Child Support Calculations in D.C.

Parents must provide for their children. In the District of Columbia, child support orders meet the needs of the child regardless of the relationship between their parents. These court orders aim for kids to get the same financial support they would have in a two-parent household.

You're not alone if you've wondered how the District arrives at child support payment amounts. The process is complicated. In this article, we'll look at the District's hybrid system, what types of income and deductions matter, and how the amount each parent must pay gets determined.

The District of Columbia child support guidelines act as a safety net for kids while remaining within the parent's ability to meet their obligation. Children shouldn't have to worry about their necessities being met. Read on to learn more about how the District calculates child support payments.

District of Columbia Child Support Basics

Calculating any amount of child support in the District of Columbia is an involved and complex process. Before they crunch the numbers, they gather important information. If the couple wasn't married, determining parentage is a possible issue. Regardless of why the parents aren't together, they are responsible for providing for their children.

The CSSD (Child Support Services Division of the Office of the Attorney General) runs the child support program in the District. The CSSD works with the Washington, D.C., courts to handle all aspects of child support. This includes establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support payments.

Most child support cases choose one parent as the custodial parent and the other as the non-custodial parent. The custodial, or primary custody, parent has the children for most of the overnights per year. The non-custodial parent makes child support payments to the custodial parents through the CSSD.

The two types of child custody the District uses affect child support payments. The custody arrangements are as follows:

• Shared physical custody: Shared custody takes place when each parent has physical custody of the child for a large number of overnights per year. The parent with the kids the most is the primary custodian, but the District guidelines have provisions for this shared approach. Parents should use Worksheet B — Appendix III when figuring out their financials.
• Sole physical custody: When one parent has physical custody of the child more than most overnights per year, it's considered sole physical custody. The primary custodian should expect to receive child support payments from the non-custodial parent. The CSSD assumes the primary's child support obligation goes into the child's expenses without being separated first. Those with sole physical custody should use Worksheet A — Appendix II to determine their financials.

Some parents avoid the District child support guidelines by opting for the Conciliation Process. Instead of child support obligations set through the guidelines, the parents have a video conference with a CSSD attorney. If they agree to terms and sign a consent form, the order goes to a judge for final approval. This method often has a much quicker resolution.

The Calculation Process

While figuring out the financials to plug in can get difficult, determining child support payments in the District is fairly straightforward. The District of Columbia uses an income shares model. This system uses the income of both parents to determine how much money would have been spent on the children if the family lived in a single household.

Assuming parentage is already settled, the District of Columbia child support calculations that the CSSD and Family Courts follow involve set steps to arrive at the final numbers. Let's take a look at the process.

1. Determining Combined Gross Income

Birth parents begin the child support calculation process by determining their adjusted gross income. Each parent must list all possible sources of income. This can include:

• Salary or wages, including overtime and tips
• Self-employment income
• Alimony payments
• Annuities
• Bonuses
• Capital gains from a real or personal property transaction, if the capital gains represent a regular source of income
• Commissions
• Contracts that result in regular income
• Income derived from a business or partnership after deduction of reasonable and necessary business expenses (not including depreciation)
• Income from a trust
• Insurance benefits
• Interest or dividends
• Lottery or gambling winnings that come in a lump sum or an annuity
• Pensions
• Royalties
• Severance pay
• Social Security benefits
• Unemployment compensation
• Veteran's benefits
• Worker's compensation

This is not an exhaustive list. Benefits from public assistance programs like TANF are not subject to inclusion as gross income.

Deductions are then assessed. Much like income sources, these will vary from case to case. Some common deductions include:

• Alimony payments
• Child support payments to another birth parent
• Children under a parent's care who won't be part of the child support order

This step will need tax returns, pay stubs, and other confirmation of financial information. Once each parent has their gross income number, the two combine to create a single adjusted gross income to equate the amount that would have been available in a two-parent household.

2. Determining the Total Child Support Obligation

The combined adjusted gross income is then applied to the District of Columbia Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligation. You find the gross income total on the chart (round up) and match it with the column with the number of children in the support order. This creates the basic (but not final) child support obligation.

Let's use an example. Casey has an adjusted gross income of $60,000, and Adrian's is $40,000. They have two children who need child support, so their combined adjusted gross income is $100,000. The Schedule has $99,600 and $100,200, so we round up to $100,200.

The second column is for two children, so Casey and Adrian's basic child support obligation is $21,710. The next step explains how this gets divided.

3. Calculating Each Parent's Child Support Payment Amount

No matter the income difference, each parent must contribute to the child support obligation. Each parent determines their percentage by dividing what they contributed to the combined adjusted gross income by the combined adjusted gross income.

That's a bit confusing, so let's return to our example. Casey contributed $60,000 to a combined gross income of $100,000. The $60,000 divided by $100,000 equals 60% of the gross combined income. 60% is the percentage of the basic child support obligation that Casey must pay.

Sixty percent of the $21,710 determined as the basic child support obligation is $13,026. This is the basic child support amount that Casey must pay each year. If Casey is the non-custodial parent, they'll pay the CSSD. The CSSD then gets the money to the custodial parent (in this example, Adrian). Adrian's share is spent directly on the child as the custodial parent.

4. Final Adjustments

Certain other requirements get addressed after the basic obligation gets split between the parents. The non-custodial parent may have more adjustments added to their child support obligation. These include:

• Health insurance premiums
• Extraordinary medical expenses
• Child care expenses
• SSDI derivative benefits

If a payment calculated according to D.C.'s guidelines would reduce a parent's income below the self-support reserve (poverty level), a judicial officer can set a minimum payment of $75 a month instead. This amount is also subject to adjustment.

Child support payments are due every month. In most cases where the parent making payments resides in the District, wage withholding is mandatory. Employers must deduct the child support amount from the non-custodial parent's paycheck and send it to the CSSD.

Child support payments are available for review every three years. Parents can also request a modification if there's been at least a 15% change in their income or a significant change in circumstances has happened. If you're uncertain about trying to change child support obligations, contact the CSSD or speak with a District of Columbia family law attorney.

District of Columbia Child Support Calculations — Summary

You work hard for your money. Wanting to understand how child support gets calculated is reasonable. The table below recaps what you've learned for easy reference.

Note: District laws change through the passage of new legislation, rulings in higher courts that include federal decisions, ballot initiatives, and other means. While we strive to provide the most current information available, speak with a District of Columbia family law attorney to confirm current laws.

District of Columbia Child Support Calculations: More Resources

• CSSD Online Child Support Guideline Calculator
• DC Courts Online Forms — Child Support
• District of Columbia Child Support Guidelines
• DC Child Support Modification
• DC Child Support Enforcement

Need Help With District Child Support Calculations? Talk to an Attorney

The support D.C. law requires should meet the child's needs without impoverishing the parents. If you're confused about how much you need to pay or how much support you should receive, a D.C. child support attorney can provide legal advice and help calculate child support payments.