Hawaii Child Support Guidelines

Hawaii's child support guidelines aim to ensure a child's needs are met while considering parents' financial capabilities. The Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) manages the process, using the Melson Formula to calculate payments based on both parents' net incomes and the child's needs. Support generally continues until age 18 or 19 if still in high school, and can extend to age 23 if the child is a full-time student. Payments are typically made through income withholding to ensure timely support.

Parents who aren't together still need to support the well-being of their children. Read on for a better understanding of how the state of Hawaii's guidelines affect child support rulings.

The state of Hawaii has guidelines in place to make the child support process fair for parents and children. The court uses these guidelines when issuing a child support court order.

Hawaii child support guidelines attempt to strike a balance between the best interests of the child and not overwhelming the parents with the child support financial obligations. In this article, we'll show how Hawaii's child support guidelines are applied, what the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) is responsible for, and what to expect during the child support process.

Hawaii Child Support Guidelines: Child Support Basics

Child support is designed to ensure a minor child's needs are met even if their parents aren't together. Parents are required to provide for their children regardless of their relationship with each other. Child support orders come from custody hearings, divorce proceedings, or when one parent files a petition for support from the other parent.

Title IV-D of the Social Security Act of 1975 made it federal law that each state had to create an agency to oversee the collection, disbursement, and enforcement of child support payments. In Hawaii, just about all aspects of child support administration are handled by the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA).

When Does Child Support End?

In Hawaii, the support obligation lasts until the end of the youngest child's 18th birthday month. This is extended if the child hasn't finished high school. In that case, it ends when they graduate or they reach age 19.

Hawaii also extends child support to the age of 23 if the adult child is enrolled as a full-time student or will attend as a full-time student for the next semester at a post-high school college, university, or vocational school. The parents must inform the CSEA of any extensions.

How Is Child Support Determined in Hawaii?

Hawaii differs from other states by considering the needs of the parents in addition to those of the child. Page one of the Hawaii child support guidelines lists the four principles used to shape the process of arriving at a monthly child support amount for each parent. These are:

• Each parent is entitled to keep sufficient income for their basic needs and continued employment
• Each child's basic needs are met before the parents retain any additional income.
• The basic needs of each child include the cost of childcare and the child's health insurance.
• If income is available after the basic needs of the parents and each child have been met, each child is entitled to share in any additional income of the parents. This is so each child can benefit from both parents' higher standard of living.

While Hawaii is cognizant of being fair to the parents, the state is dedicated to making sure the needs of the child are met. These include the following:

• Clothing
• Food
• Educational expenses
• Extraordinary medical expenses
• Health insurance premiums/healthcare coverage
• Reasonable childcare expenses
• Shelter
• Work-related daycare expenses
• All other requirements assigned by the court

For parents who were married or in a relationship, it's presumed that any offspring is theirs. Parents out of wedlock who agree that the child is theirs can sign a Voluntary Establishment of Paternity by Parents form at the hospital after birth. This grants legal parentage. If not done at the hospital, you can fill out the form at the Department of Health in Honolulu or your island's District Health Office.

If the alleged birth father denies paternity or the birth mother says someone claiming to be the father is not, genetic testing is the next step. This is available through the court system or the CSEA.

Calculating Child Support Payments

Calculating child support payments involves a lot of number crunching. Both the court and the CSEA follow the guidelines to provide results that are as fair and equitable as possible. Numbers are fed into worksheets that calculate the final amount of child support owed.

Regardless of the difference in income between the parents, in most cases both will have child support obligations. Their net incomes are combined to create the monthly net income as the starting point. The number of children also affects the final numbers. This is part of the Melson Formula version of an income shares model used by Hawaii.

