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STATE OF
CONNECTICUT
COMMISSION FOR
CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES
Child
Support
and
Arrearage
Guidelines
Effective August 1,
2005
This booklet
contains the Child
Support and Arrearage Guidelines regulations adopted by the Commission for Child Support
Guidelinespursuant to CGS
§46b-215a.
The Schedule of
Basic Child Support Obligations and prescribed worksheet are included as a part of the regulations.
The booklet also
includes an unofficial
explanatory preambleto
the regulations that the
Commission developed to
assist the guidelines user.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Preamble to Child
Support and Arrearage Guidelines
(a) Introduction..........................................................................................................................
i
(b) Summary
of
Changes...........................................................................................................i-ii
(c) Purpose of
guidelines
..............................................................................................
ii
(d) Basic
principles
................................................................................................................
ii-iii
(e)
The Schedule of
Basic Child Support Obligations ......
....................................................iii-vi
(f)
Guidelines
worksheet.........................................................................................................
vi
(g)
Applicability of child support guidelines
.............................................................................vii-ix
(h) Income
determination
........................................................................................................ix-xi
(i) Arrearage
guidelines
...........................................................................................................xi-xii
(j) Deviation
criteria................................................................................................................
xii-xiii
(k) The
guidelines commission and review process
.................................................................
xiii-xiv
(l) Effective
date.....................................................................................................................
xiv
Child Support
and Arrearage Guidelines Regulations
Section
46b-215a-1. Definitions ........................................................................................
1-4
Section
46b-215a-2b. Child support guidelines.................................................................
5-20
(a)
Applicability.....................................................................................................................
5
(b) Using the
worksheet.........................................................................................................
5
(c)
Determining the amount of current support
.......................................................................
5-8
(d)
Determining the amount of current support in split custody
situations................................... 8
(e)
Determining the amount of current support when another child
resides with a parent ........... 8-9
(f)
Schedule of Basic Child
Support Obligations...............................................................9-17
(g)
Determining the health care coverage contribution
..............................................................18-19
(h)
Determining the child care
contribution...............................................................................19-20
Section
46b-215a-3. Deviation criteria...............................................................................
21-23
(a)
Introduction
......................................................................................................................
21
(b) Criteria
for deviation from presumptive support
amounts.....................................................21-23
Section
46b-215a-4a. Arrearage guidelines ......................................................................
23-25
(a) Scope of
section
..............................................................................................................
23
(b) General
rule
.....................................................................................................................
23
(c) Special
rule for low-income obligors
................................................................................23-24
(d) Special
rule if there is no current support
order.................................................................
24
(e) Special
rule for child living with the obligor
.......................................................................
24
(f) Use of
the worksheet in arrearage determinations
..............................................................24-25
Section
46b-215a-5b. Worksheet for the Connecticut child support
and
arrearage guidelines
........................................................................................................25-27
- i -
PREAMBLE TO CHILD SUPPORT AND ARREARAGE
GUIDELINES
(a)
Introduction
This preamble is intended to
assist users of the childsupport and arrearage guidelines but is not part of theofficial regulations.
(1)
Purposes of
preamble The
purposes of this preamble to the child support and arrearage guidelines are the
following:
(A) To
identify for child support practitioners, judges, family support magistrates, and
the public changes
from the former child support guidelines to ease the transition to the new
guidelines.
(B) To
provide supplemental background information to assist the user in understanding the
purposes and principles underlying the guidelines.
(C) To limit
the need for explanations and commentary in the guidelines to keep them simple
and readable.
(D) To
provide for uniformity of interpretation by the Connecticut bar, judiciary, child
support agencies, and the public.
(2)
Organization of the
regulations The
child support and arrearage guidelines regulations are organized into five sections,
as follows:
(A)
Section 46b-215a-1.
Definitions This
section contains definitions of key words and phrases that have a special meaning as
used in the guidelines.
(B)
Section 46b-215a-2b. Child
support guidelines This section contains the guidelines, including the
worksheet instructions and
schedule, for determining the current support, health care coverage, and child
care contribution
components of the child support award.
(C)
Section 46b-215a-3. Child
support guidelines deviation criteria This section describes the circumstances that may
justify a support order
different from the presumptive support amounts calculated under the child support
and arrearage
guidelines.
(D)
Section 46b-215a-4a.
Arrearage guidelines This section contains the guidelines, including the
worksheet instructions, for
determining periodic payments on child support arrearages.
(E)
Section 46b-215a-5b.
Worksheet for the Connecticut child support and arrearage guidelines
This section contains the
worksheet intended for use with the instructions in sections 46b-215a-2b and
46b-215a-4a.
(b)
Summary of
changes This
subsection of the preamble identifies the differences between the new guidelines and the
1999 guidelines to
quickly orient those who are familiar with the guidelines to the changes. Purely
technical changes, such as renumbering, punctuation, or minor language
changes that do not
significantly alter the meaning of the provision are omitted from this
discussion. More formation on the reasons for significant changes is
found later in the preamble.
The changes are listed in the order they appear in the regulations.
(1)
Allowable deductions from
gross income
Medical
insurance premium deduction now includes amount for the child whose support is
being determined.
Husky Plan
contributions added.
Court-ordered
life insurance for the benefit of the child added.
Court-ordered
disability insurance added.
Union dues
deduction now limited to amounts deducted by the employer.
The cost of
mandatory uniforms and tools, if deducted by the employer, added.
(2)
Gross income
Maximum
hourly wages included in gross income reduced from 52 to 45 hours per
week.
Tribal
stipends and incentives added as a gross income inclusion.
Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) exclusion clarified to apply to payments for a child.
Adoption
subsidy benefits for the child added as a gross income inclusion.
Limitation of
education grants inclusion changed from amounts available for personal living
expenses to amounts
that are federally taxable.
(3)
Net disposable
income
80% of any
alimony paid by one of the parents to the other is now added to the net income of
the receiving parent,
and deducted from the net income of the paying parent, in the calculation of net
disposable income, for
purposes of calculating unreimbursed medical and child care contribution amounts.
Social
security dependency benefits for the child on the earnings record of the noncustodial
parent are now added
to the net income of the custodial parent in the calculation of net disposable income,
for purposes of calculating unreimbursed medical and child care contribution amounts.
- ii -
(4)
Schedule extension to
higher incomes
The upper
limit of the schedule of basic obligations was increased from $2,500 combined net
weekly income to
$4,000 combined net weekly income.
(5)
Current support
computation
Supplemental
orders, based on future lump sum payments of an unknown amount, are now
specifically allowed.
The custodial
parent’s income is no longer considered in determining the basic child support
obligation if the noncustodial parent is a low-income obligor.
Health
insurance premium amounts for the child are no longer added to the basic
obligation.
(6)
Schedule of Basic Child
Support Obligations
The schedule
now begins at $50, instead of $10, per week.
The white
italics are eliminated.
The
low-income obligor area is extended to slightly higher incomes.
The
percentages and dollar amounts are adjusted based on updated economic data.
(7)
Health care
coverage
Child’s
health insurance premium is no longer deducted from the basic child support
obligation of a low-income obligor.
Low-income
obligors are now exempt from Husky Plan contributions.
The
low-income obligor’s responsibility for payment of unreimbursed expenses is now limited
to 50%.
The first
$100 per child per year of unreimbursed medical expenses is no longer excluded
from the order for
payment of unreimbursed medical expenses.
(8)
Child care
contribution
Child care
subsidy payments are now specifically excluded from qualifying costs.
Low-income
obligors are no longer exempt from a child care contribution.
Special rules
for low-income obligors apply to obligors with net disposable income in
the low income area of
the schedule.
The child
care contribution of a low-income obligor is limited to 50%.
The child
care contribution of a low-income obligor is 20% when the custodial parent’s net
disposable income is
outside the low-income area of the schedule.
(9)
Deviation
criteria
Agreements of
the parties citing one or more deviation criteria, if accepted by the court, may
be sufficient to rebut
presumptive support amounts.
Deviation
criteria are specifically limited to the lettered items, and do not include the
category headings.
Wages for
work between 45 and 52 hours per week added as a deviation criterion under
certain circumstances.
Child care
expenses for a qualified child added as a criterion for deviation from the child
care contribution.
Extraordinary
disparity in parental incomes added as a deviation criterion.
(10)
Arrearage
guidelines
Determination
of periodic payments on child support arrearages clarified as subject to the
deviation criteria.
(11)
Worksheet
Kept to two
pages, but complex calculations broken down to simpler steps, current support
calculation shortened,
arrearage payment calculation simplified, and space to check off applicable deviation
criteria added.
(c)
Purposes of
guidelines
The primary
purposes of the child support and arrearage guidelines are:
(1) To
provide uniform procedures for establishing an adequate level of support for
children, and for repayment of child support arrearages, subject to the
ability of parents to
pay.
(2) To make
awards more equitable by ensuring the consistent treatment of persons in
similar circumstances.
(3) To
improve the efficiency of the court process by promoting settlements and by giving
courts and the parties
guidance in setting the levels of awards.
(4) To
conform to applicable federal and state statutory and regulatory mandates.
(d)
Basic
principles
The
Connecticut Child Support Guidelines are based on the Income Shares Model. The Income
Shares Model presumes
that the child should receive the same proportion of parental income as he or she
would have received if
the parents lived together. Underlying the income shares model, therefore, is the
policy that the parents should bear any additional expenses resulting from the
maintenance of two separate
households instead of one, since it is not the child’s decision that the
parents divorce,
separate, or otherwise live separately. The Income Shares Model has proven to be
the most widely
accepted, particularly due to its consideration of the income of both parents. About
two-thirds of the states follow the income shares model, and of four
states that changed
from one model to another in the past ten years, three converted to the income
shares model. Other
models used by states include “Percentage of Obligor Income” (about a quarter of the
states) and - iii
- “Melson Formula” or
a hybrid approach. Only a handful of states use the Melson or another
model. The Income
Shares Model reflects presently available data on the average costs of raising
children in households across a wide range of incomes and family sizes. Because household spending on
behalf of children is intertwined with spending on behalf of adults for most
expenditure categories, it is
difficult to determine the exact proportion allocated to children in
individual cases, even
with exhaustive financial affidavits. However, a number of authoritative economic
studies based on
national data provide reliable estimates of the average
amount of household
expenditures on children in intact households. These studies have found
that the proportion of
household spending devoted to children is systematically
and consistently related to
the level of household income and to the number of children. In general, the economic studies have
found that spending on
children declines as a proportion of family income as that income increases, and a
diminishing portion of
family income is spent on each additional child. More is explained later in the
preamble about the first observation. The second observation apparently
results from two factors. The
first is economy of scale. That is, as more children are added to a family,
sharing of household
items is increased, and fewer of those items must be purchased. The second is a
reallocation of expenditures. That is, as additional children are added,
each family member’s share of
expenditures decreases to provide for the needs of the additional members. Based on this economic evidence,
adjusted for Connecticut's relatively high income distribution (as
explained later in this
preamble), the guidelines allow for the calculation of current support based
on each parent's share
of the amount estimated to be spent on a child if the parents and child live in an
intact household. The amount calculated for the custodial parent is retained
by the custodial
parent and presumed spent on the child.The amount calculated for the
noncustodial parent establishes the level of current support to be ordered
by the court. These
two amounts together constitute the current support obligation of both
parents for the support of the child. Intact households are used for the
estimates because the
guidelines aim to provide children the same support they would receive if the
parents lived together. More than this, however, support amounts would be set
unduly low if based on
spending patterns of singleparent families, as they generally experience a
high incidence of
poverty and lower incomes than intact families.
(e)
The Schedule of Basic Child
Support Obligations
This
subsection of the preamble explains how the commission derived the percentages in
the Schedule
of Basic Child
Support Obligations (hereafter, the schedule), and how and why the new schedule is different from the one in the 1999
guidelines. The commission contracted with Policy Studies, Inc. of Denver, Colorado to develop a new
schedule based on more
recent economic data, to incorporate changes in the low-income area, and to extend the
schedule to higher incomes.
(1)
Updated economic
data
Federal
regulations for the Title IV-D child support enforcement program (45 CFR 302.56)
require among other
things that the guidelines review process include a consideration of economic data on
the cost of raising children. The schedule percentages included in the 1994
and 1999 guidelines were
based on economic data on child-rearing costs gathered in a study mandated by the
Family Support Act of 1988
(P.L. 100-485, section 128). The study was conducted by Dr. David Betson of
Notre Dame University,
through the University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty. Dr.
