Child support calculations in California can be a trick thing to understand. Learn more about this process and what you need to consider.

1. PRESENTED BY Kaspar & Lugay LLP
5 Need-To-Knows About
Child Support In California

2. Wages and tips
Unemployment benefits
Disability and workers compensation
Rental Income
Pensions and Social Security benefits
Each parent's monthly disposable
net income is a key factor…

3. You can look to your custody arrangement to see how time
sharing is broken down:
 Days
 Weekends
 Holidays
 Special events, etc
The payment amount is based on the percentage of time
you spend with your child.
*Source the California Department of Child Support Services
…so is the time each parent spends
with the child.

4. Your calculation could
differ from the judge's
calculation.
Calculating child support can differ
from user to user because of:
 What calculator was used
 The assumptions the user made
 Which parent claims the child
 How each parent sees their
parenting time percentage

5. The judge has
the final say on
the child support
amount.
Child support agreements
made outside of court are
no guarantee.
Judges in California have
the final say about what's
best for the child.

6. You need to show a
change in
circumstances to
get an order
modified…
California law requires you to show
there has been a "change in
circumstances" in order to seek
modification of a child support order.

7. …unless the
amount ordered
was too low.
Depending on circumstances, a judge
may order payments below guideline
amounts.
In these cases, you do not need to
show a change in circumstances.
*Source California Courts, Judicial Branch of California

8. You don't need to seek child
support on your own.
California law allows you to obtain counsel from an attorney when
handling child support matters.
An attorney can help you:
 Calculate child support
 Point out violations of your parental rights
 Present your case to the judge
 Arrange to have a court order modified
 Walk you through things from beginning to end
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