How Colorado Calculates Child Support: The Support Worksheet
Colorado uses the income shares model. The court adds both parents’ adjusted gross income, finds the basic obligation in the schedule, shares it by income, subtracts a parenting time credit for each parent’s overnights, then shares child care, health insurance and extraordinary medical costs and credits the parent who pays more than a fair share.
Step 1: Adjusted gross income (Lines 1 to 3)
Each parent’s monthly gross income is adjusted by adding maintenance received and subtracting maintenance paid and court-ordered support for other children or legal responsibility for children not in the case. The adjusted figures are added, and each parent’s share of the total is computed (JDF 1821, Lines 1 to 3). See what income counts for Colorado child support.
Step 2: The basic obligation (Lines 4 and 5)
The Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations gives the basic obligation for the combined income and the number of children; for incomes between listed amounts, the amounts are interpolated. The schedule runs from $50 to $40,000 of combined monthly income for one to six or more children. Above the top, the presumptive obligation is the amount at the highest level, and the judge may use discretion for higher incomes (C.R.S. 14-10-115(7)). Each parent’s share is the income share times the basic obligation.
Step 3: The parenting time credit (Lines 5a to 6)
Overnights with each parent must total 365. The Parenting Time Table converts a parent’s overnights into a credit percentage, and the credit is the total basic obligation times that percentage. It is deducted from that parent’s share; a parent whose credit exceeds his or her share owes nothing before expenses. See the Colorado parenting time credit.
Step 4: Low incomes (Line 7)
If the obligor’s adjusted gross income is $650 or less, the order is $10 a month. If it is above $650 and no more than the self-support reserve (the state minimum wage times 29 hours times 50 weeks, divided by 12), the basic obligation is reduced to $50 (one child), $70, $90, $110, $130 or $150 (six or more), and the total is capped at 10% of income. Above the reserve, 80% (one child) to 95% (six or more) of the income above the reserve phases in the schedule amount, with a 20% cap while income is at or below full-time minimum wage.
Step 5: Add-ons and the payment (Lines 8 to 13)
Work-related and education-related child care (net of the federal credit), the children’s share of health insurance and extraordinary medical expenses are added, and each parent’s fair share is the income share times the total. A parent who paid more than that share receives a credit for the excess. The parent with the greater adjusted obligation is recommended to pay the difference, and a parent’s obligation cannot exceed what that parent would owe with no overnights.
What to gather
Gather pay stubs, tax returns, proof of maintenance paid or received, orders for support of other children, child care invoices and the federal credit you claim, health insurance premium statements showing the children’s portion, and records of extraordinary medical costs. Each parent also completes a sworn financial statement, so accurate records matter more than estimates.
A worked example
Two children. Parent A earns $5,500 a month and has the children 80 overnights; Parent B earns $3,000, has them 285 overnights and pays $300 for child care and $150 for the children’s insurance.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Parent A / Parent B gross monthly income | $5,500 / $3,000 |
| Combined income (Line 2) | $8,500 |
| Basic combined obligation, 2 children (Line 4) | $1,874 |
| Shares of income, A / B (Line 3) | 64.71% / 35.29% |
| A’s share of the basic obligation (Line 5) | $1,212.59 |
| A’s overnights: 80, credit 10.33% x basic obligation (Line 5c) | −$193.58 |
| A’s obligation before expenses (Line 6) | $1,019.00 |
| B’s obligation before expenses: credit exceeds share, so zero | $0.00 |
| Expenses B pays: child care $300 + insurance $150 | $450 |
| B’s fair share of those $450 (35.29%) | $158.82 |
| Paid in excess of a fair share by B (Line 11) | $291.18 |
| Recommended payment: A pays B (Line 13) | $1,310 |
The Colorado child support calculator reproduces this example. The court’s forms may round differently, so its result can differ by a dollar or so.
Frequently asked questions
How does Colorado find the basic child support obligation?
From the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations, using the combined monthly adjusted gross income and the number of children, interpolating between listed amounts. The schedule covers combined income up to $40,000.
What is the Colorado Support Worksheet?
JDF 1821 is the court's unified worksheet for child and spousal support. It replaced the separate sole-care and shared-care worksheets for orders under the March 2026 guidelines.
Are child care and health insurance added to Colorado child support?
Yes. Net child care costs, the children's share of health insurance and extraordinary medical expenses are added and shared by income, and a parent who pays more than a fair share is credited.
What is the self-support reserve in Colorado?
The state hourly minimum wage times 29 hours a week times 50 weeks a year, divided by 12 months. It limits support for low-income obligors.
Is the Colorado child support figure rounded?
The forms do not state a rounding rule in the text we reviewed. This calculator rounds the final payment to the dollar.
Official sources
- C.R.S. 14-10-115: child support guidelines
- JDF 1821: Support Worksheet
- House Bill 25-1159 (signed act)
A local family law attorney can review your situation — many offer a free consultation.
This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited Colorado statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Colorado attorney.