends over 225 nights a year in the home of one parent. Split custody means there are multiple children and some live with one parent and some live with the other.
The gross income of a parent includes income from all the sources, including salaries, rent, social security bills, and even unemployment payments and employments benefits. However, things like housing subsidies, welfare benefits, and general assistance are typically excluded from the equation when determining child support.
Emy A Cordano, Attorney At Law
Utahn child support guidelines apply to the whole state, including the cities of Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Provo, West Jordan, Orem and Sandy. 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