Arizona Child Support Calculator

How Arizona Calculates Child Support

Arizona's guidelines follow the Income Shares model: children should receive the same proportion of parental income they would have received in an intact household. Both parents' adjusted gross incomes are combined and looked up on the state's Schedule of Basic Support Obligations; medical insurance and childcare costs are added; the total splits between the parents by income share; and the parent with fewer parenting-time days receives a credit from the A.R.S. § 25-320 guidelines' Parenting Time Table. The result is the presumptive order — which courts can adjust for the best-interests circumstances of a specific family.

Support connects to the rest of a family case but runs on its own track: it can't be traded against parenting time, unpaid support triggers the enforcement ladder, and either parent can seek modification when incomes genuinely change. Spousal maintenance is determined first and counts in the income math — estimate it with our Arizona spousal maintenance calculator. Our child support attorneys handle establishment, enforcement, and modification on both sides.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is child support calculated in Arizona?

Arizona uses the Income Shares model: both parents’ adjusted gross incomes are combined, a Basic Child Support Obligation is read from the state schedule for that income and the number of children, costs like medical insurance and childcare are added, and the total is divided between the parents in proportion to income. The paying parent’s share is then reduced by a parenting-time adjustment from the state’s Parenting Time Table.

What income counts for Arizona child support?

Gross income from almost any source: wages, self-employment, bonuses, commissions, rental income, and spousal maintenance received. Court-ordered spousal maintenance paid and court-ordered child support actually paid for children of other relationships are subtracted. Courts can attribute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.

Does 50/50 parenting time mean no child support in Arizona?

Not automatically. With essentially equal parenting time and essentially equal incomes, support can approach zero — but when incomes differ, the higher-earning parent typically still pays, because the calculation divides the obligation by income share before applying the parenting-time adjustment.

Can a judge order a different amount than the calculator shows?

Yes. The guideline figure is presumptive, and courts can deviate with written findings — for combined incomes above $30,000 a month, significant income disparity, special needs, or other best-interests reasons. Low-income parents may also get a Self-Support Reserve reduction this estimator does not model.

When can child support be modified in Arizona?

On a showing of substantial and continuing change — commonly a 15% or greater difference between the current order and the guideline amount produced by today’s facts. Modification applies from the filing date forward; arrears are never retroactively reduced.