A quick, ballpark estimate using California’s statutory guideline formula — enter each parent’s net monthly income and the children’s parenting time.
California sets child support with a statewide formula written into Family Code § 4055. The formula weighs three things above all: the combined net income of both parents, how that income is split between them, and how much time the children spend with each parent. This estimator applies that core formula so you can see roughly where a case lands.
It is deliberately simplified. Certified programs — the state’s own DCSS Guideline Calculator, DissoMaster, X-Spouse — also work through tax computations, mandatory deductions, hardship adjustments, add-on expenses, and the low-income adjustment. Those can move the number meaningfully. Use this to orient yourself; use a certified program for anything you plan to file. If you want to work through the official tool field by field, our line-by-line field guide covers every entry.
No. This tool applies a simplified version of the Family Code § 4055 formula to three inputs. It skips the tax, deduction, hardship, and add-on questions that certified programs handle, and it does not apply the low-income adjustment. Courts use certified programs; California Rule of Court 5.275 requires it.
Net disposable income — what remains after taxes, mandatory retirement contributions, health insurance premiums, and any support already being paid under an existing order. Our field guide walks through how the official calculator arrives at that figure.
Either, as long as you are consistent. The tool works out which parent pays based on income and parenting time, so the labels are just bookkeeping.
Timeshare is a direct multiplier in the guideline formula. Even a modest shift in the percentage of time a child spends with each parent can move the support figure noticeably, which is why the actual current schedule matters more than an old order.
Yes. We prepare child custody and support documents, including modifications, for a flat $500, and the FL-150 Income and Expense Declaration that usually accompanies these figures. As Legal Document Assistants we prepare documents at your direction; we do not give legal advice.
We prepare child custody and support paperwork — including modifications and the FL-150 Income and Expense Declaration these figures accompany — for a flat $500.
See Child Custody & Support Documents →Los Angeles Paralegals is a document preparation service — not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice, legal representation, or legal counsel of any kind. All documents are prepared based on information you provide. We strongly recommend consulting a licensed California attorney for advice specific to your circumstances.