Child Support Guidelines
All states are required by federal law to conduct reviews of their child support guidelines every four years. Most legislators and administrators use this review period to strengthen and update their guidelines, as well as to examine approaches other states have adopted. In 2005-2006, NCSL conducted a survey of states, supported by the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, to gain a deeper understanding of how states review their guidelines, and of the issues they address. The following documents reflect the results of our research and may assist policymakers in those efforts.
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- State Guideline Models - Description of various guideline models in each state.
- Establishment of Child Support Guidelines - This chart describes which branch of government establishes state child support guidelines.
- Guidelines Reviews - Governance and Oversight - This chart describes which branch is responsible for reviewing child support guidelines, and also shows the extent of legislative and public involvement in the review process.
- States' Treatment of Low-Income - Most states have special provisions for calculating child support payments for low-income parents. Click here to see how state guidelines address this topic.
- States' Treatment of High Income - Most states have special provisions for calculating child support payments for high income parents. Click here to see how state guidelines address this topic.
- Retroactive Support and Fees - Click here to learn how states address child support prior to the date of the order, and whether or not they charge additional fees, such as court costs.
- Treatment of Medical Support - This chart shows how states apportion medical and insurance expenses into their child support guidelines.
- Treatment of Shared Parenting Time - States vary in how they adjust child support amounts to address varying amounts of time spent with each parent. This chart shows how.
- Reducing Child Support for Extended Visitation - Read this LegisBrief to see how states are implementing reductions in child support for extended visitation time.
- Treatment of Child Care Expenses - Click here to learn how states divide child care expenses between parents in their child support guidelines.
- College Expenses and Child Support - Read this LegisBrief and see how states treat child support obligations for college expenses and children beyond the age of majority. ALSO, click below to view a table of information concerning child support obligations with regard to educational expenses.
- Age of Majority and Child Support - Most states terminate a parent's child support obligations when the child reaches the age of majority --usually 18-- but there are many exceptions for educational and college expenses. Click here to view a table of information on this topic.
- Child Support for Adults with Disabilities - Should parents be required to pay child support for their adult children with disabilities? This chart shows state laws addressing this topic.
Child Support State Legislation Surveys:
For more information on child support issues, please contact Stephanie Walton in the Denver office at 303.364.7700 or cyf-info@ncsl.org or either Sheri Steisel or Lee Posey in the D.C. office at 202.624.5400 or fedhumserv-info@ncsl.org.
 Child Support and Family Law
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