Betson used data from
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 1980-86 Consumer Expenditure Survey for his
research. An analysis
of Dr. Betson's findings, on which prior commissions relied, is contained
in Estimates
of Expenditures
on Children and Child Support Guidelines, Report to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Planning and Evaluation), by Lewin/ICF (October 1990). The present commission was
fortunate, through its retained consultant, to have access to Dr. Betson’s
updated measurements of
child-rearing costs, which were developed in 2001 based on
1996-1999 Consumer Expenditure Survey data. In addition, the contractor
converted Dr. Betson’s
measurements to 2004 price levels. The
Consumer Expenditure Survey data includes information on several hundred items
purchased by households. The Bureau of Labor Statistics categorizes
these items into several
major categories, such as food, housing, clothing, transportation, and
health care. Mortgage
principal payments are excluded from measurements of current consumption, as they
constitute a form of
savings. Mortgage interest payments and property taxes, however, are included as
items of current consumption, as is rent. Other exclusions from current
consumption are personal
insurance, savings, pension and charitable contributions, and purchase price of
vehicles. The commission notes that the
identification of spending categories for the development of estimates of
expenditures on children does
not translate well into an obligation for parents to spend specific portions of
their own income, or
support payments received from the other parent, on particular categories
of items for their children. As stated earlier in this preamble, spending
on children and adults
in families is inextricably intertwined, and the commission specifically rejects
a requirement on the
part of the custodial parent to provide for an accounting of how support
payments, or the custodial parent’s portion of the presumptive current
support obligation, are used
to provide for the child. An accounting requirement would represent an
unreasonable administrative burden on courts and administrative agencies, and would be extremely
intrusive for custodial parents. The commission does not believe it is
appropriate for the
government to micromanage family finances. - iv - On the other hand, where it can be shown
that a parent’s failure to provide for a child rises to the level of
neglect, it certainly
is appropriate for individuals to enlist the help of appropriate courts or agencies
to assess the appropriateness of a custody change or other measures to
ensure the child’s
welfare. The foregoing
being said, however, the commission emphasizes that it is the obligation of
both parents to contribute to the support of their children to the extent
of their ability, as
defined by the guidelines and ordered by the courts. The obligation to support
does not rest solely with the parent who is ordered to make payments to the
other parent. It extends also
to the parent receiving those court-ordered payments. In addition to spending the
designated support payments
on the child, the parent receiving such payments remains obligated to expend a
portion of his or her own
personal income on the child’s behalf. The specific percentage expected to be spent
is identical, absent
application of a deviation criterion, to the percentage allocated by the other
parent, as established by the schedule.
(2)
Rothbarth
estimator
Economists
determine the average household spending on children by comparing the
expenditures of two households that are equally well off economically, one
with children and one
without. To make this comparison, they must first determine a standard of
well-being which is
independent of income. The Rothbarth estimator (named for Erwin Rothbarth, the
economist who first proposed it) is such a standard. It is based on the
percentage of household
income spent on adult goods, and the commission continues to regard it as the
best benchmark to use
in developing guidelines. It is the most widely used standard among states
that have updated
their guidelines based on newer child-rearing cost data.
(3)
Adjustment for
Connecticut
The data
reported by Betson using the Rothbarth estimator (hereafter, Betson/Rothbarth)
were developed using a
nationally representative sample of households. Connecticut, however, has an income
structure that is much
higher than the national average. This fact, in the commission's judgment, continues to
warrant an upward adjustment to the Betson/Rothbarth percentages, for the
following reasons:
(A) A Connecticut household
can be expected to spend about the same percentage of income on children
as a nationally
representative household with a lower level of income because of the
Connecticut household's relative position in the state's income distribution.
(B) Households with lower
levels of income generally spend a higher proportion of their income on children. The amount of the upward adjustment in
the new schedule was
calculated with reference to 2002 Census data indicating differences in family
income between Connecticut and the national average.
(4)
Percentage decline as
income increases
(A)
Reason for
decline Economic
evidence establishes that the proportion of household income spent on children
declines as household income increases. This spending pattern exists because families at higher income
levels do not have to devote most or all of their incomes to perceived
necessities. Rather,
they can allocate some proportion of income to savings and other non-consumption
expenditures, as well
as discretionary adult goods. This principle was reflected in the 1994 and 1999
guidelines, and is also incorporated in the new guidelines.
(B)
Decline at all income
levels Connecticut's pre-1994 child support guidelines built
in a decline in the
percentages beginning at the $750 combined net weekly income level. The
new guidelines follow
the pattern of the 1994 and 1999 guidelines and incorporate declining percentages at all
levels of combined net
weekly income outside the darker shaded area of the schedule. This approach is
consistent with the income shares model, and the degree of decline is based
on the most reliable economic
indicators.
(5)
Low-income
adjustments
(A)
A historical
perspective One of
the continuing themes that surfaced throughout the Commission’s review process was the
challenge of striking
an appropriate balance between the interests of parents and children in the setting
of a child support award when one or both parents are of extremely limited
means. On the one hand is the
child’s interest in sharing equitably in the parents’ income, consistent with
the income shares
model. On the other hand is the low income parent’s need to retain sufficient
income to provide for
his or her own subsistence, in order to permit such parent to play a positive role in
the child’s life. Previous commissions have resolved this inherent tension in various ways. For
example, the 1994 and prior commissions established an income level below
which a noncustodial parent
would have no responsibility for child support payments. This approach created
an unvarying
self-support reserve, which absolutely protected a subsistence level of income
for the nonresident parent, but failed to even minimally assist the resident parent, who frequently was
also low-income, in providing for the child. It also failed to convey the
important message to both
parents that an obligation to support exists even where the ability is limited.
Where the 1994 commission
went further than prior commissions, however, was in the establishment of a
variable self-support reserve
for obligors whose income was above subsistence level but still relatively low.
The variable
self-support reserve applied in the area of the schedule identified by dark shading; and
in this area usually
only the noncustodial parent’s income was considered in setting the basic child
support obligation. The effect of the variable self-support reserve was to
preserve for the low-income
obligor an ever-increasing level of earnings as net income increased to the point
at which the income
shares model was applied. The 1999 commission built on the work of the 1994 commission by retaining the concept
of a variable selfsupport reserve, applicable in the darker shaded area of the schedule, but eliminated the
absolute protection for obligors with poverty level incomes and below. It did so
by substituting a minimal
obligation of 10% of net income for one child, and gradually increasing amounts
for additional children, up
to about the poverty level. From that level on, obligations increased in
approximately equal
intervals until the point at which the obligor retained about $170 per week,
after the payment of
child support. Beyond that level, the income shares model applied, and combined income
was used to set the support obligation. The principle underlying the 1999 commission’s imposition of a minimal order even
at poverty levels was the underlying public policy making parents primarily
responsible for the support
of their children. In accordance with this policy, the 1999 commission
viewed it as crucial
to require an order of a specific amount of child support, no matter how minimal, in
almost every case.
The
commission cited the lack of a self-support reserve for custodial parents and the
advent of time-limited public assistance benefits as further justification for
the imposition of a
support order in most cases.
(B)
Low-income adjustments in
the new schedule The present commission recognizes that in lowincome
families where the parents
reside in two separate households, there will inevitably be immense financial
pressures on both parents to
maintain themselves and their children adequately. Nonetheless, the commission
returned repeatedly in its
deliberations to a concern for the best interests of the child. It therefore continues
to prescribe minimal
support payments for even very low income noncustodial parents, but has tempered
this determination
with several further adjustments in the low-income area of the schedule, in an
effort to build upon
and refine the commendable work of previous commissions.
(i)
No obligation for parents
with less than $50 net income The
commission determined that child support obligations for noncustodial parents earnings
less than $50 per week
net income should be eliminated, despite its adherence to the principles enunciated
by the 1999 commission
regarding imposition of obligations in lowincome cases. Parents with such extremely low
income are in truly
desperate circumstances, and their first concern, even before the payment of a
child support obligation, understandably is their own economic survival. The commission also
deemed the $1 to $5 that would be expected of such parents under the 1999 guidelines primarily symbolic and,
from a judicial and agency perspective, an unwarranted administrative burden to record, process, and
enforce.
(ii)
Increased range of
low-income area The 1999 guidelines phased out the low-income, darker shaded area of the schedule
at the point where the obligor retained about $170 per week net income. The
present commission has
extended the reach of the protections associated with this area of the schedule by
increasing to approximately
$190 per week the level of net income at which the low-income designation
ceases to apply. The
effect of this change is not only to deflate the required support contribution for
borderline low income obligors, but also to extend to such obligors the additional protections accorded
such obligors under other provisions of the guidelines, which are addressed
elsewhere in this
preamble.
(iii)
Lower percentages in the
darker shaded area The commission also slightly reduced most of the percentages in the low-income area
of the schedule. Contributing factors to these reductions are the raising
of the shaded area
cut-off points and the lowering of many amounts outside the low-income area,
particularly for three
or more children. In the commission’s view, these reductions will ultimately work to
the benefit of children, while serving the immediate self-support needs of low-income obligors, since they
will assist such obligors in establishing a pattern of payment based on realistic
expectations of their ability
to pay.
(iv)
Elimination of white
italics As under
the 1999 guidelines, there are some instances in the new schedule where the
percentage indicated
in the darker shaded area exceeds that which applies if the combined net income is
used. These instances
occur, in general, when the custodial parent's income is high relative to that of the
noncustodial parent. The reason for this occurrence is the steady decline in
percentages as combined
income increases.The
1999 guidelines used white italics within the darker shaded area to indicate those
income levels where use of combined income could possibly result in a lower
support percentage for the
low-income obligor. Where the white italics applied, the guidelines user would
have to compare the
support amount using the obligor’s income alone with the support amount
using combined income
to determine the lesser amount, and then use the lesser amount as the basic child support
obligation. The
present commission has determined that the former approach unduly complicates the
support calculation in
view of the small number of cases where the procedure results in an obligation
different from one based solely on the obligor’s income. The commission
accordingly has eliminated
the white italics from the schedule, consistent with its efforts in other areas
to simplify the
guidelines. The result is that the basic child support obligation of the low-income
obligor is determined
under the present regulations without reference to the custodial parent’s
income in all cases, subject to possible application of the deviation
criterion for
extraordinary disparity in parental income, which is addressed further in the deviation
criteria section of this preamble.
(6)
Extension to higher
incomes The 1999
schedule applied only up to $2,500 combined net weekly income, since the data
available to the previous commission would not support extension to higher incomes. The present
commission has extended the applicable range of the schedule to $4,000 combined
net weekly income, in
response to comments from the public and many practicing family law attorneys, and
in view of the
commission’s aim to promote consistency in the setting of support orders at all
income levels. This extension is justified at this time by the use of newer
measurements of child-rearing
costs, derived from 1996-1999 Consumer Expenditure Survey data that included
higher income families. As
under earlier guidelines, courts remain free to fashion appropriate child support
awards on a case-by-case
basis where the combined income exceeds the range of the schedule, provided the
amount of support prescribed
at the $4,000 level is presumed to be the minimum that should be ordered in
such cases.
(f)
Guidelines
worksheet The
commission continues to prescribe a worksheet for use in calculating support amounts
under the child support and arrearage guidelines. While the revised
worksheet looks similar to
the one included in the former regulations, and still takes up only the front and back
of one sheet of paper,
it is different in a number of important respects.
(1)
Heading The heading is identical, except
for reformatting of the space to write in the children’s names and dates of
birth, and inclusion of a
statement concerning the permissive rounding of money amounts. The child information now fits on two lines,
permitting increased use of vertical space for additional items and
calculations on the
first page.
(2)
Net income
calculations The
main change in this section of the worksheet is the addition of an area for calculating
the imputed support
obligation for a qualified child. The commission added lines 12a through 12d for the
purpose of breaking down the fairly complex calculation into a few simpler
steps. The intent is to
assist the user of the guidelines in correctly performing the necessary
calculations. The
commission also added lines in this section to correspond with the additional allowable
deductions included in
the regulations, and re-organized the lines for tax deductions to group the federal
items together. Finally, there is now space on the gross income line to
indicate the number of work
hours used to calculate gross income.
(3)
Current support
calculation The
commission shortened this section from twelve lines to six. This was possible
primarily because health insurance premiums for the child are no longer added to
the basic obligation and
apportioned between the parents, so the lines for these calculations could be
removed. Also absent is the
line for the recommended current support order, which now appears only in the
recommended orders section on
the second page.
(4)
Net disposable income
calculation This
is a new section, which the commission added due to the increased complexity of the
net disposable income
calculation. The section breaks down the computations into several simple steps
to direct the user to
the appropriate result, which now reflects the impact of alimony and social security
dependency benefits.
(5)
Unreimbursed medical
expense calculation The commission provided more explicit instructions for calculating each parent’s
percentage contribution, and inserted additional instructions to reflect the
special treatment for
low-income obligors.
(6)
Child care contribution
calculation The
commission removed the space for qualifying costs, since such costs change over time
and do not affect the
calculation of the child care contribution percentage. The section is expanded to
incorporate the special rules for calculating the child care contribution
of low-income
obligors.
(7)
Arrearage payment
calculation This
section of the worksheet is condensed to reflect the commission finding that the lengthy
and involved calculations in the former worksheet were unnecessary
in the majority of cases. Now
there is space to record the presumptive amount of twenty percent of the
current support
payment. In addition, there are special instructions for calculating, and a separate
space to record, the presumptive amount when the special circumstances identified in the worksheet
exist.
(8)
Deviation
criteria This
section of the worksheet is expanded to include a listing of all the criteria with a
check box for the user to indicate which, if any, criteria are being cited to
rebut the presumptive
support amounts.
(9)
Recommended
orders The
commission changed the title of this section from “order summary” to “recommended
orders” to clarify that the purpose of the section is to record the
proposed order
amounts, not the orders issued by the court. Space is added to record the presumptive
current support amount, for comparison with the recommended order. The unreimbursed medical expense
line now prompts for entry of percentage amounts for the mother and father.
