Virginia Child Support Calculator

It depends on both parents’ monthly income before taxes, the number of children, and how many days a year the children spend with each parent. With one child and gross pay of $4,000 and $2,000 a month, the higher earner pays about $666 a month when the child lives mostly with the other parent. Health insurance and child care costs are added on top.

When each parent has the children more than 90 days a year, the shared custody formula lowers these amounts; the calculator above applies it. The amounts come from Virginia’s schedule, in effect since July 1, 2025, which lists basic support for both parents together by their combined monthly income before taxes. The schedule is in Va. Code § 20-108.2(B).

Virginia uses an income shares formula, so both parents’ incomes count. It adds the parents’ monthly incomes before taxes and looks up basic support for that income in the state’s schedule. It then adds health insurance and child care costs. Each parent owes their share of the total.

The rules are in Va. Code § 20-108.2:

1. Find each parent’s income before taxes from all sources. Subtract support the parent pays a former spouse or other children, an amount for other children living with them, and half of any self-employment tax.
2. Add the two incomes.
3. Look up basic support for that combined income and the number of children. This is the amount for both parents together.
4. Add health insurance and child care costs.
5. Split it by each parent’s share of the income. A parent with 60% of the combined income owes 60%.
6. Use the shared custody formula if each parent has more than 90 days a year.

Example

One parent earns $4,000 a month and the other $2,000, so their combined income is $6,000. Basic support for one child at that income is $999. The higher earner has two thirds of the income, so with the child living mostly with the other parent, they pay about $666 a month.

Yes, and it starts well before 50/50. Once each parent has the children more than 90 days a year, Virginia’s shared custody formula lowers support, and support drops more as the time gets closer to equal. With one child and gross pay of $4,000 and $2,000 a month, the higher earner pays $666 a month when they have the children 90 days a year or fewer, about $584 at 91 days, about $473 at 120 days, about $372 at 146 days (40%), and about $234 at equal time.

When each parent has more than 90 days, basic support is multiplied by 1.4. Each parent owes their income share of it for the days the children spend with the other parent. The parent who owes more pays the difference. If the regular amount would be lower, the paying parent can ask for that instead.

A day means 24 hours. When the parent with fewer overnights has the children overnight for less than 24 hours, each parent counts half a day. The rules are in Va. Code § 20-108.2(G)(3), and courts use the shared custody worksheet (DC-640).

Child care the children need so a parent can work is added to basic support. The parents split it by their shares of the combined income. The amount counted can’t be more than what quality care from a licensed provider costs.

For example, if child care costs $600 a month and you have two thirds of the combined income, your share is $400. In shared custody, child care each parent pays so they can work counts. A judge can consider whether the other parent is available to watch the children instead. If a parent asks, the judge can also consider the tax savings from child care credits, under Va. Code § 20-108.2(F).

The cost of the children’s health, dental, and vision insurance is added to basic support and split by each parent’s share of the income. The parent who pays the premium gets credit for it. Medical and dental bills insurance doesn’t cover are split the same way as they come up.

• Reasonable cost: a parent can be ordered to cover the children when it costs no more than 5% of that parent’s income before taxes, under Va. Code § 63.2-1900.
• Only the children’s part: if the insurer doesn’t list a cost for each child, subtract the cost of covering the parent alone from the total. Then divide the rest by the number of other people covered, under Va. Code § 20-108.2(E).
• Uncovered bills: copays, glasses, prescriptions, braces, and counseling are split by each parent’s share of the income as they come up, on top of the monthly amount, under Va. Code § 20-108.2(D).
• Medicaid and FAMIS: children without other coverage may qualify for free or low-cost coverage through Cover Virginia.

If the children live with you and you get TANF (Virginia’s cash assistance), you have to help the state get child support from the other parent. Most of what is collected repays the state. Your family gets up to $100 a month of it, plus up to $100 more with two or more children. Food stamps (SNAP) don’t have this requirement.

• What you have to do: your case goes to DCSE, and you help it find the other parent and set up support (for example, by naming them and going to paternity tests and court dates). If you don’t, your payment goes down by your own share of the grant or by 25%, whichever is more, under the TANF manual.
• What your family keeps: up to $100 of the support collected each month, and it doesn’t lower your TANF, under the 2026 Appropriation Act, Item 331(B). With two or more children, you also get a TANF supplement of up to another $100, under Item 329(G).
• Food stamps (SNAP): Virginia doesn’t require help with child support, according to the USDA SNAP State Options Report.

If helping could put you or your children in danger, ask your worker to excuse you for “good cause.” The Virginia child support guide covers the details.

Virginia law sets a minimum monthly order. Until July 2025 the law set it at $68. Now it says “statutory minimum” and doesn’t name an amount. The calculator above uses $68, the schedule’s lowest amount for one child. A judge can order less when the paying parent earns $1,995 a month or less (150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person) and can’t afford the minimum. The minimum doesn’t apply to parents who can’t earn income and don’t have savings or property to pay from, such as people who get SSI.

• Minimum: when the formula gives less than the minimum, the order is the minimum. If a judge orders less, the children’s home must still be able to cover housing and basic needs, under Va. Code § 20-108.2(B). The $68 figure was set in 2022.
• Larger households: $1,995 is the income limit for one person. The shared custody worksheet uses the limit for the parent’s household size, which is higher (150% of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines).
• Shared custody: when either parent earns less than that limit, the court doesn’t have to start from the shared custody amount. The judge can use the regular amount instead, under Va. Code § 20-108.2(G)(3)(d).
• Earning less by choice: a judge can base support on the income a parent could earn. Being in jail or prison for 180 days or more in a row doesn’t count as choosing to earn less, under Va. Code § 20-108.1(B)(3).

No. When the parents together earn more than $42,500 a month, Virginia adds a percentage of the income above $42,500 to the schedule’s top amount. The percentage runs from 2.6% for one child to 5% for six.

The percentages are 2.6% for one child, 3.4% for two, 3.8% for three, 4.2% for four, 4.6% for five, and 5% for six. At $50,000 combined with one child, basic support is $3,501. See Va. Code § 20-108.2(B).

Yes. Courts start from the guideline amount, but a judge can order a different amount. The judge has to explain in writing why the guideline amount would be unfair and state what it was.

Reasons listed in Va. Code § 20-108.1(B) include support paid for other family members, the custody schedule and travel costs for visits, income a parent could earn, debts the parents took on during the marriage for the children, the children’s special needs, and each parent’s ability to earn and their savings and property.

Ask the Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) to review your order, or file a motion in juvenile and domestic relations court. Keep paying the current amount until the order changes.

• Through DCSE: either parent can ask for a review once every three years. You can ask sooner with proof of a change, such as a 25% change in a parent’s income, health insurance cost, or child care cost. DCSE changes an order it issued when the new amount is at least 10% and $25 a month higher or lower, under 22VAC40-880-250.
• Through the court: file a Motion to Amend or Review Order (DC-630). A judge can change support after a big change in a parent’s situation, such as 180 days or more in jail or prison, under Va. Code § 20-108.1(B)(3). The new amount can start no earlier than the date the other parent was notified of the motion, under Va. Code § 20-108.

The Virginia child support guide walks through each step.

No. Virginia courts and DCSE use a paper form, the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (DC-637), or its shared or split custody version.

The forms are the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (DC-637), the shared custody worksheet (DC-640), and the split custody worksheet (DC-638), used when each parent has at least one child living mainly with them. Each parent gets a copy of the worksheet used for their order.