Hawaii child support worksheets follow the guidelines when determining child support payments. Every child support case is unique, and the number of required steps can vary. The basic process is as follows:

1) Determine Net Incomes

Under an income shares model, the incomes of both parents are used to determine how much would have been available if they were parenting together. Parents are required to give full financial disclosure on all sources of income to calculate their gross monthly income. This may include:

• Salaries, wages, tips, commissions, profit sharing, deferred compensation, severance pay, and stock options
• Annuities
• Business income
• Income from self-employment
• Investment income
• Fringe benefits such as free corporate housing or a company car
• Gambling winnings
• Locality pay
• Lottery winnings
• Military pay/National Guard pay
• Monetary gifts
• Overtime and additional employment
• Pension payments
• Rental income (less expenses)
• Spousal support received
• Tax-exempt income
• Trust funds or estate funds
• Social Security benefits (but not SSI)
• Veteran Affairs' benefits
• Workers' comp, unemployment insurance benefits, strike pay, and disability benefits
• Other sources of income

Once the gross income for each parent is determined, applicable deductions are applied. These include spousal support payments (alimony), existing child support payments, and taxes. The net incomes are added together to get the combined monthly net income for the parents. The worksheet calculates the percentage of gross income from each parent.

2) Determine the Child Support Need

Calculations for the basic child support need amount start with the federal poverty level minimum for Hawaii, which is $455 (2025). Childcare expenses and health insurance premium costs are added to create the primary child support need (PCSN).

3) SOLA Adjustment

The standard of living adjustment (SOLA) for each parent is found in the Table of Incomes. This is Appendix B of the Hawaii Child Support Guidelines. Each parent looks up their monthly net income on the chart. The amounts are added together. The PCSN is then subtracted from this total to determine the amount of SOLA income available over the child's PCSN.

The SOLA amount for children is calculated by adding 10% for each child, up to a max of 30%. The parents' remaining SOLA income is multiplied by this percentage to determine the SOLA amount for the children. The worksheet will handle all calculations.

4) Determine Each Parent's Total Support Obligation Amount and Apply Other Obligations/Credits

The SOLA amount for the children is multiplied by the percentage of net income each parent was responsible for in the net monthly income. The worksheet will calculate this for you. This provides each parent's total support obligation amount.

Amounts paid for health insurance premiums and costs for childcare are deducted from this amount. Any separate medical cost payments are deducted as well. The results are the amount each parent is obligated to pay for child support each month. The noncustodial parent pays their obligation to the CSEA.

The custody arrangement can affect the final amounts. If extensive timesharing or exceptional circumstances are involved, the totals are used in the applicable worksheet to determine the child support payment. The minimum child support an obligor can pay is $91, unless the amount of support dictated by the guidelines takes their income below the self-support reserve (poverty level).

If the calculation of child support sounds complicated, that's because it is. If you're confused or overwhelmed by the Hawaii child support guidelines, consider meeting with the CSEA, the Office of Child Support Hearings, or a family law attorney.

Hawaii Child Support Guidelines - Review

As you've learned, there's a lot to know about the child support process in Hawaii. The table below offers a recap of important information along with links for further research.

Disclaimer: Hawaii state laws can change often. While we do our best to provide the most up-to-date information, speak with a family law attorney to confirm current Hawaii law before making any decisions about your child support arrangement obligation.

Hawaii Child Support FAQs

Who Owes Child Support?

The custodial parent has physical custody of the child for the majority of the time. The noncustodial parent (NCP) (the payor) has custody of the child at times as well, but in most cases is the one making child support payments. The custodial parent owes support, but it's presumed part of daily expenditures on the child.

How Do I Pay Child Support?

All child support payments by the NCP are made to the CSEA.

The default method of child support payment in Hawaii is through income withholding. This lowers the chance of an NCP falling into arrears (behind on payments) by having their employer deduct child support from the NCP's paycheck. The employer then transfers the funds to the CSEA, who dispenses it to the custodial parent. Other methods of payment are permitted in certain situations.

What If Someone Doesn't Pay Child Support?

The CSEA enforces child support payments. NCPs face administrative procedures such as the seizure of income tax refunds, passport denial, and liens on owned properties. In extreme cases an NCP can face jail time, but that's often a last resort. The goal is to recover the back child support payments for the child.

Hawaii Child Support Guidelines - Additional Resources

• Hawaii Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA)
• Child Support Guidelines - Hawaii State Judiciary
• Child Support Modifications
• Child Support - Determining Parents' Income
• Child Support Laws
• CSEA Office Locations and Contacts

Need Help With Child Support Guidelines in Hawaii? Speak With an Attorney

If you have questions about child support, had a material change in your circumstances, or can't meet your living expenses, a Hawaii family law attorney can help. Their legal advice on your child support case can lead to the best solution possible.