The child care contribution
line has space to record either a percentage amount or a dollar amount in cases
of noncompliance with
a previous order. A line is also added to record any additional proposed
orders, such as a
supplemental order to pay a percentage of a future lump sum payment of an
indeterminate amount, as now authorized in the regulations.
(g)
Applicability of child
support guidelines
(1)
Split custody
situations When
there is more than one child in common and each parent provides the primary
residence of at least one of the children, there is a split custody situation.
Under the pre-1994
guidelines, these situations were handled by computing a single obligation
for all subject children, and then apportioning the obligation between
the parents based on the
number of children in the other parent's custody. While this prorating approach was
simple and reasonable, it was
inconsistent with the income shares model. Because each additional child costs proportionately less to
raise, the basic obligation for two children in a single household, for example,
is less than that for
two children living in separate households. The split custody adjustment under the
pre-1994 guidelines,
however, would use the basic obligation for two children in a single household
to compute support for
two children living separately. To correct this deficiency, the 1994
commission adopted an approach that uses the combined parental income to calculate separate obligations for
the children of each household. These obligations are then offset to arrive
at a single obligation
which one parent pays to the other to correctly apportion their combined
income based on a consistent application of the child support guidelines.
The present commission
continues to endorse this approach to the split custody situation, and has
retained the
applicable provisions unchanged from the 1999 guidelines.
(2)
Cases where another child
resides with a parent In an
effort to improve the consistency of orders in which the needs of multiple families are
involved, the 1999
commission eliminated the deviation criterion for needs of a parent’s prior or
subsequent children in favor of a deduction from gross income in the amount of
an imputed support
obligation for a dependent child living with the parent. The present commission
determined that this
qualified child deduction works well and should continue unchanged from the 1999
guidelines. The amount
of the allowable deduction for qualified children is calculated as follows.
First, a current support obligation is calculated for all of the parent’s
children, including
those who are the subject of the support determination and those for whom the
parent is seeking a gross income deduction. The other parent’s income is
not considered in this
calculation. Second, the resulting obligation is divided by the total
number of the parent’s children, and the resulting amount is multiplied by the
number of qualified children
(those for whom the parent is claiming a deduction). The product is the total
allowable deduction for all
qualified children. While the deduction for qualified children accounts
for the basic support needs
of such children, it does not address any child care expenses attributable to
them. Accordingly, the
commission added a deviation criterion that may be used to reduce only the
presumptive child care
contribution for the child whose support is being determined. The new criterion is
discussed more fully in the deviation criteria section of this preamble.
(3)
Health care coverage
contribution
(A)
In general
The present
commission recognizes, consistent with
the
determinations of the 1999 commission, that clear
and adequate
health care provisions must be included in
the
guidelines if they are to serve the best interests of the
child. Such
provisions are mandated by Title IV-D of
the Social
Security Act, implementing federal regulations
and
corresponding state law provisions. All states
now have in
their child support guidelines some provision
for
addressing the child’s health care needs. The
commission
accordingly has retained the requirement for
each child
support award entered under the guidelines to
include a
provision for either parent to contribute to the
health care
coverage of the child. The requirement may
be met by an
order to name the child as a beneficiary of
health
insurance carried by or available at reasonable
cost to a
parent. If such insurance is not available, the
order must
require application for Husky B or an
equivalent
government-sponsored plan, as available.
Low-income
obligors, however, are now exempt from
Husky
reimbursement orders under this subsection.
(B)
Change from “add-on” to
deduction
The primary
change to the treatment of health care
expenses in
the present regulations is the elimination of
the premium
adjustment in the calculation of presumptive
current
support amounts. The commission determined
that adding
the child’s portion of any health
insurance
premiums paid by the parents to the basic
obligation,
apportioning the payment between the
parents, and
then subtracting the amount from the
obligation of
the parent who pays the premium increased
the
complexity of the child support determination, while
adding
nothing to benefit the child. A simpler approach,
and one that
adequately serves the child’s interest while
remaining
fair to the parents, is to deduct the child’s
portion of
the health insurance premium from the gross
income of the
parent who pays it. Further information
on the
allowable deduction for health insurance premiums
is found in
the “income determination” section of
this
preamble.
(C)
Unreimbursed medical
expenses
(i)
Apportionment
method
The
commission has retained in the present regulations
the basic
method for apportioning unreimbursed
medical
expenses that was adopted by the 1999 commission.
It did,
however, adjust the calculation method by
redefining
“net disposable income,” on which the
apportionment
is based. Previously, the guidelines user
calculated
net disposable income by deducting only the
current
support order amount from the noncustodial
parent’s net
income, and adding it to the custodial
parent’s net
income. Under the new guidelines, the user
also deducts
80% of any alimony payments to the other
parent from
the net income of the parent paying the
alimony,
while adding the same amount to the net
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-
income of the
parent receiving such alimony. A further
adjustment is
the addition of any social security dependency
benefits for
the child on the earnings record of the
noncustodial
parent to the custodial parent’s net income,
and the
deduction of the same amount from the noncustodial
parent’s net
income.
The combined
effect of these adjustments to the net
disposable
income calculation, in the commission’s
view, is a
fairer allocation of responsibility for unreimbursed
medical
expenses between the parents. This is
because the
revised calculation method more accurately
reflects the
actual funds available to the parents after
child support
and alimony payments have changed
hands, and
credits the noncustodial parent for social
security
dependency benefits made on such parent’s
behalf. Only
80% of the alimony payment enters into
the net
disposable income calculation, to account as
simply as
possible for the tax ramifications of such
payment
without further complicating the calculations.
(ii)
Expenses subject to
order
Under the
1999 guidelines, only those unreimbursed
medical
expenses that exceeded $100 per year for each
child were
subject to the apportionment order. The $100
figure
represented an average amount included in the
schedule of
basic obligations to cover ordinary medical
expenses. As
part of its comprehensive effort to simplify
the
guidelines, the present commission eliminated the
$100 expense
threshold from the order provision, and
adjusted the
schedule accordingly by removing medical
expenses from
the child’s share of consumption
spending.
(iii)
Other issues
The
commission continues in the present guidelines
the policy of
not exempting low-income obligors from
payment of
unreimbursed medical expenses. It also
continues to
include unreimbursed medical expenses as a
reason for
deviating from presumptive support amounts
where such
expenses are found to be extraordinary and
to exist on a
substantial and continuing basis.
(4)
Child care
contribution
(A)
In general
The
commission has retained the provision requiring
the
noncustodial parent to reimburse the custodial parent
for a portion
of the child care costs incurred on behalf of
the subject
child. Treating child care costs separately
under the
guidelines, as opposed to including an average
amount for
such costs in the schedule, is justified in the
commission’s
view because not all families incur this
expense and
costs vary widely depending on family
circumstances. Provision for a separate contribution
therefore
permits the court to tailor the child support
award to
those circumstances.
(B)
Qualifying
costs
The costs
subject to noncustodial parent
reimbursement
must be reasonable and necessary for the
custodial
parent to maintain employment. Amounts that
are
reimbursed or subsidized are excluded, as are
amounts that
exceed the level required to provide quality
care from a
licensed source. The commission refers
courts and
other guidelines users to the charts on average
Connecticut
child care costs that appear on the 2-1-1
Child Care
Infoline internet website for information on
determining
the reasonableness of any claimed child care
costs.
(C)
Contribution
amount
The
noncustodial parent’s contribution to qualifying
child care
costs is set generally the same way as
unreimbursed
medical expenses are apportioned – on the
basis of the
parents’ net disposable incomes. The
commission
has redefined “net disposable income” in
the present
regulations to account for alimony payments
and social
security dependency benefits for the child on
the earnings
record of the noncustodial parent. The
commission
deems this the fairest way to apportion the
child care
costs because it is based on the actual funds
available to
the parents after child support and alimony
payments have
changed hands. There are special rules
for
low-income obligors, which are discussed below.
(D)
Special rules for
low-income obligors
(i)
Elimination of
exemption
The 1999
guidelines had exempted low-income
obligors from
the child care contribution order. While
this approach
was a clear benefit to low-income obligors,
the present
commission has determined that the
establishment
of reasonable limits on the contribution of
such obligors
is an approach that is fairer to custodial
parents and
in the best interests of the child.
(ii)
Expansion of definition of
“low-income
obligor”
The
commission expanded the definition of “lowincome
obligor” only
as the term is used to establish
special child
care contribution limits. For the purpose of
setting those
limits, the term includes obligors whose net
disposable income falls within the darker shaded area of
the schedule.
This is in contrast to the definition as used
elsewhere in
the regulations, which includes only those
obligors
whose net income
falls within the darker shaded
area of the
schedule. As a result of this expansive
definition,
the special contribution limits are extended to
obligors
whose income is relatively low but who would
otherwise not
benefit from the special limits.
(iii)
Contribution
limits
The child
care contribution is generally set in
accordance
with the obligor’s percentage share of
combined net
disposable income. Under this general
rule, an
obligor could be required to pay well over half
of the child
care costs, if the obligor’s income is much
more than the
custodial parent’s. One of the special rules
for
low-income obligors, however, establishes a limit of
50% for the
contribution of a low-income obligor toward
the
qualifying child care costs. The other special rule
establishes
the child care contribution at 20% of the
qualifying
costs when the custodial parent’s net
disposable
income is outside the darker shaded area of
the schedule.
The latter rule protects low-income
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obligors from
potentially very burdensome contributions
beyond the
current support obligation in those cases
where the
custodial parent has considerably greater
financial
resources than the noncustodial parent.
(E)
Coordination with
schedule
The 1994
schedule incorporated in the percentages an
average
amount for child care expenses over the child’s
minority,
since child care was not treated as a separate
obligation
under the guidelines. The 1999 commission,
on the other
hand, established the policy, adhered to by
the present
commission, under which child care costs are
apportioned
between the parents, and made a separate
component of
the child support award. Consistent with
this policy,
the 1999 commission reduced the schedule
percentages
by an estimated amount for child care costs
incurred over
the child’s minority.
The present
commission has updated the amounts
deducted from
the schedule for average child care costs
based on
Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer
Expenditure
Survey data for the period 1996 through
1999, as
provided by its retained consultant, Policy
Studies, Inc.
The consultant reported that child care
costs per
child tend generally to increase as a percentage
of
consumption spending as the level of income
increases.
Such costs in households with annual income
less than
$15,000 average 0.25%, while ranging to
1.70% in
households with annual income of more than
$150,000.
The
commission recognizes that these amounts may
seem low,
particularly to parents presently paying child
care costs
for small children. These average amounts,
however, are
determined on the basis of total
expenditures
over the child’s entire minority, much of
which time no
costs are incurred, and they also include
data from
many families who use relatives rather than
paid
facilities for child care, families with parents who
work at home
and do not require outside child care, as
well as
families who receive a child care subsidy.
The revised
schedule incorporates deductions for
average child
care costs in graduated fashion in
accordance
with the updated data provided by the
consultant.
The commission has determined that these
amounts are
more reliable than the estimates on which
the 1999
schedule adjustments were based.
(5)
Orders beyond
majority
The
commission has eliminated potential ambiguity
in the
definition of “child” in the regulations by deleting
the word
“unemancipated”. The definition formerly
applied to
“an unemancipated individual whose parents
have a duty
to provide support…” By removing the
word
“unemancipated” from the definition, the
commission
intends to eliminate any inconsistency with
provisions in
Public Act No. 04-100 that expand support
liability
under various support order statutes to parents
of unmarried
high school students under the age of
nineteen, who
could be considered emancipated for
some
purposes. Such liability already existed for parents
subject to a
decree of dissolution of marriage, legal
separation or
annulment, under section 46b-84(b) of the
Connecticut
General Statutes.
(6)
Supplemental
orders
The
commission found that sometimes when a
support order
is being set the parties have knowledge of
an
anticipated future lump sum payment of an unknown
amount, such
as a bonus. While the expected amount
may be
substantial, the indeterminate nature of such
payment
precludes its inclusion in the gross income of
the parent
expected to receive it. In such cases, the
commission
has determined that the most practical way
of
considering the payment for purposes of establishing
an
appropriate amount of support is to treat the payment
separately
from the basic current support order, which is
to be paid
periodically.
Under the
approach adopted by the commission,
when the
order is entered, the parties agree or the court
orders that a
percentage of the future lump sum payment
shall be
obligated as support upon receipt of the
payment. Such
percentage is to be generally consistent
with the
guidelines schedule. This approach maintains
the integrity
of the current support calculation method,
since it does
not attempt to include indeterminate or
speculative
amounts in a parent’s gross income. It also
saves the
parties from returning to court to modify the
support order
to account for receipt of the payment.
The
commission does not intend that this provision
shall apply
in every case. In fact, it views the provision
as the
exception rather than the rule, applicable in the
limited
circumstances specified in the regulation. The
regulation
still clearly provides that the primary element
of a current
support order is a specific dollar amount,
which is
payable periodically, such as weekly or
monthly. If
the amount of the future lump sum payment
is reasonably
ascertainable, it should be included in
gross income,
subject to the normal current support
calculation
procedures, and not addressed under this
provision.
(h)
Income
determination
The
regulations continue to use the parents’ net
income,
defined as gross income minus allowable
deductions,
as a basis for calculating the child support
obligation.
This subsection describes and explains the
principle
changes to the gross income inclusions and
exclusions,
and the allowable deductions, included in the
new
guidelines.
