Wyoming Child Support Guidelines

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed November 23, 2018

Child support refers to the amount of money that a non-custodial parent is required to pay to the custodial parent in order to care for the child. Since the main goal of child support is to care for a child, it's a separate order from spousal support (also called alimony). Parents are generally barred from waiving or limiting child support unless it's approved by a court.

Generally speaking, states use one of three models to calculate child support:

Income shares model;
Percentage of income model; or
The Melson formula.

The majority of states, including Wyoming, follow the income shares model to determine child support amounts. The income shares model is based on the idea that a child should receive the same amount of the parents' income that they would've received had the family unit lived together.

Overview of Wyoming Child Support Guidelines

Although the actual text of a law is the most authoritative source of information, statutory language is rarely written in a clear manner. For this reason, reading an overview of the law in plain English can be very helpful. In the chart that follows, you can find an overview of child support guidelines in Wyoming as well as links to relevant statutes.

Statute(s)	Wyoming Statutes, Title 20: Chapter 2, Article 3. Section 20-2-301, et seq. (Child Support) Chapter 6. Section 20-6-101, et seq. (Child Support Enforcement)
Presumptive Child Support	Child support is determined based on the net monthly income of both parents, the number of shared children, and then divided between the parents in proportion to the net income of each parent.
Definition of Net Income for Child Support Calculations	Net income is defined as any income a person receives minus the following: Personal income taxes; Social security deductions; Cost of dependent health care coverage for all dependent children; Current payments for preexisting support orders for other children; Current payments for other court-ordered support obligations; and Mandatory pension deductions.
Deviation from the Presumptive Child Support	A court can deviate from the presumptive child support if it finds that it would be inappropriate or unfair. To determine this, the court will consider a variety of factors* including: The child's age; The cost of [necessary] child care; Special educational and health needs of the child; Prevailing wage rates in the local area; The cost of transportation of the child to and from visitation; The availability of employment for the parent; and Any other factors that the court deems is relevant. *Please see Section 20-2-307 for a full list of factors.
Related Statute(s)	Wyoming Statutes, Title 20: Chapter 3. Section 20-3-101, et seq. (Desertion of Spouse or Children) Chapter 4. Section 20-4-139, et seq. (Uniform Interstate Family Support Act)

Note: State laws are always subject to change through the passage of new legislation, rulings in the higher courts (including federal decisions), ballot initiatives, and other means. While we strive to provide the most current information available, please consult an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.