About & Methodology
Independent, free child-support estimators for all 50 states and D.C. Here is exactly how we research, verify, and maintain every figure — and why you can trace each number to a statute.
What ChildSupportFig is
ChildSupportFig maps each state’s official guideline model — Income Shares, Percentage of Income, or the Melson Formula — into a plain-English calculator, plus a reverse calculator, a what-if simulator, and a cross-state comparison tool. The tools are free and ad-supported; we do not sell data, and all calculations run entirely in your browser (no income or custody inputs are ever transmitted to our servers).
Editorial review: 2026-08-08 · Currently verified with official schedules: 7 of 51 states · Contact: [email protected]
The editorial process
- Source. Every state profile starts with the state’s published child-support statute and the official guideline schedule or worksheet issued by the state child-support agency, cross-referenced against the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) model summaries and the federal Office of Child Support Services.
- Verify. We confirm the guideline model (Income Shares, Percentage of Income, or Melson Formula), the income basis, and every published rate directly against the statute citation and agency table before marking a state “official.” Six percentage-of-income states are currently verified with statute-cited rates.
- Publish. Each state page links the statute and the official agency resources so every figure can be traced back to a citable source. Where an official schedule is not yet loaded, the calculator uses a reference schedule and is clearly flagged “model estimate” until verification is complete.
What “official” and “model estimate” mean
- Official schedule loaded (green badge): the calculator applies the state’s published statutory or agency schedule, and the source and year are shown on the page.
- Model estimate (red badge): we have not yet loaded the state’s official table. The calculator applies the state’s guideline model with a reference schedule and is clearly flagged until verified against the primary source.
- Not legal or financial advice: child support is set by a court using your state’s official worksheet. Estimates are a planning starting point, never a substitute for the tribunal’s decision.
Our sources
- State statutes and administrative codes (cited on every state page)
- State child-support agency guideline schedules and worksheets
- National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), “Brief Child Support Guideline Models”
- U.S. Office of Child Support Services program guidance
Found a figure that looks wrong? Email us at [email protected] with the page and citation, and we will verify it against the statute. See our legal, privacy & advertising disclosures for terms of use and our editorial (E-E-A-T) standards.