Quick answer: To modify Arizona child support you must show a substantial and continuing change in circumstances. A variance of 15% or more between your order and the amount the Arizona Child Support Guidelines give today is evidence of that change. A modification takes effect on the first day of the month after notice of the petition.
This Arizona child support modification calculator applies the test in Sections XIV and XVII of the Arizona Child Support Guidelines. Enter your current order and the amount the Guidelines give today (you can get it from the Arizona child support calculator) and it shows whether the 15% evidence is present, the monthly difference and what that difference adds up to over the time a case takes. A change to the medical-insurance assignment can use the simplified procedure even without a 15% variation, and the addition of health insurance coverage may itself be a continuing and substantial change.
Arizona child support modification at a glance
| Rule | What Arizona says |
|---|---|
| The standard | A substantial and continuing change in circumstances (A.R.S. 25-327(A) and 25-503(E)) |
| The 15% evidence | A variance of at least 15% between the order and the Guidelines amount is evidence of a substantial and continuing change (Guidelines XVII.B) |
| Simplified procedure | Available when the Guidelines amount varies 15% or more, or to assign or change medical insurance without a 15% variation (Guidelines XIV.C) |
| Effective date | The first day of the month following notice of the petition, or for good cause a later date no earlier than filing (25-327(A)) |
| Agency review | In a Title IV-D case a party may request review every three years without showing a change; sooner requires a substantial and continuing change (25-503(G)-(H)) |
| Health insurance | Adding health insurance coverage, or a change in its availability, may be a continuing and substantial change (25-327(A)) |
How does child support modification work in Arizona?
- Know the standard. See what counts as a substantial and continuing change in Arizona.
- Choose the procedure and file on time. See how to modify child support in Arizona.
- Income problems. See reducing child support after job loss or incarceration in Arizona and, for what stays owed from before notice, the Arizona child support arrears calculator.
What does this modification calculator check?
The calculator applies the 15% test (a variance of exactly 15% counts, because the Guidelines say 15% or more), the medical-insurance exception and the effective-date rule, and shows the monthly and accrued difference. It cannot decide whether the change is substantial and continuing; that is for the court. Because modifications start no earlier than the first day of the month after notice (or, for good cause, the filing date), the months before you file are the ones you cannot recover.
Frequently asked questions
How much does child support have to change to be modified in Arizona?
A variance of 15% or more between the existing order and the amount the Arizona Child Support Guidelines produce is evidence of a substantial and continuing change. You must still show a substantial and continuing change in circumstances.
Can I modify Arizona child support with less than a 15% change?
Yes. You can use the standard procedure and show a substantial and continuing change in circumstances; the 15% variance is what opens the simplified procedure for the amount.
Can I change who provides health insurance without a 15% variation in Arizona?
Yes. A modification to assign or alter the medical-insurance responsibility can use the simplified procedure without a 15% variation.
From what date does an Arizona child support change take effect?
On the first day of the month following notice of the petition, unless the court for good cause orders a different date not earlier than the filing date.
Can I ask the Arizona state agency to review my order every three years?
Yes, in a Title IV-D case a party may request a review every three years without showing a changed circumstance; a request sooner than three years requires a substantial and continuing change.
Official sources
- Arizona Child Support Guidelines (Administrative Order 2022-116), Sections XIV and XVII
- Arizona Courts: Arizona Child Support Guidelines
- A.R.S. 25-327: modification and termination of provisions for maintenance, support and property disposition
- A.R.S. 25-503: order for support, modification, termination and judgment on arrearages
- 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(9) and (a)(10): judgments by operation of law and review of orders