How Oklahoma Calculates Child Support: The Worksheet
Oklahoma adds both parents’ adjusted gross incomes, reads the base obligation in the schedule for the number of children and has each parent pay his or her income share, adding health insurance and child care.
Step 1: Gross and adjusted gross income
Gross income is earned income (salaries, wages, tips, commissions, bonuses, severance, military pay) and passive income (dividends, pensions, rent, interest, trust income, alimony from someone other than the other parent, annuities, Social Security, workers’ compensation, unemployment and disability benefits, gifts, prizes, winnings and royalties), but not child support for other children, adoption subsidies, means-tested benefits, the child’s own income or foster care payments. The court uses the most equitable of current monthly income, the prior year’s average for the time employed, or imputed income (43 O.S. 118B). Adjusted gross income deducts support alimony from a prior case actually paid, the deduction for other children and reasonable debt service on jointly acquired debt (43 O.S. 118A).
Step 2: The schedule
Add the two adjusted incomes and read the row of the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations where the combined income is equal to or above the row’s amount, for the number of children. The schedule runs from $50 at the lowest incomes up to $15,000, in $50 steps; above $15,000 the amount is that of $15,000 plus an additional amount the court sets, and for more than six children the amount for six plus an additional amount (OKDHS schedule).
Step 3: Each parent’s share
Each parent’s percentage of the combined income is applied to the base obligation to give his or her base obligation, and the obligor’s share is paid monthly to the obligee (43 O.S. 118D).
A worked example
Two children; the custodial parent earns $3,000 a month and the other parent $5,000.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross monthly income: custodial / non-custodial parent | $3,000 / $5,000 |
| Combined adjusted gross income | $8,000 |
| Income shares | 37.5% / 62.5% |
| Base obligation for two children at $8,000 (schedule) | $1,303 |
| Non-custodial parent’s 62.5% share | $814.38 |
| Monthly child support | $814 |
With one child the amount is $566 and with three $954. With $500 of deductions for the other parent, the amount is $749. The Oklahoma child support calculator reproduces these.
Sole or joint custody
Child support is computed the same way in every case, whether the custody is designated sole or joint (118D(E)). A custodial person is a parent or third-party caretaker with physical custody of a child more than 182 days a year.
What to gather
Pay records, tax returns, orders for other children, child care invoices and records of the children’s insurance premiums.
Split custody
When each parent has physical custody of at least one child, an obligation is computed for each custodial arrangement and the parent with the larger obligation pays the difference (118D(D)).
Frequently asked questions
What income does Oklahoma use for child support?
Gross income from all sources, less prior-case support alimony paid, the deduction for other children and jointly acquired debt service.
Is the Oklahoma child support schedule per child?
No. It gives a total support amount for the number of children, from one to six or more.
How are Oklahoma incomes combined?
The adjusted gross incomes are added, and each parent's percentage of the total is his or her share of the base obligation.
Does Oklahoma count a new spouse’s income?
The guidelines use the parents' own gross incomes; imputation can consider lifestyle and assets held in a spouse's name.
Is Oklahoma child support presumed correct?
Yes. The guideline amount is a rebuttable presumption, and a deviation needs specific findings.
Official sources
- 43 O.S. 118 to 119: child support guidelines and schedule (Title 43)
- OKDHS: Oklahoma Child Support Guideline Schedule, Age and Wage Tables
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 Oklahoma statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Oklahoma attorney.