Child Support Calculator

By Staff Writer

Child support calculators can be found on recommended websites for divorce help. These calculators are important to give you some facts and figures to begin the process of forging a separation agreement and a divorce agreement. What should a child support calculator include?

State Guidelines for Child Support Calculators
Each state has different guidelines for child support. A federal law in the late 1980's required that each state establish specific guidelines for child support, in order to create a more consistent level of child support from state to state. However, variation still exists.

For example, in some states the income of the non-custodial parent is only considered, while other states take the incomes of both parents into account. Some states base their amounts on the parent's gross income, and some states use a net income figure. States can even differ in their definition of income; some will include government benefits and other non-monetary assets.

The calculation of child support may include other things such as life insurance and health insurance. Disability insurance for the working parent, and provision for college or technical school, can all be part of the child support package. A recommended site on the web can lead you through all these calculations, and even provide divorce forms and other pertinent information and resources.