Virginia child support calculator (2026 guidelines)

Virginia child support at a glance

How Virginia calculates child support

Virginia uses the income shares model: the schedule gives the basic obligation for the parents' combined monthly gross income and number of children, with amounts between rows worked out proportionally. Each parent is responsible for their share of income.

Gross income from almost all sources counts, before taxes. Spousal support paid under an order or written agreement is deducted and spousal support received is added. Self-employed parents use income after reasonable business expenses and half of self-employment tax.

When the parent with fewer days has the children at least 91 days a year, the shared custody formula applies. The schedule amount is multiplied by 1.4; each parent owes their income share of the other parent's share of the days, plus the other parent's health premium and child care, and the larger amount is reduced by the smaller. The lower of the shared and sole custody amounts applies, unless the shared amount would be paid the other way.

Virginia has no self-support reserve. When the sole custody amount is below $68 a month, the presumptive minimum of $68 applies. A court may set less if the paying parent's gross income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guideline and they can't pay. If either parent's gross income is at or below that level, the shared custody amount is no longer presumed.

The children's health, vision and dental coverage and work-related child care are added to the basic obligation and shared by income. A paying parent who covers the premium directly gets credit for it. Uninsured medical costs are shared by income outside the monthly amount.

Child support actually paid under other orders is deducted from income. A parent with other children living with them may deduct the schedule amount for those children, based on that parent's income alone.

The schedule runs to $42,500 of combined income a month. Above that, the top amount is increased by a percentage of the income above it: 2.6% for one child, 3.4% for two, up to 5% for six.

Each worksheet line is rounded to the nearest dollar, as the official worksheet instructions require.

Parenting time in Virginia

When the parent with fewer days has the children at least 91 days a year, the shared custody formula applies. The schedule amount is multiplied by 1.4; each parent owes their income share of the other parent's share of the days, plus the other parent's health premium and child care, and the larger amount is reduced by the smaller. The lower of the shared and sole custody amounts applies, unless the shared amount would be paid the other way.

Low and high incomes in Virginia

For 2 children with Parent B earning $40,000, the guideline amount is about $435 a month when Parent A earns $20,000 a year and about $2,805 a month when Parent A earns $250,000.

Virginia has no self-support reserve. When the sole custody amount is below $68 a month, the presumptive minimum of $68 applies. A court may set less if the paying parent's gross income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty guideline and they can't pay. If either parent's gross income is at or below that level, the shared custody amount is no longer presumed.

The schedule runs to $42,500 of combined income a month. Above that, the top amount is increased by a percentage of the income above it: 2.6% for one child, 3.4% for two, up to 5% for six.

Child support by number of children in Virginia

• 1 child$690 a month
• 2 children$1,015 a month
• 3 children$1,291 a month
• 4 children$1,442 a month
• 5 children$1,586 a month

Parent A earns $60,000, Parent B $40,000; the children live mostly with Parent B.

Frequently asked questions