Virginia Child Support Calculator

Virginia sets child support with one statewide formula: add both parents’ gross monthly incomes, look up the basic obligation for that combined income and number of children in the schedule in Va. Code § 20-108.2, add the children’s health coverage and work-related child care, and split the total by each parent’s share of income. When each parent has the children more than 90 days a year, Virginia switches to a shared custody formula. The calculator below runs both formulas using the current statutory schedule.

Virginia uses gross income before taxes (Va. Code § 20-108.2).
Count overnights. More than 90 days for each parent triggers the shared custody formula.
Add-on costs (monthly, optional)
Compare your order with what the guideline produces today.

How Virginia calculates child support

Virginia uses an income shares guideline. The idea is that the children should get roughly the share of income they would have received if the parents lived together, and each parent pays in proportion to what they earn. The calculation runs in five steps:

  1. Add both parents’ gross monthly income. Virginia uses gross income, before taxes, not take-home pay.
  2. Find the basic child support obligation in the § 20-108.2 schedule for that combined income and the number of children. When the combined income falls between two lines of the schedule, the statute says the amount is extrapolated, which this calculator does.
  3. Add health care coverage for the children (health, dental and vision premiums attributable to the children) and work-related child care.
  4. Split the total by income share. A parent who earns 60% of the combined income is responsible for 60% of the total.
  5. Credit what the paying parent already covers. The noncustodial parent’s share is reduced by the health coverage that parent pays directly.

Example: parents earning $6,000 and $4,000 a month have $10,000 combined. For two children the schedule shows $1,824. The parent earning $6,000 has a 60% share, so with no add-ons the guideline figure is about $1,094 a month if that parent has the children 90 days or fewer.

The 90-day shared custody rule

If each parent has the children for more than 90 days a year, Virginia applies shared custody support under § 20-108.2(G)(3). The formula recognizes that two households cost more than one:

  • The schedule amount is multiplied by 1.4 to get the “shared support need.”
  • Each parent’s “custody share” is the number of days that parent has the children divided by 365.
  • For each parent, the shared support need is multiplied by the other parent’s custody share, the other parent’s health coverage and child care costs are added, and the result is multiplied by that parent’s income share.
  • The two amounts are subtracted. The parent with the larger amount pays the difference.

The statute makes the shared amount presumptive, but if a party shows that the sole custody amount would be lower, the lower amount is paid. The calculator flags that case when it applies. For counting, a “day” is a 24-hour period, and the statute has special rules for parents who have the children for part of a day, so check your parenting schedule against § 20-108.2(G)(3)(c) before relying on a borderline count near 90.

Health insurance and child care

Only the portion of the premium that covers the children counts. If the insurer does not state a per-child cost, the statute subtracts the cost of individual coverage for the policyholder and divides the rest among the people covered. Child care counts only when it is work-related and does not exceed the cost of quality care from a licensed source. Unreimbursed medical and dental expenses are handled separately under § 20-108.2(D) and are not part of the monthly figure above.

High incomes: above $42,500 a month

Virginia’s schedule now runs to $42,500 of combined monthly gross income, up from $35,000 before the 2025 update. Above that line, the statute takes the schedule amount at $42,500 and adds a percentage of the income above it: 2.6% for one child, 3.4% for two, 3.8% for three, 4.2% for four, 4.6% for five and 5.0% for six. The calculator applies those percentages automatically.

When a judge can set a different amount

The guideline figure is presumed correct, but a court can deviate when applying it would be unjust or inappropriate. Virginia lists the factors in Va. Code § 20-108.1, including support paid for other family members, custody arrangements and visitation travel costs, debts incurred during the marriage for the child’s benefit, a child’s special needs and the child’s own financial resources. A judge who deviates must make written findings that state the guideline amount and explain why the order varies from it. Imputed income is a common reason the final order differs from a calculator: if a court finds a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, it can base support on what that parent could earn.

Changing an existing Virginia order

To change support, a parent must show a material change in circumstances since the last order, such as a significant change in income, custody time or the children’s needs. Support cannot be changed retroactively before the other parent has notice of the petition (Va. Code § 20-108), so file as soon as the change happens. Enter your current order amount in the calculator to see how far it sits from today’s guideline. Our guide to modifying child support in Virginia without a lawyer walks through the DCSE review and court routes, and how the Virginia guideline is figured covers the DC-637 and DC-640 worksheets in more depth.

If you want the full process for Virginia and every other state in one place, Navigating Child Support covers modification and emergency procedures in all 50 states. Our forms app prepares the court paperwork from your answers, and you can check whether your order qualifies for a change with the free modification audit. For other states, use the 50-state child support calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Does Virginia use gross or net income for child support?

Gross income. Virginia’s guideline starts from each parent’s gross monthly income, before taxes, under Va. Code § 20-108.2.

How many days do you need for shared custody support in Virginia?

More than 90 days a year for each parent. At 90 days or fewer, the sole custody formula applies.

Why is the shared support figure multiplied by 1.4?

The statute treats shared custody as more expensive because both homes need room, food and supplies for the children. The 1.4 multiplier raises the schedule amount before it is divided by custody time and income.

Is this the same calculation the court uses?

It uses the same statutory schedule and formulas as the Virginia worksheets. A court’s final order can differ because of documented income, imputed income, deviation factors, extraordinary medical costs or a parenting schedule that counts days differently.

Sources

This page and calculator provide general legal information, not legal advice. Child support rules change and the court decides the final amount. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed Virginia attorney.