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Overview of Guideline Formulas

The mathematical formulas for each state are based on the payer's income (and often on the payee's as well).

Although the formula varies from state to state, in general, the formula does something like this:

• Figures the payer's (and sometimes payee's) "net income";
• Deducts certain specified special expenses, such as health care or child care;
• Takes a percentage (e.g., 30%) of what's left, and that's the support amount.

The states that look at both spouses' incomes will set a "total support" dollar amount based on the combined incomes, then apportion that total between the spouses. (In this scheme, only the payer, the non-custodial parent, actually pays cash. The other parent is assumed to be contributing by paying the children's daily expenses.)

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