Which Child Support Calculator Should I Use?



DISCLAIMER
The purpose of this calculator is informational and educational only and does not constitute legal advice. The amount of child support a court will order for any particular case may be different from the amount estimated by the calculator. The court has the final authority to determine the amount of child support awarded. The amount yielded by this calculator is only an estimate and is not a guarantee of the amount of child support that will be awarded.
 

In cases of default, the guidelines in effect at the time of filing the action will be used. The parties may agree to use either the guidelines in effect at the time of filing the action or those in effect at the time the order is entered.

2022 Child Support Calculators: On April 22, 2021, the Supreme Court adopted revisions to the Arizona Child Support Guidelines based upon the recommendations from the federally mandated quadrennial review and the minimum wage increase to $12.80/hour. Updates based upon the economic portion of the review were also made to the underlying Schedule of Basic Support Obligations. The 2022 child support guidelines are effective for all child support orders, whether original orders or modifications of previous orders, entered after January 1, 2022, except in cases of default or as otherwise agreed upon by the parties. (Arizona Guidelines and Administrative Order 2021-56 with technical corrections made in Administrative Orders 2021-131 and 2021-149).

There are two 2022 Child Support Calculators available for statewide use through the Superior Court in Maricopa County.  The first is an interview driven application intended for use by self-represented litigants.  The second is an Excel-based version intended for use by judges, attorneys, and people familiar with child support guidelines.


2021 Child Support Calculator: In January 2021, Arizona’s minimum wage increased to $12.15 per hour. This change impacts the calculation of self-support reserve test amount. In 2020, the calculator was updated to include the increase to minimum wage in the automatic calculation of the self-support reserve amount. 

2018 - 2020 Child Support Calculator: On January 24, 2018, the Supreme Court adopted revisions to the Arizona Child Support Guidelines based in part on recent changes to state law increasing the minimum wage and new federal regulations. No updates or changes were made to the underlying Schedule of Basic Support Obligations. The 2018 child support guidelines are effective for all child support orders, whether original orders or modifications of previous orders, entered after March 31, 2018, except in cases of default or as otherwise agreed upon by the parties. (Arizona Guidelines and Administrative Order 2018-08). Note: For those who earn minimum wage in states other than Arizona, a new field was added in 2019 that automatically calculates the self-support reserve amount.  In 2020, the calculator was updated to include the increase to minimum wage in the automatic calculation of the self-support reserve amount for 2018, 2019, or 2020.

2017 Child Support Calculator: Section 15 (Self-Support Reserve Test) of the 2018 Child Support Guidelines, states that the self-support reserve shall be an amount equal to 80% of the monthly full-time earnings at the current state minimum wage at the time of the order. The minimum wage in 2017 was increased to $10 per hour, resulting in a self-support reserve of $1,386. This calculator is intended for minimum wages earned during the time period of January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017, and it reflects a self-support reserve amount of $1,386. No updates or changes were made to the underlying Schedule of Basic Support Obligations since the 2015 child support quadrennial review.