(1)
Gross income
(A)
Inclusions
Users of the
guidelines should note that gross income
includes all
kinds of earned and unearned income not
specifically
excluded. The list of inclusions is illustrative
and not
exhaustive.
(i)
Overtime and additional
employment
The
commission determined that inclusion of at least
some parental
income earned for hours worked in excess
of 40 per
week is justified by the principle that children
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should share
equitably in the income of their parents.
The
commission finds it fair and appropriate, however,
to prescribe
some limitation on the number of hours to
be
included.
The 1999
guidelines had established 52 total paid
hours per
week for regular, overtime, and additional
employment as
the maximum to enter into the calculation
of gross
income for child support purposes.
Subsequent to
promulgation of the 1999 guidelines,
however, the
Connecticut General Assembly enacted
section 32 of
Public Act No. 99-279 (now codified as
section
46b-215d of the Connecticut General Statutes),
which
provides that “in cases in which an obligor is an
hourly wage
earner and has worked less than forty-five
hours per
week at the time of the establishment of the
support
order, any additional income earned from
working more
than forty-five hours per week shall not be
considered
income for purposes of such guidelines.”
The
commission determined that the inconsistency of the
guidelines
with this legislation caused confusion, and
made the
guidelines more difficult to administer.
The
commission accordingly reduced to 45 hours the
limitation on
wages to be considered as gross income. In
conjunction
with this change, the commission also
adopted a new
deviation criterion (discussed more fully
in the
deviation criteria subsection of this preamble) to
address those
cases in which application of the lower
hourly wage
limit might result in an inappropriate or
inequitable
order, in view of a parent’s earnings history
and
prospects.
(ii)
Additional gross income
inclusions
The
commission added the following items as gross
income
inclusions to reflect more fully its intent to
provide as
comprehensive a list as possible of the types
of income
that should typically be considered. The
commission
notes, however, that unlisted items are not
thereby
excluded from gross income unless they are
listed as
exclusions in the regulation. The additional
items
are:
• tribal stipends and incentives,
and
• adoption subsidy benefits received by
the custodial
parent for
the child whose support is being
determined.
(iii)Clarifications
The
commission made some language changes to
clarify two
of the gross income inclusions, as follows:
• The social security benefits inclusion
now specifically
excludes
Supplemental Security Income for a parent
or a
child.
• The education grant inclusion now is
limited specifically
to the extent
taxable as income under the Internal
Revenue
Code.
(B)
Exclusions
The
commission added one item to the gross income
exclusions.
Supplemental Security Income payments
received on
behalf of a child living in the home of the
parent whose
income is being determined now are
specifically
excluded from gross income.
(C)
Other items
Except as
noted elsewhere in the discussion of gross
income, the
present commission expressly endorses the
income
provisions adopted by the 1999 commission. In
particular,
and without limitation, it continues the
inclusion
of:
• social security dependency benefits for
a child on the
earnings
record of an insured parent; and
• gifts, prizes, and lottery and gambling
winnings.
The
commission also specifically continues the
exclusion
from gross income of the income and regularly
recurring
contributions or gifts of a spouse or domestic
partner,
recognizing that the existing deviation criterion
for such
contributions or gifts remains adequate to
address cases
in which the existence of such resources
justifies a
deviation from presumptive support amounts.
(2)
Allowable
deductions
(A)
In general
The
commission continues to regard the combined
net income of
both parents as the fairest measure on
which to base
the child support obligation. Since the
deductions
used to calculate net income are limited to
those
specifically enumerated in the regulation, the
commission
was careful to consider all potential
deductions
with a view toward enhancing equity for the
parents while
protecting the income base available for
the support
of children. As a result of this review, the
commission
retained many allowable deductions
unchanged
from the 1999 guidelines, added three, and
limited or
expanded two others. A summary and
explanation
of the commission’s actions concerning
allowable
deductions follows.
(B)
Taxes
The
commission continues unchanged in these regulations
the allowable
deductions for income, social
security and
medicare taxes.
(C)
Health insurance
premiums
The 1999
guidelines allowed parents to deduct health
insurance
premiums for themselves and their legal
dependents,
but not for the child whose support is being
determined.
The child’s portion was not deducted
because the
child’s portion of the health insurance
premium was
added to the basic obligation and
apportioned
between the parents in proportion to their
respective
net incomes.
The
commission determined that this method of
handling a
child’s health insurance costs, while
reasonable,
unduly complicated the child support
determination. First, it required a determination of the
portion of a
parent’s total health insurance premium
attributable
to the child. This determination was not
always
straightforward, as health insurance plans rarely
identify
amounts attributable to individual family
- xi -
members
beyond the primary subscriber. Second, it
required a
complex adjustment to the basic support
obligation,
which was not self-evident and frequently led
to confusion
and uncertainty on the part of parents and
practitioners
alike. In an effort to simplify application of
the
guidelines by parents and practitioners, and to make
them more
understandable to less frequent users, the
commission
determined that a return to the approach
followed in
Connecticut’s pre-1994 guidelines was
warranted.
Under this approach, the cost of the child’s
portion of
any health insurance premiums paid by a
parent are no
longer added to the basic obligation and
apportioned
between the parents. Instead, both parents
are allowed
to deduct from their gross income the full
amount of any
health insurance premiums paid by them
for
themselves and all of their legal dependents,
including the
child whose support is being determined.
The
commission also expanded the deduction to include
Husky Plan
contributions.
(D)
Additional allowable
deductions
The
commission added the following allowable
deductions in
the interests of equity, in recognition that
the amounts
deducted are not subject to the parent’s
discretion
and consequently are not available for the
payment of
support. The additional deductions are:
• court-ordered life insurance for the
benefit of the child
whose support
is being determined,
• court-ordered disability insurance,
and
• the cost of mandatory uniforms and
tools, to the extent
deducted by
the employer.
(E)
Union dues
The
commission limited the existing deduction for
union dues
and fees to amounts actually deducted by the
employer.
(F)
Other alimony and child
support awards
The
commission has retained the allowable deduction
for
court-ordered alimony and child support awards
unchanged
from the 1999 guidelines. In particular, it
continues the
policy of limiting the deduction to the
extent of
payment on non-arrearage amounts. The
disallowance
of arrearage payments as a deduction helps
to ensure
that a child who is the subject of a subsequent
support order
is not deprived of an appropriate level of
support due
to a parent’s non-payment of a prior support
order.
The
commission recognizes that limiting this
deduction to
actual payments can be interpreted as a
failure to
give full effect to an existing court order. Such
interpretation relies on at least two principles: one, that
a
valid court
order should be presumed to be paid as
ordered in
deference to judicial authority; and two, that
unpaid orders
remain subject to enforcement and future
collection.
The commission finds that the interest of the
child in
receiving an appropriate level of support based
on the actual
disposable income of the parents outweighs
these
concerns. This determination rests on the
commission’s
reluctance to reward a parent who neglects
to pay a
pre-existing child support obligation with a
reduced
obligation for the child whose support order is
now being
established. That being said, however, the
commission
specifically intends that the downward
modification
remedy be available in appropriate
circumstances, subject to applicable state law, to
obligors who
are faced with an inflated order because
they failed
to make payments on another pre-existing
order.
Finally, the
commission considered fully but rejected
amendment of
this deduction to include alimony
amounts
payable to the other parent involved in the
support
determination and to limit the deduction only to
ordered child
support amounts that are consistent with
the
guidelines, where the actual order differs from such
amount
because the parties to a pre-existing order
stipulated to
an amount higher than that prescribed by
the
guidelines.
(G)
Imputed obligation for
qualified child
The
commission continues unchanged from the 1999
guidelines
the deduction from gross income in the
amount of an
imputed support obligation for a qualified
child. A
qualified child is defined as one other than the
subject of
the support determination, who resides with
the parent,
is dependent on the parent for support, and
for whom the
parent has not claimed a deduction for
court-ordered
support payments. A parent may claim the
deduction in
the context of an initial support determination
or
when defending
against a proposed
modification.
A parent
cannot claim the deduction when seeking a
modification
of an existing child support award.
(i)
Arrearage
guidelines
Section
46b-215a of the Connecticut General Statutes
requires the
development of guidelines for orders of
payment on
arrearages. Such guidelines are to be based
on the
obligor's ability to pay. The commission interprets
the statute
to apply only to the determination of periodic
payments, and
so does not address in the regulations the
determination
of lump sum payments, which determination
remains
subject to the discretion of the judge or
family
support magistrate. The commission found that
there was
uncertainty in the legal community regarding
the
applicability of the deviation criteria to the determination
of periodic
payments on arrearages, and therefore
added
language at the beginning of the section to clarify
that the
deviation criteria are intended to apply to such
determinations. This subsection of the preamble explains
the
commission's rationale for several aspects of the
arrearage
guidelines.
(1)
Simplicity
The
commission believes that the arrearage guidelines
should be
fairly simple to understand and apply,
and
accordingly continues to base the arrearage payment
on a
percentage of the current support order.
(2)
Percentage of current
support
The
commission determined that twenty percent
(20%) of the
current support order continues to be a
reasonable
percentage to apply toward the reduction of
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accumulated
child support arrearages in most cases. It
has
accordingly retained this percentage as the general
rule, subject
to the limitation described in subdivision (4)
in this
subsection of the preamble.
(3)
Arrearage payment when
there is no current
support
order
When there is
no current support order, a current
support
obligation is imputed for the child for whom the
arrearage is
owed, and the arrearage payment is established
as a
percentage of that imputed obligation. The
applicable
percentage is:
(A) twenty
percent if the child for whom the
arrearage is
owed is an unemancipated minor, and
(B) fifty
percent if the child for whom the arrearage
is owed is
deceased, emancipated, or over age eighteen.
The twenty
percent amount was selected to be consistent
with the
general rule on the grounds that in the
absence of a
current support order, the obligor is either
supporting
the child or would be obligated to do so under
state law.
The fifty percent amount was selected
because in
the situations described, the obligor’s current
support
obligation will have ceased, so that the ability to
repay an
arrearage is enhanced.
(4)
Limitation on amount of
arrearage payment
Basing the
arrearage payment on the current support
order
automatically introduces a test of the obligor's
ability to
pay. Nonetheless, the commission recognizes
that further
protection is required to assist obligors in
meeting their
own self-support needs. It has accordingly
retained in
these regulations the provision whereby no
more than 55%
of an obligor's net income may be taken
for the total
of all current support and arrearage
payments.
(5)
Special rule for
low-income obligors
The arrearage
guidelines provide for a weekly
arrearage
payment for low-income obligors equal to the
greater of
ten percent (10%) of the weekly current
support
order, or one dollar ($1) per week. The lower
percentage
than that of the general rule is intended to
assist such
obligors in meeting their own self-support
needs while
at the same time conveying the important
message of
the primacy of child support obligations.
(6)
Arrearages owed to the
state and a custodial
parent
The
commission has retained the provision for a
single
arrearage payment order under which payments
are to be
distributed in accordance with federal
requirements.
As under the 1999 guidelines, the order is
to be payable
to the custodial parent until such parent’s
arrearage is
satisfied, and then to the state.
(7)
Special treatment for
obligor living with child
The
authorizing statute calls for special consideration
where the
obligor lives with the child when the arrearage
order is
entered. Accordingly, the commission continues
the
requirement for only a minimal weekly payment of
one dollar
($1) where such obligor's gross income does
not exceed
250% of the poverty guideline for the
obligor's
household size. Where the obligor's income
exceeds this
amount, the guidelines require a payment of
20% of the
imputed support obligation.
(j)
Deviation
criteria
(1)
In general
The
commission determined that the deviation
criteria are
generally working well, and that minimal
changes to
the regulation were needed. It also found,
however, that
some clarification was required, and that
the addition
of three new criteria was warranted.
The
commission recognizes that keeping the
deviation
criteria to a minimum serves the stated
guidelines
purpose of ensuring consistency and
promoting
settlements. It also finds, however, that due
regard to the
best interests of the child, as well as
fairness to
the parents, requires a description of the
specific
circumstances in which the presumptive support
amounts may
be inappropriate or unjust. The
commission
considered case data reported from the
automated
system maintained by the state’s Title IV-D
child support
agency in arriving at the regulatory
amendments.
(2)
Applicability
The
commission added language in the introduction
and
throughout the section to clarify its intent to restrict
the
application of the deviation criteria to the specific
circumstances
stated in the lettered subparagraphs listed
under the six
category headings. For example, under the
second
heading “extraordinary expenses for care and
maintenance
of the child,” education expenses, unreimbursable
medical
expenses, and expenses for special
needs are
listed as the criteria for deviation. Under the
revised
regulations, these three listed criteria, and no
others, may
warrant deviation under the category
“extraordinary expenses for care and maintenance of the
child.” There
may be other extraordinary expenses for
care and
maintenance of the child, but unless such
expenses can
be characterized fairly as falling under one
of the three
specific listed criteria, they should not be
found to
warrant a deviation from presumptive support
amounts.
Similarly,
while acknowledging that agreements of
the parties
to a child support determination should carry
some weight
in setting appropriate support amounts, the
commission
included language in the section introduction
that is
intended to ensure that the best interests of
the child and
an adherence to guidelines principles is
embodied in
such agreements. The new language
permits
agreements to set support amounts that deviate
from the
presumptive amounts, but requires that such
agreements
cite specific deviation criteria and factual
bases to
justify any variance.
