{"id":371506,"date":"2016-03-31T21:34:25","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/arizona-law\/arizona-child-support-guidelines.html"},"modified":"2025-08-12T18:52:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T23:52:22","slug":"arizona-child-support-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/arizona-law\/arizona-child-support-guidelines.html","title":{"rendered":"Arizona Child Support Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Arizona Child Support Guidelines<\/h1>\n
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\n By Kit Yona, M.A.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Determining child support is not a simple task. Every situation is different. The parents’ incomes, the child custody arrangement, and various expenses all need consideration in any child support<\/a> case. Arizona uses a set of guidelines designed to meet the needs of minor children and be just and reasonable for the parents.<\/p>\r\n

Arizona’s guidelines<\/a> do a significant amount of complicated number-crunching to arrive at the payment amounts in a child support court order. This article looks at the guidelines, how they work, and what to expect if you’re going through the child support determination process. Read on for a better understanding of child support guidelines in the state of Arizona.<\/p>\r\n

Arizona Child Support Guidelines: Basics<\/h2>\r\n

Child support is a way to ensure a child’s needs get met despite their parents not raising them in the same household. Parents must provide for their children regardless of their relationship with the other birth parent. This lasts until the end of the youngest child’s 18th birthday month<\/a>. If the child hasn’t graduated high school by then, support terminates on either the last day of the month they graduate or their 19th birthday, whichever comes first.<\/p>\r\n

Children of divorce or a long-term domestic relationship that ended are assumed to be the offspring of the adults. In other child support cases, establishing paternity is necessary. Parents can sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity<\/a> at the hospital after the child is born or at any point. A court can order genetic testing to prove parentage and the obligation.<\/p>\r\n

Under federal law created by Title IV-D of the Social Security Act of 1975<\/a>, each state must maintain an operation to oversee child support payments. The Arizona Division of Child Support Services (DCSS)<\/a>, part of the Arizona Department of Economic Security, oversees all aspects of child support in the state.<\/p>\r\n

Arizona uses guidelines for a uniform method of determining child support. Any deviations from the guidelines need a written explanation from the court. The guidelines operate for the following purposes<\/a>:<\/p>\r\n