DC Child Support Calculator

The District of Columbia sets child support with the income shares guideline in D.C. Code § 16-916.01. Both parents’ adjusted gross incomes are added together, the basic obligation is read from the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations (combined incomes from $12,382 to $240,000 a year), and each parent owes their percentage share. When the children spend at least 35% of the year with each parent, a shared custody formula applies. The calculator below follows the same steps as the District’s official guideline worksheets and was checked against the Office of the Attorney General’s calculator.

All income before taxes, minus alimony and other child support you pay, plus alimony you receive (D.C. Code § 16-916.01(d)).
At least 128 days (35%) with each parent triggers the shared custody formula.
Add-on costs (monthly, optional)
Compare your order with what the guideline produces today.

How DC calculates child support

DC works in annual figures. The calculator converts your monthly numbers, runs the guideline, and gives the monthly result.

  1. Start with gross income from every source: wages, overtime, tips, self-employment and business income, bonuses, commissions, Social Security, unemployment, workers’ compensation, pensions, rental income and more (§ 16-916.01(d)(1)). Means-tested benefits such as TANF and SSI are not counted.
  2. Adjust it. Subtract alimony paid and support paid under other orders, add alimony received, and deduct half of Social Security and Medicare tax for self-employed parents. A parent who supports another child at home gets a deduction equal to 75% of the schedule amount for that child, using only that parent’s income.
  3. Add both adjusted incomes and find the basic obligation in the schedule. If the combined income falls between two rows, the amount is rounded up to the next higher row.
  4. Split it by income share. The parent the children do not primarily live with pays their share. The other parent is presumed to spend their share directly on the children.
  5. Add the extras. The children’s health insurance premiums, extraordinary medical expenses (uninsured costs over $250 a year per child) and work- or school-related child care are split by income share and added on. Each parent is credited for what they already pay.

Example: adjusted incomes of $70,000 and $62,000 a year make $132,000 combined. For three children the schedule shows $30,473 a year. The parent earning $70,000 has a 53% share, $16,151 a year, or about $1,346 a month.

Shared custody: the 35% rule

When a child spends 35% or more of the year with each parent, about 128 days, DC presumes shared physical custody (§ 16-916.01(q)). The basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5. Each parent’s income share of that figure is reduced by the percentage of time the child spends with that parent. The parent who owes more pays the difference, after the add-on expenses are allocated the same way. A shared custody award cannot exceed what that parent would pay under sole custody.

Either parent can rebut the presumption by showing the shared calculation would be unjust given the actual arrangement, and the court must explain in writing which method it used.

Low-income protections and the cap

  • Self-support reserve. The paying parent keeps a self-support reserve set at 133% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, updated every two years. The District’s official calculator currently uses $20,815 a year. Support is limited to the parent’s income above that reserve.
  • Minimum order. If a parent’s income above the reserve is less than $900 a year, there is a presumption that the parent can pay $75 a month. Either side can rebut that up or down with evidence.
  • 35% cap. Total support, including the add-ons, cannot exceed 35% of the paying parent’s adjusted gross income (§ 16-916.01(n)).
  • High incomes. Above $240,000 of combined income, the guideline is not presumptive. Support cannot be less than the amount at $240,000, and the judge may order more based on the children’s reasonable needs, with written findings.

Changing an existing DC order

Under § 16-916.01(r)(4), a substantial and material change of circumstances is presumed when applying the guideline to current circumstances produces an amount that differs from the existing order by 15% or more. The presumption can be rebutted by special circumstances that would justify departing from the guideline. A parent can also seek modification for a material change in the children’s needs or the paying parent’s ability to pay, even if the difference is under 15%. Parents in a support case exchange financial information every three years and are encouraged to update the order using the guideline.

Enter your current order in the calculator to see the gap. If the guideline figure is 15% or more higher or lower, you meet the presumption. Our free modification audit walks through the rest, and the 50-state book covers the DC filing process step by step.

DC child support FAQ

Does DC use gross or net income for child support?

Gross income from all sources, adjusted for alimony, other support orders, self-employment tax and other children in the home. Income taxes are not deducted.

How many days is shared custody in DC?

At least 35% of the year with each parent, which the District’s calculator treats as 128 days. Below that, support is calculated as sole custody.

What is the minimum child support in DC?

When a paying parent’s income is close to or below the self-support reserve, there is a presumption that they can pay $75 a month, which either parent can rebut.

Is there a cap on child support in DC?

Support cannot exceed 35% of the paying parent’s adjusted gross income, and the schedule tops out at $240,000 of combined income. Above that, the court decides based on the children’s needs.

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 District of Columbia attorney.