Finally, as
noted in the discussion of the arrearage
guidelines,
the commission added language at the
beginning of
that section of the regulations to clarify that
the deviation
criteria are intended to apply to the
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-
determination
of periodic payments on child support
arrearages.
(3)
New criteria
(A)
Weekly wages between 45
and 52 hours
This new
criterion is associated with the commission’s
reduction of
the limit on hourly wages to be
included in
gross income from 52 hours, as existed in the
1999
guidelines, to 45 hours. The commission changed
the hourly
wage standard to be consistent with section
46b-215d of
the general statutes, which the Connecticut
legislature
enacted subsequent to the completion of the
1999
commission’s activities. The commission intends
this new
criterion to be available for those cases in
which
application of the new hourly wage limit would
result in an
inappropriate or inequitable order, in view of
a parent’s
earnings history and prospects. The deviation
only applies
when it is in the best interests of the child,
and it cannot
be used in a modification context if the
obligor
worked 45 hours or less when the order was set.
(B)
Child care expenses for a
qualified child
The
commission added a deviation criterion for the
child care
expenses of a qualified child to address the
concern that
the required child care contribution, as a
component of
the child support award in addition to
current
support, might unduly impact a parent’s ability to
pay child
care for other children living with such parent.
The deviation
can be used only to reduce the presumptive
child care
contribution, not current support, and it
applies only
if such other children satisfy the definition
of “qualified
child.” The commission also limited the
deviation to
cases in which an initial child support award
is being set
or a parent is defending against a proposed
modification
of an existing child care contribution, to be
consistent
with the qualified child deduction.
(C)
Extraordinary disparity in
parental income
This new
criterion is associated with the elimination
of the white
italics from the darker shaded area of the
schedule. The
white italics in the 1999 guidelines had
indicated
those income levels at which the diminished
basic
obligation of a low-income obligor might be
reduced even
more by consideration of the custodial
parent’s
income. The commission removed the white
italics to
simplify the guidelines, in view of the small
number of
cases in which the custodial parent’s income
was high
enough to make a difference in the amount of
the
low-income obligor’s basic obligation. The new
criterion is
intended to provide a vehicle for addressing
the small
number of cases affected by this change. The
commission
also recognizes that there may be other
circumstances
in which application of the criterion may
be
warranted.
(4)
Shared physical
custody
The
commission considered at length the deviation
for shared
physical custody, and concluded that it should
remain
unchanged from the 1999 guidelines.
In accordance
with the amended definition, a finding
of shared
physical custody should be made only where
each parent
exercises physical care and control of the
child for
periods substantially in excess of a normal
visitation
schedule. The commission deems a normal
visitation
schedule typically to consist of two overnights
on alternate
weekends; alternate holidays; some vacation
time; and
other visits of short duration, which may
occasion an
overnight stay during the week. While
periods in
excess of a normal visitation schedule are
required for
a finding of shared physical custody, the
commission
emphasizes that an equal time-sharing is not
required for
such finding. Courts and other officials still
must
determine what precise level of sharing is sufficient
to warrant a
deviation from presumptive support
amounts. The
commission continues to reject a “brightline”
definitional
test as well as a formula approach to
shared
custody situations to discourage disputes over
time-sharing
as a means of affecting support amounts.
The
commission believes the approach continued in
these
regulations leaves sufficient room for the exercise
of judicial
discretion while providing a measure of
predictability for the parties.
(5)
Additional
considerations
The
commission reviewed all of the other existing
deviation
criteria and determined that no substantive
amendments
are warranted at this time. The commission
notes,
however, that the deviation criterion for a parent’s
earning
capacity must now be read in conjunction with
subsection
(b) of section 46b-215b of the Connecticut
General
Statutes, which prohibits application of such
criterion in
certain cases when the parent qualifies for
disability
benefits.
(k)
The guidelines commission
and review process
(1)
Statutory authority and
membership
The
Commission for Child Support Guidelines is
established
under section 46b-215a of the Connecticut
General
Statutes. The commission is charged with
establishing
guidelines to ensure the appropriateness of
child support
awards, and for reviewing and updating
such
guidelines every four years. The commission
consists of
eleven members. The Chief Court
Administrator, the Commissioner of Social Services, the
Attorney
General, and the chairpersons and ranking
members of
the joint standing committee on judiciary all
serve in
their official capacities, and may select
designees to
serve in their place. The Governor appoints
a
representative of the Connecticut Bar Association, a
representative of legal services, a person who
represents
the financial
concerns of child support obligors, and a
representative of the Permanent Commission on the
Status of
Women. The commission elects its own
chairperson
who was, during the most recent review
process,
Patricia A. Wilson-Coker, JD, MSW,
Commissioner
of Social Services.
In addition
to the voting membership, other
representatives of various agencies and court systems
involved in
the child support determination process
participated
regularly in commission meetings, and
staffed the
work of the commission. The commission
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-
gratefully
acknowledges the contributions of these
individuals
to the work of the commission.
(2)
Review process
The
commission held biweekly meetings, which were
open to the
public, beginning October 2002. The
commission
filed a schedule of meetings with the
Secretary of
the State, as required by statute, and kept
detailed
minutes of each meeting. Early in its review
process, the
commission reached out in several directions
in an effort
to gather maximum input on possible
changes to
the guidelines.
The
commission held focus groups of staff from the
Bureau of
Child Support Enforcement of the Department
of Social
Services, Support Enforcement Services of the
Court
Operations Division of the Judicial Branch, and
Assistant
Attorneys General in the Child Support
Department of
the Office of the Attorney General who
offered their
valuable insights on the areas in which the
existing
guidelines were working well, and those in
which
improvement seemed warranted. The commission
then invited
staff representatives of these agencies to
address the
commission and summarize the concerns of
these focus
groups.
The
commission invited representatives of Fatherhood
Initiative
sites throughout the state, as well as a
representative of the Connecticut Women’s Education
and Legal
Fund, to address the commission to present
their
concerns regarding the impact of the existing
guidelines on
the clients they serve. The Connecticut
Bar
Association representative on the commission
surveyed
selected family law attorneys, and compiled a
synopsis of
their responses to various questions on
identified
guidelines issues, which was made available to
the
commission.
The
commission scheduled six public hearings to
receive
comments from the public on how the guidelines
affected
them, and to offer the opportunity to recommend
changes. All
of the public hearings were scheduled
for the month
of January 2003 - five during the
evening, and
one in the afternoon. Notice of the hearings
was published
in the Connecticut Law Journal; a flyer
was posted in
many locations; and the hearings were
publicized
widely in newspapers throughout the state.
Unfortunately, one of the hearings was cancelled due to
a power
outage, and one was not held because no one
attended. In
all, however, the commission received
comments from
39 individuals either at the public
hearings or
in written correspondence following the
hearings.
Somewhat
later in its deliberations, after the commission
had
identified some of the major areas for increased
scrutiny of
potential regulatory revision, the commission
welcomed the
Chief Family Administrative Judge of the
Connecticut
Superior Court to present and discuss with
the
commission his views on selected issues related to
the
guidelines and their implementation in the court
system.
The
commission also hired a nationally recognized
leader in the
field of child support guidelines consulting,
Policy
Studies, Inc., to prepare a new Schedule of Basic
Child
Support Obligations based on updated economic
research, and
to modify the schedule in accordance with
certain
commission determinations, as described in
earlier
sections of this preamble.
Finally, in
addition to the outreach methods described
above, the
commission during its deliberations employed
several more
research and data-gathering techniques,
including but
not limited to: examination of the statistical
records of
the computerized Connecticut Child
Support
Enforcement System relating to the application
of the
guidelines to ensure that deviations from the
guidelines
are limited; survey of other states’ child
support
agencies to determine other possible approaches
to various
guidelines issues; internet research on specific
guidelines-related topics; review of appellate court
decisions
from Connecticut and other states; consideration
of an
appellate brief submitted by an interested
citizen;
reading and summarizing books, articles, and
reports of
various kinds and media covering particular
guidelines
issues; and informal consultation with
members of
the bar, the bench, state legislators, agency
representatives, and interested members of the public
concerning
guidelines issues.
Following the
commission’s information gathering,
deliberations, and development of revised regulations,
including a
new schedule and worksheet, the commission
submitted the
proposed regulatory amendments to
the Office of
the Attorney General for a review of legal
sufficiency,
and to the joint standing Legislative Regulation
Review
Committee for final approval, as required by
section
46b-215c of the general statutes.
(l)
Effective date
The
commission selected an effective date of August
1, 2005 to
provide sufficient time for those who are
involved in
the determination of child support amounts
within the
state to become familiar with the guidelines
prior to
their required implementation.
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CHILD
SUPPORT AND ARREARAGE GUIDELINES REGULATIONS
Section
46b-215a-1. Definitions
As used in
sections 46b-215a-1, 46b-215a-2b, 46b-215a-3, 46b-215a-4a and
46b-215a-5b:
(1)
“Allowable deductions” means average weekly amounts subtracted from
gross income to arrive at net
income, and
are limited to the following:
(A) federal,
state and local income taxes, based upon all allowable exemptions,
deductions and credits;
(B) social
security taxes or, in lieu thereof, mandatory retirement plan
deductions for an amount not to
exceed the
maximum amount permissible under social security;
(C) medicare
tax;
(D) medical,
hospital, dental or health insurance premium payments, including
Husky Plan
contributions, for the parent and his or her legal dependents,
provided the parent provides the name
of the
insurer and the policy number;
(E)
court-ordered life insurance for the benefit of the child whose
support is being determined;
(F)
court-ordered disability insurance;
(G) mandatory
union dues or fees, including initiation, to the extent deducted by
the employer;
(H) the cost
of mandatory uniforms and tools, to the extent deducted by the
employer;
(I)
court-ordered alimony and child support awards for individuals not
involved in the support
determination, provided a deduction for such awards shall be
allowed only to the extent of payment
on any
non-arrearage amounts; and
(J) an
imputed support obligation for a qualified child, as determined in
accordance with section
46b-215a-2b(e) of the Regulations of Connecticut State
Agencies.
(2)
“Arrearage” is synonymous with “past-due support” and means any one
or a combination of the
following:
(A) court
ordered current support or arrearage payments which have become due
and payable and
remain
unpaid;
(B) unpaid
child support award amounts which have been reduced to a judgment
or otherwise found to
be due by a
court of competent jurisdiction, whether or not presently payable;
and
(C) support
due for periods prior to an action to establish a child support
order.
(3) “Child”
means an individual whose parents have a duty to provide support,
and includes “children” where
the context
so requires.
(4) “Child
care costs” means amounts expended for the care and supervision of
a child whose support is
being
determined.
(5) “Child
support and arrearage guidelines” means the rules, principles,
schedule and worksheet established
under
sections 46b-215a-1, 46b-215a-2b, 46b-215a-3, 46b-215a-4a and
46b-215a-5b of the Regulations of
Connecticut
State Agencies for the determination of an appropriate child
support award, to be used when
initially
establishing or modifying both temporary and permanent
orders.
(6) “Child
support award” means the entire payment obligation of the
noncustodial parent, as determined
under the
child support and arrearage guidelines, and includes current
support payments, health care
coverage,
child care contribution and periodic payments on arrearages.
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(7) “Current
support” means an amount for the ongoing support of a child,
exclusive of arrearage payments,
health care
coverage and a child care contribution.
(8)
“Custodial parent” means the parent who provides the child's
primary residence.
(9)
“Dependent” means a spouse or child for whom a parent is legally
responsible under state law.
(10)
“Deviation criteria” means those facts or circumstances specified
in section 46b-215a-3 of the
Regulations
of Connecticut State Agencies, which may justify an order different
from the presumptive
support
amounts.
(11) “Gross
income” means the average weekly earned and unearned income from
all sources before deductions,
including but
not limited to the items listed in subparagraph (A) of this
subdivision, but excluding
the items
listed in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision.
(A)
Inclusions
The gross
income inclusions are:
(i)
salary;
(ii) hourly
wages for regular, overtime and additional employment not to exceed
45 total paid
hours per
week;
(iii)
commissions, bonuses and tips;
(iv) profit
sharing, deferred compensation and severance pay;
(v) tribal
stipends and incentives;
(vi)
employment perquisites and in-kind compensation (any basic
maintenance or special need
such as food,
shelter or transportation provided on a recurrent basis in lieu of
or in addition
to salary or
wages);
(vii)
military personnel fringe benefit payments;
(viii)
benefits received in place of earned income including, but not
limited to, workers’
compensation
benefits, unemployment insurance benefits, strike pay and
disability insurance
benefits;
(ix)
veterans’ benefits;
(x) social
security benefits (excluding Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for
a parent or a
child),
including dependency benefits on the earnings record of an insured
parent that are
paid on
behalf of a child whose support is being determined;
(xi) net
proceeds from contractual agreements;
(xii) pension
and retirement income;
(xiii) rental
income after deduction of reasonable and necessary expenses;
(xiv) estate
or trust income;
(xv)
royalties;
(xvi)
interest, dividends and annuities;
(xvii)
self-employment earnings, after deduction of all reasonable and
necessary business
expenses;
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(xviii)
alimony being paid by an individual who is not a party to the
support determination;
(xix)
adoption subsidy benefits received by the custodial parent for the
child whose support is
being
determined;
(xx) lottery
and gambling winnings, prizes and regularly recurring gifts (except
as provided in
subparagraph
(B)(v) of this subdivision); and
(xxi)
education grants (including fellowships or subsidies, to the extent
taxable as income under
the Internal
Revenue Code).
