Quick answer: The District of Columbia uses an income shares guideline in D.C. Code 16-916.01. It adds both parents’ annual adjusted gross incomes, finds the basic child support obligation in a schedule that runs from $12,382 to $240,000 of combined income (rounding up to the next higher row), and splits it by each parent’s share of the combined income. The parent the child does not mainly live with pays his or her share, plus a share of child care, health insurance and extraordinary medical costs. When each parent has the child at least 35% of the time, a shared custody formula multiplies the obligation by 1.5 and credits each parent for his or her own time. The total cannot exceed 35% of the paying parent’s adjusted gross income.
How the D.C. guideline works
- Adjusted gross income. Gross income from any source, plus alimony received and minus alimony paid, support paid for other children, a deduction for other children in the home and half of self-employment tax. See what income and add-ons count.
- Basic obligation. The schedule amount for the combined annual income and the number of children (one, two, three, or four or more).
- Shares. Each parent’s income divided by the combined income.
- Add-ons. Health insurance, extraordinary medical expenses and child care are divided by income share and added.
- Adjustments. The self-support reserve, the 35% cap and, where each parent has at least 35% of the time, the shared custody formula. See the 35% shared custody rule.
The full walk-through, with a worked example, is in how the D.C. guideline works.
Low incomes and high incomes
A parent whose adjusted gross income is below the self-support reserve is treated individually, with a presumptive minimum of $75 a month that evidence can rebut down to $0 or up. The reserve is 133% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, updated by the Mayor every two years and published in the D.C. Register; the code lists $15,654 as of April 1, 2015, and the field above is editable so you can enter the current figure. The guideline is not presumptive when combined adjusted gross income exceeds $240,000 a year: the order is not less than the amount at $240,000, and the court may order more after determining the child’s reasonable needs.
Child support in the District
The guideline applies in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Family Court. The Child Support Services Division of the Office of the Attorney General offers an official online calculator. A support order can be modified when the guideline amount differs from the existing order by 15% or more, which creates a presumption of a substantial and material change.
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in the District of Columbia?
Under D.C. Code 16-916.01, both parents' annual adjusted gross incomes are combined, the basic obligation is taken from the statutory schedule, and each parent pays a share in proportion to income, with child care, health insurance and extraordinary medical expenses added.
What is the shared custody rule in D.C. child support?
When a child spends 35% or more of the year with each parent, the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5, each parent keeps the share matching his or her time, and the parent who owes more pays the difference, no more than the sole-custody amount.
Is there a cap on D.C. child support?
Yes. The obligation, including health insurance, extraordinary medical and child care additions, cannot exceed 35% of the adjusted gross income of the parent with the legal duty to pay support.
What if the paying parent has a very low income in D.C.?
A parent with income below the self-support reserve is presumed able to pay a minimum of $75 a month, which can be rebutted down to $0 or up. Above the reserve, the low-income adjustment limits the order to what the parent has above it.
When can D.C. child support be modified?
A presumption of a substantial and material change arises when the guideline amount differs from the existing order by 15% or more.