Editorial policy

Sources

We use official sources only: state statutes and court rules, published state guidelines and schedules, state child support agencies and their official calculators, and federal agencies such as the IRS, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services. We don't use figures from blogs, law firm websites or commercial calculators. Every number in a state's rules is stored with its source, the date we retrieved it and the date it took effect.

Verification and testing

Each state's rules are tested against the state's own official calculator where one is available, and against worked examples published by the state. Those test cases run every time the site is built, and the build stops if any result differs. The methodology page lists how each state was checked and what the calculator does not model.

Updates

States revise their guidelines on their own schedules, and tax and poverty figures change every year. We watch the official sources for changes, update the rules with the new effective date, rerun the tests and record the change in the changelog. When a state has adopted guidelines that take effect later, the calculator lets you compare the current and upcoming versions.

Corrections

If you think a figure is wrong, email hello@howmuchchildsupport.com with the state and the scenario (the page link is enough). We aim to reply within five business days. Confirmed errors are fixed, tested and listed in the changelog.

No legal advice

Results are estimates of the guideline amount. They are not legal advice and do not predict what a court or agency will order. We don't refer readers to lawyers and don't accept payment for referrals. For help with a case, contact your state's child support agency or a family law attorney.

Advertising

The site is funded by advertising. Advertisers don't see what you enter and have no influence on the rules, the calculations or the content. Ads are clearly labeled and never placed between the calculator's inputs and its result.

Reviewers

Family law attorneys may review a state's methodology. A reviewer is named only on the pages for the state they reviewed, only with their written agreement, and only for the version of the guidelines they reviewed; the credit is removed when that state's guidelines change until the reviewer confirms the update. We never describe the site as attorney-approved in general.