Prepare income without counting it twice.
A good support worksheet starts with a clear income record. Organize the numbers before deciding which deductions your state allows.
Start with one record for each income source
Make a short list for Party A and Party B: employment, self-employment, retirement payments, benefits, rent, interest and other recurring receipts. For each source, record the amount, payment frequency, period covered and supporting document. Keep account numbers and identifying documents off this website.
Use the state guide to check whether the calculation requires gross income, adjusted gross income, net resources or another defined amount. Those labels are not interchangeable. A paycheck deposit is after payroll deductions; a gross-pay figure is before them. A deduction on a paycheck is not automatically a deduction under the support guidelines.
Weekly and twice-monthly pay are different
For an ordinary 52-week year, these arithmetic conversions help compare records. They do not decide the averaging period required by your state or which receipts count as income.
| Pay frequency | Conversion | Monthly average |
|---|---|---|
| Every week | $1,000 × 52 ÷ 12 | $4,333.33 |
| Every two weeks | $1,000 × 26 ÷ 12 | $2,166.67 |
| Twice a month | $1,000 × 24 ÷ 12 | $2,000.00 |
| Once a month | $1,000 × 12 ÷ 12 | $1,000.00 |
Multiplying weekly pay by four understates a monthly average because most months are longer than four weeks. Check the actual payroll calendar if there are extra pay periods. For irregular work, keep the underlying history rather than treating one unusually high or low paycheck as typical.
Three places double counting happens
- A bonus appears on the pay stub and tax form
- A year-to-date total may already contain the bonus. Do not add the same payment again as a separate income stream. Mark where it appears in your records.
- Business revenue becomes personal pay
- Gross sales, business profit and owner draws describe different things. Keep a profit-and-loss statement and the supporting expenses; ask which expenses the state permits before treating all business spending as a deduction. Avoid adding a distribution twice when it is already included in the income total.
- Money moves between your own accounts
- A transfer is not a second receipt just because it appears as a deposit. Identify the original source. Likewise, a bank balance is a stock of money at a date, while interest is income over a period.
Keep unknown amounts visible
If a bonus statement or benefit letter is missing, make a note saying which document is needed. Zero means no amount; it should not stand in for “I do not know.” Keep a confirmed scenario separate from a scenario containing assumptions. Your exported notes should explain any estimate you used.
Bring the evidence to the right worksheet
California, for example, requires an Income and Expense Declaration in the process for requesting support, with supporting financial documents. Other states use different forms and time periods. Follow the instructions linked in your state guide; this preparation list is not a national filing checklist. See California Courts’ instructions for requesting child support for that state’s procedure.
Next: learn how to check an estimate, or choose your state.
Updated September 17, 2026. Published by Guideline Calculator. Educational information; not legal advice or an official court worksheet. Report a correction.