(B)
Exclusions
The gross
income exclusions are:
(i) support
received on behalf of a child who is living in the home of the
parent whose income is
being
determined;
(ii) SSI
payments, including those received on behalf of a child who is
living in the home of the
parent whose
income is being determined;
(iii)
federal, state and local public assistance grants;
(iv) earned
income tax credit; and
(v) the
income and regularly recurring contributions or gifts of a spouse
or domestic partner.
(12) “Health
care coverage” means any provision of the child support award that
addresses the child’s medical
or dental
needs, and includes an order for either parent to:
(A) provide
medical or dental insurance for such child, or
(B) pay all
or a part of such child’s medical and dental expenses that are not
covered by insurance or
reimbursed in
any other manner.
(13) “Husky
Plan” means the plan to provide health care for uninsured children
established under sections
17b-289 to
17b-303, inclusive, of the Connecticut General Statutes and section
16 of Public Act 97-1 of
the October
29 Special Session, and includes:
(A) the Husky
Plan, Part A (also known as Medicaid) for children receiving
assistance under section
17b-261 of
the Connecticut General Statutes; and
(B) the Husky
Plan, Part B for children receiving assistance under sections
17b-289 to 17b-303,
inclusive, of
the Connecticut General Statutes and section 16 of Public Act 97-1
of the October 29
Special
Session.
(14) “Imputed
support obligation” means a theoretical current support obligation
computed for given children
in accordance
with section 46b-215a-2b of the Regulations of Connecticut State
Agencies, the amount of
which
obligation is used to determine the allowable deduction for a
qualified child under subsection (e) of
said section
and to calculate arrearage payments under section 46b-215a-4a of
the Regulations of
Connecticut
State Agencies.
(15)
“Low-income obligor” means an obligor whose basic child support
obligation is determined without
considering
the other parent's income, using the darker shaded area of the
schedule.
(16) “Net
disposable income” means:
(A) with
reference to the custodial parent, except as provided in
subparagraph (C) of this subdivision,
the custodial
parent’s net income increased by the sum of:
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(i) the
recommended current support order,
(ii) eighty
percent of the weekly amount of any alimony paid by the
noncustodial parent to the
custodial
parent, and
(iii) the
amount of any social security dependency benefits on the earnings
record of the
noncustodial
parent that are paid on behalf of the child whose support is being
determined; and
(B) with
reference to the noncustodial parent, except as provided in
subparagraph (C) of this subdivision,
the
noncustodial parent’s net income reduced by the sum of:
(i) the
recommended current support order,
(ii) eighty
percent of the weekly amount of any alimony paid by the
noncustodial parent to the
custodial
parent, and
(iii) the
amount of any social security dependency benefits on the earnings
record of the
noncustodial
parent that are paid on behalf of the child whose support is being
determined.
(C)
Notwithstanding subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subdivision, if
the custodial parent pays alimony
to the
noncustodial parent, eighty percent of the weekly amount of such
alimony is:
(i)
subtracted from the custodial parent’s net income to calculate the
custodial parent’s net
disposable
income, and
(ii) added to
the noncustodial parent’s net income to calculate the noncustodial
parent’s net
disposable
income.
(17) “Net
income” means gross income minus allowable deductions.
(18)
“Noncustodial parent” means a parent who does not provide the
child's primary residence.
(19)
“Obligor” means a parent who is ordered to make payments under a
child support award.
(20)
“Presumptive support amounts” means the child support award
components calculated under sections
46b-215a-2b
and 46b-215a-4a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies,
prior to consideration of
the deviation
criteria specified in section 46b-215a-3 of the Regulations of
Connecticut State Agencies.
(21)
“Schedule” means the Connecticut Child Support Guidelines Schedule of Basic Child
Support
Obligations included in section 46b-215a-2b of the Regulations of
Connecticut State Agencies.
(22) “Shared
physical custody” means a situation in which each parent exercises
physical care and control of
the child for
periods substantially in excess of a normal visitation schedule. An
equal sharing of physical
care and
control of the child is not required for a finding of shared
physical custody.
(23) “Split
custody” means a situation in which there is more than one child in
common and each parent is the
custodial
parent of at least one of the children.
(24) “Title
IV-D” means the provisions of the federal Social Security Act,
which require states to implement a
child support
enforcement program.
(25)
“Worksheet” means form CCSG-1, Worksheet for the Connecticut Child
Support and Arrearage
Guidelines,
which is intended for use with all applicable instructions in
sections 46b-215a-2b and
46b-215a-4a
of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. The worksheet is
included in section
46b-215a-5b
of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
- 5 -
Section
46b-215a-2b. Child support guidelines
(a)
Applicability
(1) Award
components
This section
shall be used to determine the current support, health care
coverage and child care
contribution
components of all child support awards within the state, subject to
section 46b-215a-3
of the
Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(2) Income
scope
When the
parents' combined net weekly income exceeds $4,000, child support
awards shall be
determined on
a case-by-case basis, and the current support prescribed at the
$4,000 net weekly
income level
shall be the minimum presumptive amount.
(b)
Using the
worksheet
The line
references throughout this section are to the worksheet set forth
in section 46b-215a-5b of the
Regulations
of Connecticut State Agencies. Use one worksheet in most cases.
When there is a third party
custodian and
either parent is a low-income obligor (as determined in subsection
(c)(3)(A) of this section),
complete a
separate worksheet for each parent. Enter on the worksheet only
weekly amounts, which may
be rounded to
the nearest dollar.
(c)
Determining the amount of
current support
The
procedures in this subsection shall be used, subject to subsections
(d) and (e) of this section, to
determine the
current support component of the child support award.
(1) Order
requirements
(A) Specific
dollar amount
The current
support order shall include a specific dollar amount of support as
a primary
element, to
be payable on a recurring basis.
(B)
Indeterminate amounts
The primary
requirement of a specific dollar amount of current support shall
not preclude the
entry of a
supplemental order, in appropriate cases, to pay a percentage of a
future lump sum
payment, such
as a bonus. Such supplemental orders may be entered only
when:
(i) such
payment is of an indeterminate amount; and
(ii) the
percentage is generally consistent with the schedule in subsection
(f) of this section.
(2) Determine
the net weekly income of each parent
Follow the
instructions in this subdivision to determine the net weekly income
of each parent.
(A) Enter the
parent’s gross income on line 1, and indicate the number of work
hours, to a
maximum of
forty-five, used to determine the gross income.
- 6 -
(B) Enter the
parent’s federal income tax, based on all allowable exemptions,
deductions and
credits, on
line 2.
(C) Enter the
parent’s social security tax or, in lieu thereof, mandatory
retirement plan deduction,
not to exceed
the maximum amount permissible under social security, on line
3.
(D) Enter the
parent’s medicare tax on line 4.
(E) Enter the
parent’s state and local income tax, based on all allowable
exemptions, deductions
and credits,
on line 5.
(F) Enter the
parent’s medical, hospital, dental or health insurance premium
payments, including
any Husky
Plan contributions, for the parent and his or her legal dependents,
including the
child whose
support is being determined, on line 6.
(G) Enter the
parent’s payments on court-ordered life insurance for the benefit
of the child whose
support is
being determined on line 7.
(H) Enter the
parent’s payments on court-ordered disability insurance on line
8.
(I) Enter the
parent’s mandatory union dues or fees, including initiation, to the
extent deducted by
the employer,
on line 9.
(J) Enter the
parent’s cost of mandatory uniforms and tools, to the extent
deducted by the
employer, on
line 10.
(K) Enter the
amount of the parent’s court-ordered alimony and child support
payments for
individuals
not involved in the support determination on line 11. Do not
include arrearage
payments in
this amount.
(L) If the
parent is entitled to a qualified child deduction in accordance
with subsection (e) of this
section,
compute an imputed support obligation for the parent’s qualified
child, following the
procedures in
subdivision (2) of such subsection, and enter the amount on line
12.
(M) Add the
amounts entered on lines 2-12 for each parent and enter the sum on
line 13 for each
parent.
(N) Subtract
each parent’s line 13 amount from the parent’s line 1 amount and
enter the result on
line 14 for
each parent. The line 14 amount for each parent is that parent’s
net weekly income.
(3) Determine
the basic child support obligation
Follow the
instructions below in the order presented to determine the basic
child support obligation
using
the Schedule of
Basic Child Support Obligations found in subsection (f) of this
section.
(A) Find the
block in the schedule that corresponds to the income level of the
noncustodial parent
(rounded to
the nearest ten dollars) and the number of children whose support
is being
determined.
(i) If this
block is in the darker shaded area of the schedule, the
noncustodial parent is a lowincome
obligor. The
dollar amount shown in the block is the noncustodial parent's
basic
child support
obligation. Enter this amount on line 16 and proceed to subdivision
(4) of
this
subsection.
- 7 -
(ii) If this
block is not in the darker shaded area of the schedule, the
noncustodial parent is
not a
low-income obligor. Proceed to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision
to determine
the basic
child support obligation.
(B) Add the
line 14 amounts for each parent. The result is the combined net
weekly income.
Round this
amount to the nearest ten dollars and enter on line 15. Find the
block in the
schedule that
corresponds to the line 15 amount and the number of children whose
support is
being
determined.
The dollar
amount shown in this block is the basic child support obligation of
both parents for
the support
of all children. Enter this amount on line 16 and proceed to
subdivision (4) of this
subsection.
(4) Determine
each parent's share of the basic child support obligation
Except as
provided in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, each parent's
share of the basic child
support
obligation is determined by calculating each parent's share of the
combined net weekly
income, as
entered on line 15, and multiplying the result for each parent by
the basic child support
obligation.
(A) In the
case of a low-income obligor, skip line 17, enter the line 16
amount in the noncustodial
parent's
column on line 18 and proceed to subdivision (5) of this
subsection.
(B) Determine
each parent's percentage share of the combined net weekly income by
dividing the
line 14
amount for each parent by the line 15 amount and multiplying by one
hundred percent.
Enter the
result (rounded to the nearest whole percentage) for each parent on
line 17.
(C) Multiply
the line 17 amount for each parent by the line 16 amount. Enter the
result for each
parent on
line 18. These amounts are each parent's share of the basic child
support obligation.
(5) Adjust
for social security benefits
Enter on line
19 in the noncustodial parent's column the weekly amount of any
social security
dependency
benefits on the earnings record of such parent that are paid on
behalf of the child whose
support is
being determined.
(6) Determine
the presumptive current support amount
The
presumptive current support amount for each parent is equal to that
parent’s share of the basic
child support
obligation, except where there is an adjustment for social security
dependency benefits
in accordance
with subdivision (5) of this subsection.
(A) If there
is no entry on line 19 in the noncustodial parent's column, enter
each parent’s line 18
amount,
rounded to the nearest dollar, on line 20 in the appropriate
column. Also enter the
noncustodial
parent’s line 20 amount in the appropriate space on line 34.
(B) If there
is an entry on line 19 in the noncustodial parent's column,
subtract the line 19 amount
from the
noncustodial parent’s line 18 amount and enter the result, rounded
to the nearest
dollar, on
line 20 in the noncustodial parent's column and in the appropriate
space on line 34.
Then enter
the custodial parent’s line 18 amount, rounded to the nearest
dollar, on line 20 in
the custodial
parent's column.
- 8 -
(7) Determine
the recommended current support order
The
recommended current support order shall equal the presumptive
current support amount for the
noncustodial
parent unless a deviation criterion, as specified in section
46b-215a-3 of the
Regulations
of Connecticut State Agencies, applies.
(A) If a
deviation criterion applies, complete section VII of the worksheet,
checking all boxes that
apply, and
attach an additional sheet if necessary to explain the deviation.
Enter the
recommended
weekly current support order on line 34.
(B) The line
20 amount for the custodial parent is retained by the custodial
parent and is presumed
spent on the
children. The presumptive support amount for the custodial parent
is not
established
as an order and is not entered on line 34.
(d)
Determining the amount of
current support in split custody situations
In a split
custody situation, as defined in section 46b-215a-1(23) of the
Regulations of Connecticut State
Agencies, a
single support obligation is calculated by offsetting theoretical
presumptive current support
amounts for
each parent as follows.
(1) Determine
the presumptive current support amount that the father would owe to
the mother for the
children in
her custody as if those children were the only children of the
parties, following all
applicable
procedures in subsection (c) of this section.
(2) Determine
the presumptive current support amount that the mother would owe to
the father for the
children in
his custody as if those children were the only children of the
parties, following all
applicable
procedures in subsection (c) of this section.
(3) Subtract
the lesser amount from the greater, as determined in subdivisions
(1) and (2) of this
subsection.
(4) The
recommended current support order shall equal the amount calculated
in subdivision (3) of this
subsection
unless a deviation criterion, as specified in section 46b-215a-3 of
the Regulations of
Connecticut
State Agencies, applies. Such order shall be payable by the parent
whose presumptive
current
support amount, as determined in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this
subsection, is greater. If a
deviation
criterion applies, complete section VII of the worksheet, checking
all boxes that apply, and
attach an
additional sheet if necessary to explain the deviation. Enter the
recommended weekly
current
support order on line 34.
