Quick answer: In Kansas, judgments for past-due child support draw interest, and the statute presumes that 10% a year gives the correct total on judgments arising from a duty to support. Once you owe one month or more, an income withholding order can be issued on request, and payments go through the central unit.
This Kansas child support arrears calculator adds up the unpaid principal and simple interest at the presumed 10% under K.S.A. 16-204, and flags the withholding trigger and the $2,500 passport threshold. A court can modify only from the first day of the month after a motion is filed, so file before installments fall due.
Kansas child support arrears and interest at a glance
| Rule | What Kansas says |
|---|---|
| Interest | It is presumed that 10% a year gives the correct total interest on judgments arising from a duty to support; the challenger must prove otherwise (K.S.A. 16-204(e)(3)) |
| Simple interest | Kansas courts have held there is no compounding of the simple interest rates in this statute |
| Withholding on request | An income withholding order can issue when the obligor has an arrearage equal to or greater than one month of support (23-3103(c)) |
| Stay of withholding | Only on a motion within seven days of the notice, limited to a mistake of fact (23-3106) |
| Priority | A withholding order has priority over other legal process (23-3105) |
| Where payments go | Through the central unit unless the court finds good cause (23-3004) |
How do child support arrears work in Kansas?
- Interest and method. See the Kansas child support interest rate.
- Collection. See what happens if you do not pay child support in Kansas.
- Time limits and forgiveness. See whether Kansas child support arrears expire or can be forgiven.
What does this arrears calculator check?
You enter the monthly support and the number of installments unpaid. The calculator adds simple interest at the annual rate from each due date, and flags the one-month withholding trigger and the $2,500 passport threshold. It does not model partial payments. To change the amount going forward, see the Kansas child support modification calculator, and for when the obligation stops, the Kansas child support end date calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the interest rate on child support arrears in Kansas?
The statute presumes that 10% per annum gives the correct total of interest on judgments arising from a duty to support; the person contesting must prove a different amount.
Is Kansas child support interest simple or compounded?
Simple. The case annotations say there can be no compounding of the simple interest rates in the statute.
When can Kansas start income withholding for unpaid child support?
On request of the obligee or the public office when the obligor has an arrearage equal to or greater than one month of support, after a notice and seven days.
Can I stop a Kansas income withholding order?
A motion to stay must be filed within seven days of the notice and is limited to a mistake of fact about the order amount, the arrearage, the amount to withhold or the obligor's identity.
Does Kansas put a judgment on past-due child support?
The annotations note that a judgment for past-due child support installments is within the interest statute.
Official sources
- K.S.A. 16-204: interest on judgments; 10% presumption for support
- K.S.A. 23-3103: income withholding orders
- K.S.A. 23-3106: contest and stay of withholding
- K.S.A. 23-3105: priority of withholding
- K.S.A. 23-3004: payments through the central unit
- K.S.A. 23-3102: definitions, including arrearage
- 15 U.S.C. 1673: restriction on garnishment
- 42 U.S.C. 652(k): denial of passports