CALIFORNIA SUPPORT GUIDELINE
California child support calculator & worksheet
California Family Code section 4055 is a statewide algebraic guideline. It uses each parent’s net disposable income and the approximate percentage of time the higher earner has primary physical responsibility.
Current module status
| State | California |
|---|---|
| Status | Active base worksheet module |
| Guideline model | california family code 4055 monthly net |
| Primary income field | Net monthly disposable income |
How California child support law works
Legal starting point. California Family Code sections 4055 through 4059 establish a statewide guideline that is presumed correct unless the court finds a statutory reason to depart. The formula relies on net disposable income, not simply a salary figure or a tax return total. Read California Family Code §§ 4058–4059.
How the guideline is calculated
The guideline combines the parents’ disposable incomes, considers the higher earner’s parenting-time percentage, and applies the statutory formula. Tax treatment, mandatory deductions, add-ons, hardship claims, and nonstandard timeshare facts must be resolved on the full worksheet.
What this site’s worksheet covers
Uses California Family Code § 4055 statewide uniform guideline formula operative September 1, 2024. Inputs must be net monthly disposable income as determined under California Family Code § 4059; this module does not derive taxes, mandatory deductions or add-backs from gross wages. The high earner parenting-time percentage is the approximate percentage of time the high earner has primary physical responsibility for the children. If the obligor qualifies for the statutory low-income adjustment, this module reports the permitted range and leaves the final adjustment to the court/computer worksheet. Health insurance, uninsured health care, child care, add-ons, hardship deductions, default-proceeding assumptions, differing time-share arrangements and deviations require the full California worksheet.
Documents that make the worksheet more useful
FL-150 Income and Expense Declaration; guideline calculation under § 4055. Gather the records that support the income, parenting-time, insurance, child-care, and other adjustment entries that apply to the family. Both parties’ income drives the higher-earner determination. Parenting time remains attached to the actual party. Tax liability and discretionary deductions must be supplied; add-ons and differing timeshares are outside the base formula.
For a filing or agreement, complete the official court forms linked on this page. They use the same guideline structure explained here, and the court applies it to the facts of the case.
Before you enter your numbers
Is California net income the amount deposited in my bank?
No. Family Code sections 4058 and 4059 define income and permitted deductions for the guideline. Payroll withholding, voluntary savings, and take-home pay do not by themselves establish net disposable income. The statutory calculation also depends on the higher earner's share of responsibility for the children.
Prepare this: Bring tax information, pay statements showing each deduction, and the parenting schedule. Separate a tax liability from a withholding choice and identify disputed deductions.
Read the relevant official instructions: Family Code section 4058: income; Family Code section 4059: deductions.
These preparation notes explain one part of the state guideline. A new estimate does not change an existing order; a modification request does.
How California cases actually get to a number
California does not start with a printed ‘schedule cell’ the way many income-shares states do. Net disposable income under section 4059, the K-factor, and the higher earner’s timeshare are multiplied together. Health insurance, uninsured health care, and child care are add-ons, often shared equally unless the court orders a different split.
California Family Code section 4055 is a statewide algebraic guideline. It uses each parent’s net disposable income and the approximate percentage of time the higher earner has primary physical responsibility. That is a different path from neighboring states that use another model, so do not import a table, percentage, or overnight credit from somewhere else.
Parenting time in California
Timeshare is attached to the parent who actually has primary physical responsibility, not to a parenting-plan label. A 20 percent versus 40 percent timeshare for the higher earner changes the guideline materially. Default or disputed timeshare should be flagged; the educational module reports the statutory low-income adjustment range rather than picking the court’s number.
Costs California usually treats separately
- Child-care add-ons under § 4062
- Uninsured health-care costs
- Educational or special-need add-ons the court includes
- Hardship deductions that must be proven, not assumed
When California courts leave the guideline
Section 4057 lists departure factors, including a child’s special needs, a parent’s extraordinarily high income, and the low-income adjustment. Hardship deductions under section 4071 are not automatic. A guideline printout is the starting point for DCSS or a FL-350/FL-150 packet, not the judgment itself.
Official California forms to keep beside this guide
FL-150 Income and Expense Declaration; guideline calculation under § 4055. Both parties’ income drives the higher-earner determination. Parenting time remains attached to the actual party. Tax liability and discretionary deductions must be supplied; add-ons and differing timeshares are outside the base formula. The primary authority is the published California source. Fill the official form from source documents. Use this page only to check that you chose the right California path—primary versus shared, table versus percentage, add-ons versus basic support.
Where this is typically filed
Superior Court family-law departments hear most cases; DCSS can establish and enforce support. Bring a current Income and Expense Declaration (FL-150). California’s guideline computer program used by courts remains the filing benchmark.
Questions specific to California
Is California an income-shares table state?
Not in the usual sense. Section 4055 is a formula using net disposable income and timeshare, not a combined-income lookup table.
Does gross salary go into the formula?
No. The formula needs net disposable income after the § 4059 deductions. Taxes and mandatory deductions have to be determined first.
Are add-ons split the same as basic support?
Add-ons are often shared equally, which can differ from each parent’s share of basic support. The order should say so.
Run the calculator
Open the free support calculator, select California, complete the state worksheet, and print or export the output for review.