(e)
Determining the amount of
current support when another child resides with a parent
(1)
Applicability
This
subsection shall be used to determine the amount of current support
only under the
circumstances
described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subdivision.
(A) Qualified
child
Either parent
claims a qualified child. A qualified child is one:
(i) who is
currently living in the same household with the parent, if such
parent is the child’s
legal
guardian, or, if such parent is not the child’s legal guardian, has
lived in the same
- 9 -
household
with such parent for at least the six months immediately preceding
the support
determination
or six of the twelve months immediately preceding such
determination;
(ii) who is a
dependent of the parent;
(iii) who is
not a subject of the support determination; and
(iv) for whom
the parent has not claimed a deduction under section
46b-215a-1(1)(I) of the
Regulations
of Connecticut State Agencies.
(B) Initial
award or defense to modification
An initial
child support award is being established, or a parent is defending
against a proposed
modification
of an existing child support award.
(2)
Procedure
When this
subsection applies, determine the amount of current support by
following the procedures
in this
subdivision.
(A) Determine
current support amount for all children
(i) Enter on
line 12a for the parent claiming a qualified child the sum of lines
2-11 for such
parent.
(ii) Subtract
the parent’s line 12a amount from the parent’s line 1 amount and
enter the result
on line 12b
for such parent.
(iii) Refer
to the schedule to determine a single theoretical presumptive
current support
amount for
the number of children consisting of the child whose support is
being
determined
and the qualified child. For the purpose of this determination,
deem the gross
income of the
other parent of each such child to be zero. Enter the schedule
amount on
line 12c for
the claiming parent.
(B) Determine
imputed support obligation for qualified child
Divide the
amount entered on line 12c by the number of children used in
determining such
amount, and
enter the result on line 12d for the claiming parent. Multiply the
amount entered
on line 12d
by the number of the claiming parent’s qualified children, and
enter the product on
line 12 for
the claiming parent. The line 12 amount is the imputed support
obligation for the
qualified
child.
(C) Determine
current support for subject child
Continue
following the remaining procedures in subsection (c) of this
section to determine the
amount of
current support for the subject child, using the imputed support
obligation for the
qualified
child as a deduction from the gross income of the claiming
parent.
(f)
Schedule of basic child
support obligations
Following is
the schedule to be used for determining the basic child support
obligation in accordance with
subsection
(c) of this section. Note that all obligation money amounts have
been rounded to the nearest
dollar in
this schedule.
- 10 -
CONNECTICUT CHILD
SUPPORT GUIDELINES
SCHEDULE OF BASIC
CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS
NOTE: Noncustodial
parent income only for the darker shaded areas of the schedule on
the first
page; combined
parental income for the remainder of the schedule.
1 Child 2 Children 3
Children 4 Children 5 Children 6 Children
Combined
Net
Weekly
Income
% $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $
50 10.00% 5 10.40% 5
10.80% 5 11.20% 6 11.60% 6 12.00% 6
60 10.00% 6 10.54% 6
11.08% 7 11.62% 7 12.16% 7 12.70% 8
70 10.00% 7 10.68% 7
11.36% 8 12.04% 8 12.72% 9 13.40% 9
80 10.00% 8 10.82% 9
11.64% 9 12.46% 10 13.28% 11 14.10% 11
90 10.00% 9 10.96% 10
11.92% 11 12.88% 12 13.84% 12 14.80% 13
100 10.00% 10 11.10% 11
12.20% 12 13.30% 13 14.40% 14 15.50% 16
110 10.00% 11 11.24% 12
12.48% 14 13.72% 15 14.96% 16 16.20% 18
120 10.00% 12 11.38% 14
12.76% 15 14.14% 17 15.52% 19 16.90% 20
130 10.00% 13 11.52% 15
13.04% 17 14.56% 19 16.08% 21 17.60% 23
140 10.00% 14 11.66% 16
13.32% 19 14.98% 21 16.64% 23 18.30% 26
150 10.00% 15 11.80% 18
13.60% 20 15.40% 23 17.20% 26 19.00% 29
160 10.00% 16 14.62% 23
16.78% 27 18.70% 30 20.57% 33 22.46% 36
170 12.29% 21 17.10% 29
19.59% 33 21.62% 37 23.55% 40 25.50% 43
180 14.32% 26 19.31% 35
22.08% 40 24.21% 44 26.19% 47 28.21% 51
190 16.14% 31 21.29% 40
24.32% 46 26.53% 50 28.56% 54 30.64% 58
200 17.78% 36 23.07% 46
26.33% 53 28.62% 57 30.69% 61 32.82% 66
210 19.26% 40 24.68% 52
28.14% 59 30.50% 64 32.62% 68 34.80% 73
220 20.61% 45 26.14% 58
29.80% 66 32.22% 71 34.37% 76 36.59% 81
230 21.84% 50 27.48% 63
31.30% 72 33.79% 78 35.97% 83 38.23% 88
240 22.96% 55 28.70% 69
32.69% 78 35.22% 85 37.43% 90 39.73% 95
250 24.00% 60 29.83% 75
33.96% 85 36.54% 91 38.78% 97 41.11% 103
260 25.51% 66 30.87% 80
35.13% 91 37.76% 98 40.03% 104 42.39% 110
270 25.49% 69 31.83% 86
36.22% 98 38.89% 105 41.18% 111 43.57% 118
280 25.48% 71 32.73% 92
37.23% 104 39.94% 112 42.25% 118 44.67% 125
290 25.47% 74 33.56% 97
38.17% 111 40.92% 119 43.25% 125 45.69% 133
300 25.46% 76 35.00%
105 39.05% 117 41.83% 125 44.18% 133 46.64% 140
310 25.45% 79 35.99%
112 39.87% 124 42.68% 132 45.05% 140 47.53% 147
320 25.44% 81 35.98%
115 40.64% 130 43.48% 139 45.86% 147 48.37% 155
330 25.43% 84 35.97%
119 41.67% 137 44.23% 146 46.63% 154 49.16% 162
340 25.41% 86 35.95%
122 41.64% 142 44.94% 153 47.35% 161 49.89% 170
350 25.40% 89 35.91%
126 41.61% 146 45.61% 160 48.03% 168 50.59% 177
360 25.38% 91 35.88%
129 41.57% 150 46.24% 166 48.67% 175 51.25% 185
370 25.37% 94 35.84%
133 41.54% 154 46.32% 171 49.28% 182 51.87% 192
380 25.36% 96 35.81%
136 41.51% 158 46.28% 176 49.86% 189 52.46% 199
390 25.34% 99 35.78%
140 41.48% 162 46.25% 180 50.40% 197 53.02% 207
400 25.33% 101 35.75%
143 41.45% 166 46.22% 185 50.84% 203 53.55% 214
410 25.32% 104 35.72%
146 41.43% 170 46.19% 189 50.81% 208 54.06% 222
420 25.31% 106 35.70%
150 41.40% 174 46.16% 194 50.78% 213 54.54% 229
430 25.30% 109 35.67%
153 41.38% 178 46.13% 198 50.75% 218 55.21% 237
440 25.27% 111 35.62%
157 41.29% 182 46.04% 203 50.65% 223 55.11% 242
450 25.25% 114 35.55%
160 41.20% 185 45.93% 207 50.53% 227 54.97% 247
460 25.22% 116 35.48%
163 41.10% 189 45.83% 211 50.41% 232 54.85% 252
470 25.20% 118 35.42%
166 41.01% 193 45.73% 215 50.30% 236 54.73% 257
480 25.18% 121 35.36%
170 40.92% 196 45.63% 219 50.19% 241 54.61% 262
490 25.16% 123 35.30%
173 40.84% 200 45.54% 223 50.09% 245 54.50% 267
- 11 -
CONNECTICUT CHILD
SUPPORT GUIDELINES
SCHEDULE OF BASIC
CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS
($500 - $990 COMBINED NET
WEEKLY INCOME)
1 Child 2 Children 3
Children 4 Children 5 Children 6 Children
Combined
Net
Weekly
Income
% $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $
500 25.14% 126 35.25%
176 40.76% 204 45.45% 227 49.99% 250 54.39% 272
510 25.12% 128 35.19%
179 40.68% 207 45.36% 231 49.90% 254 54.29% 277
520 25.10% 131 35.14%
183 40.61% 211 45.28% 235 49.81% 259 54.19% 282
530 25.07% 133 35.08%
186 40.53% 215 45.19% 239 49.71% 263 54.08% 287
540 25.01% 135 34.97%
189 40.38% 218 45.02% 243 49.52% 267 53.88% 291
550 24.95% 137 34.86%
192 40.23% 221 44.86% 247 49.35% 271 53.69% 295
560 24.89% 139 34.75%
195 40.09% 225 44.71% 250 49.18% 275 53.50% 300
570 24.83% 142 34.65%
198 39.96% 228 44.56% 254 49.01% 279 53.32% 304
580 24.78% 144 34.55%
200 39.83% 231 44.41% 258 48.85% 283 53.15% 308
590 24.72% 146 34.46%
203 39.71% 234 44.27% 261 48.70% 287 52.98% 313
600 24.67% 148 34.36%
206 39.58% 238 44.14% 265 48.55% 291 52.82% 317
610 24.62% 150 34.27%
209 39.47% 241 44.01% 268 48.41% 295 52.67% 321
620 24.57% 152 34.19%
212 39.35% 244 43.88% 272 48.27% 299 52.52% 326
630 24.52% 154 34.10%
215 39.25% 247 43.76% 276 48.13% 303 52.37% 330
640 24.47% 157 34.03%
218 39.14% 250 43.64% 279 48.00% 307 52.23% 334
650 24.42% 159 33.95%
221 39.04% 254 43.53% 283 47.88% 311 52.09% 339
660 24.38% 161 33.87%
224 38.94% 257 43.42% 287 47.76% 315 51.96% 343
670 24.33% 163 33.80%
226 38.84% 260 43.31% 290 47.64% 319 51.83% 347
680 24.29% 165 33.73%
229 38.75% 263 43.20% 294 47.52% 323 51.71% 352
690 24.24% 167 33.66%
232 38.66% 267 43.10% 297 47.41% 327 51.58% 356
700 24.20% 169 33.59%
235 38.57% 270 43.00% 301 47.30% 331 51.47% 360
710 24.16% 172 33.53%
238 38.48% 273 42.91% 305 47.20% 335 51.35% 365
720 24.12% 174 33.47%
241 38.40% 276 42.81% 308 47.10% 339 51.24% 369
730 24.10% 176 33.43%
244 38.35% 280 42.76% 312 47.04% 343 51.18% 374
740 24.08% 178 33.40%
247 38.31% 283 42.71% 316 46.98% 348 51.12% 378
750 24.07% 180 33.37%
250 38.26% 287 42.66% 320 46.93% 352 51.06% 383
760 24.05% 183 33.34%
253 38.22% 290 42.62% 324 46.88% 356 51.00% 388
770 24.03% 185 33.32%
257 38.18% 294 42.57% 328 46.83% 361 50.95% 392
780 24.02% 187 33.29%
260 38.14% 298 42.53% 332 46.78% 365 50.90% 397
790 24.00% 190 33.26%
263 38.10% 301 42.49% 336 46.73% 369 50.85% 402
800 23.99% 192 33.24%
266 38.07% 305 42.44% 340 46.69% 374 50.80% 406
810 23.97% 194 33.21%
269 38.03% 308 42.40% 343 46.64% 378 50.75% 411
820 23.95% 196 33.18%
272 37.98% 311 42.34% 347 46.58% 382 50.68% 416
830 23.93% 199 33.11%
275 37.88% 314 42.23% 351 46.46% 386 50.55% 420
840 23.90% 201 33.04%
278 37.78% 317 42.13% 354 46.34% 389 50.42% 424
850 23.87% 203 32.98%
280 37.69% 320 42.02% 357 46.22% 393 50.29% 427
860 23.84% 205 32.92%
283 37.60% 323 41.92% 361 46.11% 397 50.17% 431
870 23.82% 207 32.86%
286 37.51% 326 41.82% 364 46.00% 400 50.05% 435
880 23.79% 209 32.80%
289 37.42% 329 41.72% 367 45.89% 404 49.93% 439
890 23.77% 212 32.74%
