{"id":376921,"date":"2016-03-31T21:37:07","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/virginia-law\/virginia-child-support-guidelines.html"},"modified":"2025-05-16T17:59:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T22:59:47","slug":"virginia-child-support-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/virginia-law\/virginia-child-support-guidelines.html","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Child Support Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Virginia Child Support Guidelines<\/h1>\n
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\n By Christie Nicholson, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/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

When a married couple separates or divorces, decisions have to be made about any children. The court typically appoints one custodial parent with the other becoming the non-custodial parent<\/a>. The non-custodial parent (NCP) has the children for fewer days out of the month. Therefore, they must pay the other parent to help with the children\u2019s care.<\/p>\r\n

Sometimes, the parents negotiate child support on their own or through their divorce attorneys. Otherwise, the court must step in and dictate the amount of child support the NCP must pay. They do so using Virginia\u2019s child support guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Here, we\u2019ll explain how to request child support<\/a> in Virginia. We will also discuss how the courts determine the NCP\u2019s child support obligation and the factors they consider. Finally, we\u2019ll describe what happens when the NCP fails to make their child support payment.<\/p>\r\n

How To Request Child Support in Virginia<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

There are three ways to request child support in Virginia. The path you choose depends on the specific facts of your case.<\/p>\r\n

The three pathways for requesting child support in Virginia include:<\/p>\r\n