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Child-support estimator

A single Wisconsin estimator that handles every circumstance — high income, low income, shared placement, split placement, and serial/multiple-family. Build a "family circle" for each co-parent you share children with; if you are in more than one circle, the estimator applies the serial-family rule and shows your combined position. These are estimates only — not legal advice, and your court order controls.

Your family circles

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What is a “family circle”?

What it does: A family circle is one co-parenting set: the child(ren) you share with one co-parent, both parents' monthly income available for child support, and how the children are placed (the percent of the year with you). If you co-parent different children with different people, you are in more than one circle — add a circle for each.

Why it matters: Wisconsin's guideline (DCF 150) treats each set of children separately, but an EARLIER support obligation reduces the income used for a LATER one (the serial-family rule). Modeling each circle and the order they began is the only way to estimate what someone at the intersection of several families actually pays.

Where the data comes from:
  • Wis. Admin. Code ch. DCF 150 — the percentage standard, shared/split/serial/low/high-income formulas.
  • This is an educational estimate; the court applies the guideline to verified income and placement.

Add a circle per co-parent. For each child, enter the percent of the year the child spends with you (50 = half time). If you have an earlier support order or duty for other children, add it as a prior obligation so the serial-family calculation is correct.

Add a family circle for each co-parent you share children with.

Compare across states (simple case)

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Who is the “obligor”?

What it does: The obligor is the parent a court orders to PAY support. Enter the paying parent's income for each state's measure (net resources for TX, adjusted gross for MS, etc.).

Why it matters: “Obligor” is NOT the same as “0% custody.” A parent with substantial parenting time can still be the obligor if their income is high enough under the guideline. The guideline math decides it, not custody percentage alone.

Where the data comes from:
  • Each state names the paying parent differently (obligor / payor / non-custodial parent) but all mean the parent ordered to pay after the guideline calculation.
  • This is an educational estimate; the actual obligor and amount are set by the court.

For a simple single-obligor case, compare what the same numbers would be under different states' guidelines — the wide differences are the point. Wisconsin-style multi-circle circumstances (above) are modeled only for Wisconsin; other states use their own single-obligor guideline.

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Why each state asks for a different income figure

What it does: Guidelines disagree on which income they use. The income-shares states (Wisconsin, Virginia, Minnesota, New York, Florida, California, Pennsylvania) start from BOTH parents' monthly income. The percentage-of-obligor states use only the paying parent's income, but each defines it differently: Texas uses 'net resources', North Dakota uses net income, Mississippi uses adjusted gross income, Alaska uses adjusted annual income, and Nevada uses gross income. Fill in the field(s) for the states you care about — the label under each field lists which states use it.

Why it matters: Putting the same dollar figure in every field gives a rough side-by-side, but a state's result is only as accurate as matching its own income definition. California also uses each parent's share of overnights.

Where the data comes from:
  • Income-shares: Wis. Stat. § 767.511; Va. Code § 20-108.2; Minn. Stat. § 518A.35; N.Y. Fam. Ct. Act § 413; Fla. Stat. § 61.30; Cal. Fam. Code § 4055; 231 Pa. Code Rule 1910.16-3.
  • Percentage-of-obligor: Tex. Fam. Code § 154.125; N.D. Admin. Code § 75-02-04.1-10; Miss. Code § 43-19-101; Alaska R. Civ. P. 90.3; Nev. Admin. Code § 425.140.

Want to know why the states differ this much? See how each state designs its guideline — measured child-rearing cost (Betson–Rothbarth / USDA) vs. a flat percentage of income, and which states' equal-income 50/50 placement yields no support.

Fill in the incomes you know, then compare every state side by side.

Child support calculators by state

Open your state's calculator and guideline guide directly.