How Delaware Calculates Child Support: The Melson Formula

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Delaware’s Melson Formula protects a $1,600 self-support allowance for each parent, meets the children’s primary needs in proportion to net available income, adds a Standard of Living Adjustment of 12% to 21% or more of the income left, then subtracts credits and caps the result at 50% of net available income.

Step 1: Net available income (Lines 1 to 9)

Monthly gross income includes wages, secondary income, other income and nontaxable income; nontaxable income is increased by 25% to approximate the taxable equivalent (Line 2). Allowable deductions, including mandatory pension contributions, union dues, disability insurance and health insurance that does not cover these children, and the $1,600 self-support allowance are subtracted. A parent who supports other minor children keeps 30% of what is left for them, so only 70% is available (Line 7B). Each parent’s share of the total is rounded to a whole percentage. See what income counts for Delaware child support.

Step 2: Primary support (Lines 10 to 14)

Each household gets a Primary Support Allowance: $800 for one child, $420 for each additional child, $590 for a half child (shared placement) and $210 for each additional half. The total primary need adds child care needed for work, private school or other primary expenses the court allows, and the children’s insurance premium (75% of it, or 50% for a parent who supports other children). Each parent owes a share of that total equal to his or her share of net available income (Line 14).

Step 3: The Standard of Living Adjustment (Lines 15 to 19)

The income a parent has left after primary support is shared with the children as SOLA: 12% for one child, 17% for two, 21% for three and 2% more for each additional child. When both parents have more than $16,000 left, 30% of the income above $16,000 is offset. The SOLA is added to the primary obligation to get the gross monthly obligation.

Step 4: Credits and the net obligation (Lines 20 to 24)

A parent keeps, for the children in his or her own home, the Primary Support Allowance plus the SOLA per child; he or she also receives credit for child care, tuition and insurance paid and for the parenting time adjustment. The net obligation is the gross obligation minus those credits, and it cannot exceed 50% of net available income (35% for a parent who supports children in three or more households). See the Delaware parenting time adjustment.

A worked example

Two children live with their mother. The father earns $6,000 a month and has no overnights; the mother earns $3,000, pays $400 for child care and $150 for the children’s insurance.

The Delaware child support calculator reproduces this example. Its arithmetic matches the court’s own calculator spreadsheet, rounding each step the same way.

What to gather

Each parent submits a Child Support Financial Disclosure Report (Form 16A) with the most recent tax returns, W-2 forms and three recent pay stubs, plus documentation of child care, medical insurance and any Social Security, unemployment or disability income. The court’s own calculator needs the same inputs, so gather them first.

Minimum orders and the cash medical split

Unless placement is shared or split or the obligated parent is disabled, the order is at least $160 for one child and $240 for more. Uninsured medical expenses are split in proportion to each parent’s share on Line 9, rounded to the next multiple of 10% that is closer to 50%.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Instructions for Child Support Calculation (Form 509i, Rev 2/26)
• Delaware Family Court Child Support Calculator spreadsheet

This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited Delaware statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Delaware attorney.