291 37.33% 332 41.63% 370 45.79% 408 49.82% 443
900 23.74% 214 32.68%
294 37.25% 335 41.53% 374 45.69% 411 49.71% 447
910 23.72% 216 32.63%
297 37.17% 338 41.44% 377 45.59% 415 49.60% 451
920 23.65% 218 32.50%
299 37.01% 341 41.27% 380 45.39% 418 49.39% 454
930 23.54% 219 32.34%
301 36.82% 342 41.05% 382 45.16% 420 49.13% 457
940 23.45% 220 32.19%
303 36.63% 344 40.84% 384 44.93% 422 48.88% 459
950 23.35% 222 32.03%
304 36.45% 346 40.64% 386 44.70% 425 48.64% 462
960 23.25% 223 31.89%
306 36.27% 348 40.44% 388 44.48% 427 48.40% 465
970 23.16% 225 31.74%
308 36.09% 350 40.24% 390 44.27% 429 48.16% 467
980 23.07% 226 31.59%
310 35.92% 352 40.05% 392 44.06% 432 47.93% 470
990 22.98% 228 31.45%
311 35.75% 354 39.86% 395 43.85% 434 47.71% 472
- 12 -
CONNECTICUT CHILD
SUPPORT GUIDELINES
SCHEDULE OF BASIC
CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS
($1000 - $1490 COMBINED
NET WEEKLY INCOME)
1 Child 2 Children 3
Children 4 Children 5 Children 6 Children
Combined
Net
Weekly
Income
% $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $
1000 22.89% 229 31.32%
313 35.59% 356 39.68% 397 43.65% 436 47.49% 475
1010 22.81% 230 31.18%
315 35.42% 358 39.50% 399 43.45% 439 47.27% 477
1020 22.73% 232 31.05%
317 35.26% 360 39.32% 401 43.25% 441 47.06% 480
1030 22.64% 233 30.92%
318 35.11% 362 39.14% 403 43.06% 444 46.85% 483
1040 22.56% 235 30.79%
320 34.95% 364 38.97% 405 42.87% 446 46.64% 485
1050 22.48% 236 30.67%
322 34.80% 365 38.81% 407 42.69% 448 46.44% 488
1060 22.40% 237 30.53%
324 34.64% 367 38.62% 409 42.48% 450 46.22% 490
1070 22.28% 238 30.35%
325 34.41% 368 38.37% 411 42.21% 452 45.92% 491
1080 22.16% 239 30.17%
326 34.19% 369 38.12% 412 41.94% 453 45.63% 493
1090 22.04% 240 29.99%
327 33.97% 370 37.88% 413 41.67% 454 45.34% 494
1100 21.93% 241 29.82%
328 33.76% 371 37.64% 414 41.41% 455 45.05% 496
1110 21.82% 242 29.65%
329 33.55% 372 37.41% 415 41.15% 457 44.77% 497
1120 21.71% 243 29.48%
330 33.35% 373 37.18% 416 40.90% 458 44.50% 498
1130 21.60% 244 29.32%
331 33.14% 375 36.96% 418 40.65% 459 44.23% 500
1140 21.49% 245 29.16%
332 32.95% 376 36.73% 419 40.41% 461 43.96% 501
1150 21.39% 246 29.00%
334 32.75% 377 36.52% 420 40.17% 462 43.70% 503
1160 21.29% 247 28.85%
335 32.56% 378 36.30% 421 39.93% 463 43.45% 504
1170 21.19% 248 28.70%
336 32.37% 379 36.09% 422 39.70% 465 43.20% 505
1180 21.09% 249 28.55%
337 32.18% 380 35.89% 423 39.47% 466 42.95% 507
1190 20.99% 250 28.40%
338 32.00% 381 35.68% 425 39.25% 467 42.71% 508
1200 20.90% 251 28.25%
339 31.82% 382 35.48% 426 39.03% 468 42.47% 510
1210 20.80% 252 28.11%
340 31.65% 383 35.29% 427 38.82% 470 42.23% 511
1220 20.71% 253 27.97%
341 31.47% 384 35.09% 428 38.60% 471 42.00% 512
1230 20.62% 254 27.83%
342 31.30% 385 34.90% 429 38.39% 472 41.77% 514
1240 20.53% 255 27.70%
343 31.14% 386 34.72% 430 38.19% 474 41.55% 515
1250 20.44% 256 27.56%
345 30.97% 387 34.53% 432 37.99% 475 41.33% 517
1260 20.36% 256 27.43%
346 30.81% 388 34.35% 433 37.79% 476 41.11% 518
1270 20.27% 257 27.30%
347 30.65% 389 34.17% 434 37.59% 477 40.90% 519
1280 20.19% 258 27.18%
348 30.49% 390 34.00% 435 37.40% 479 40.69% 521
1290 20.11% 259 27.05%
349 30.34% 391 33.83% 436 37.21% 480 40.48% 522
1300 20.02% 260 26.93%
350 30.18% 392 33.65% 437 37.02% 481 40.28% 524
1310 19.93% 261 26.79%
351 30.02% 393 33.47% 439 36.82% 482 40.06% 525
1320 19.83% 262 26.66%
352 29.86% 394 33.30% 440 36.63% 483 39.85% 526
1330 19.74% 263 26.52%
353 29.71% 395 33.12% 441 36.43% 485 39.64% 527
1340 19.65% 263 26.39%
354 29.55% 396 32.95% 442 36.25% 486 39.43% 528
1350 19.56% 264 26.27%
355 29.40% 397 32.78% 443 36.06% 487 39.23% 530
1360 19.47% 265 26.14%
356 29.25% 398 32.61% 444 35.88% 488 39.03% 531
1370 19.38% 266 26.02%
356 29.10% 399 32.45% 445 35.69% 489 38.84% 532
1380 19.29% 266 25.90%
357 28.96% 400 32.29% 446 35.52% 490 38.64% 533
1390 19.21% 267 25.77%
358 28.81% 401 32.13% 447 35.34% 491 38.45% 534
1400 19.12% 268 25.66%
359 28.67% 401 31.97% 448 35.17% 492 38.26% 536
1410 19.04% 268 25.54%
360 28.53% 402 31.82% 449 35.00% 493 38.08% 537
1420 18.96% 269 25.42%
361 28.40% 403 31.66% 450 34.83% 495 37.89% 538
1430 18.88% 270 25.31%
362 28.26% 404 31.51% 451 34.66% 496 37.71% 539
1440 18.80% 271 25.20%
363 28.13% 405 31.36% 452 34.50% 497 37.54% 541
1450 18.72% 271 25.09%
364 28.00% 406 31.22% 453 34.34% 498 37.36% 542
1460 18.64% 272 24.98%
365 27.87% 407 31.07% 454 34.18% 499 37.19% 543
1470 18.57% 273 24.87%
366 27.74% 408 30.93% 455 34.02% 500 37.02% 544
1480 18.49% 274 24.76%
367 27.61% 409 30.79% 456 33.87% 501 36.85% 545
1490 18.42% 274 24.66%
367 27.49% 410 30.65% 457 33.71% 502 36.68% 547
- 13 -
CONNECTICUT CHILD
SUPPORT GUIDELINES
SCHEDULE OF BASIC
CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS
($1500 - $1990 COMBINED
NET WEEKLY INCOME)
1 Child 2 Children 3
Children 4 Children 5 Children 6 Children
Combined
Net
Weekly
Income
% $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $
1500 18.35% 275 24.56%
368 27.37% 410 30.51% 458 33.56% 503 36.52% 548
1510 18.27% 276 24.45%
369 27.24% 411 30.38% 459 33.41% 505 36.36% 549
1520 18.20% 277 24.35%
370 27.12% 412 30.24% 460 33.27% 506 36.20% 550
1530 18.13% 277 24.25%
371 27.01% 413 30.11% 461 33.12% 507 36.04% 551
1540 18.06% 278 24.16%
372 26.89% 414 29.98% 462 32.98% 508 35.88% 553
1550 18.00% 279 24.06%
373 26.77% 415 29.85% 463 32.84% 509 35.73% 554
1560 17.93% 280 23.96%
374 26.66% 416 29.73% 464 32.70% 510 35.58% 555
1570 17.86% 280 23.87%
375 26.55% 417 29.60% 465 32.56% 511 35.43% 556
1580 17.80% 281 23.78%
376 26.44% 418 29.48% 466 32.43% 512 35.28% 557
1590 17.73% 282 23.68%
377 26.33% 419 29.36% 467 32.29% 513 35.13% 559
1600 17.67% 283 23.59%
377 26.22% 420 29.24% 468 32.16% 515 34.99% 560
1610 17.60% 283 23.50%
378 26.11% 420 29.12% 469 32.03% 516 34.85% 561
1620 17.54% 284 23.42%
379 26.01% 421 29.00% 470 31.90% 517 34.71% 562
1630 17.48% 285 23.33%
380 25.91% 422 28.88% 471 31.77% 518 34.57% 563
1640 17.42% 286 23.24%
381 25.80% 423 28.77% 472 31.65% 519 34.43% 565
1650 17.36% 286 23.16%
382 25.70% 424 28.66% 473 31.52% 520 34.30% 566
1660 17.30% 287 23.07%
383 25.60% 425 28.54% 474 31.40% 521 34.16% 567
1670 17.24% 288 22.99%
384 25.50% 426 28.43% 475 31.28% 522 34.03% 568
1680 17.18% 289 22.91%
385 25.40% 427 28.32% 476 31.16% 523 33.90% 570
1690 17.13% 290 22.84%
386 25.32% 428 28.23% 477 31.06% 525 33.79% 571
1700 17.09% 290 22.77%
387 25.25% 429 28.15% 479 30.97% 526 33.69% 573
1710 17.04% 291 22.71%
388 25.17% 430 28.07% 480 30.88% 528 33.59% 574
1720 17.00% 292 22.65%
390 25.10% 432 27.99% 481 30.79% 530 33.50% 576
1730 16.95% 293 22.58%
391 25.03% 433 27.91% 483 30.70% 531 33.40% 578
1740 16.91% 294 22.52%
392 24.96% 434 27.83% 484 30.61% 533 33.31% 580
1750 16.87% 295 22.46%
393 24.89% 436 27.75% 486 30.53% 534 33.21% 581
1760 16.82% 296 22.40%
394 24.82% 437 27.67% 487 30.44% 536 33.12% 583
1770 16.78% 297 22.34%
395 24.75% 438 27.60% 488 30.36% 537 33.03% 585
1780 16.74% 298 22.28%
397 24.68% 439 27.52% 490 30.27% 539 32.94% 586
1790 16.70% 299 22.23%
398 24.62% 441 27.45% 491 30.19% 540 32.85% 588
1800 16.66% 300 22.17%
399 24.55% 442 27.37% 493 30.11% 542 32.76% 590
1810 16.62% 301 22.11%
400 24.48% 443 27.30% 494 30.03% 544 32.67% 591
1820 16.58% 302 22.06%
401 24.42% 444 27.23% 496 29.95% 545 32.59% 593
1830 16.54% 303 22.00%
403 24.35% 446 27.16% 497 29.87% 547 32.50% 595
1840 16.50% 304 21.95%
404 24.29% 447 27.08% 498 29.79% 548 32.41% 596
1850 16.46% 305 21.89%
405 24.23% 448 27.01% 500 29.72% 550 32.33% 598
1860 16.42% 305 21.84%
406 24.17% 449 26.95% 501 29.64% 551 32.25% 600
1870 16.39% 306 21.79%
407 24.10% 451 26.88% 503 29.56% 553 32.17% 602
1880 16.35% 307 21.73%
409 24.04% 452 26.81% 504 29.49% 554 32.08% 603
1890 16.31% 308 21.68%
410 23.98% 453 26.74% 505 29.42% 556 32.00% 605
1900 16.28% 309 21.63%
411 23.92% 455 26.68% 507 29.34% 558 31.93% 607
1910 16.24% 310 21.58%
412 23.87% 456 26.61% 508 29.27% 559 31.85% 608
1920 16.20% 311 21.53%
413 23.81% 457 26.54% 510 29.20% 561 31.77% 610
1930 16.17% 312 21.48%
415 23.75% 458 26.48% 511 29.13% 562 31.69% 612
1940 16.13% 313 21.43%
416 23.69% 460 26.42% 512 29.06% 564 31.62% 613
1950 16.10% 314 21.38%
417 23.64% 461 26.35% 514 28.99% 565 31.54% 615
1960 16.06% 315 21.33%
418 23.58% 462 26.29% 515 28.92% 567 31.47% 617
1970 16.03% 316 21.28%
419 23.52% 463 26.23% 517 28.85% 568 31.39% 618
1980 16.00% 317 21.24%
421 23.47% 465 26.17% 518 28.79% 570 31.32% 620
1990 15.96% 318 21.19%
422 23.42% 466 26.11% 520 28.72% 572 31.25% 622
- 14 -
CONNECTICUT CHILD
SUPPORT GUIDELINES
SCHEDULE OF BASIC
CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS
($2000 - $2490 COMBINED
NET WEEKLY INCOME)
1 Child 2 Children 3
Children 4 Children 5 Children 6 Children
Combined
Net
Weekly
Income
% $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $
2000 15.93% 319 21.14%
423 23.36% 467 26.05% 521 28.65% 573 31.17% 623
2010 15.90% 320 21.10%
424 23.31% 468 25.99% 522 28.59% 575 31.10% 625
2020 15.87% 320 21.05%
425 23.26% 470 25.93% 524 28.52% 576 31.03% 627
2030 15.83% 321 21.01%
426 23.20% 471 25.87% 525 28.46% 578 30.96% 629
2040 15.80% 322 20.96%
428 23.15% 472 25.81% 527 28.40% 579 30.89% 630
2050 15.77% 323 20.92%
429 23.10% 474 25.76% 528 28.33% 581 30.83% 632
2060 15.74% 324 20.88%
430 23.05% 475 25.70% 529 28.27% 582 30.76% 634
2070 15.71% 325 20.83%
431 23.00% 476 25.65% 531 28.21% 584 30.69% 635
2080 15.68% 326 20.79%
432 22.95% 477 25.59% 532 28.15% 585 30.63% 637
2090 15.65% 327 20.75%
434 22.90% 479 25.53% 534 28.09% 587 30.56% 639
2100 15.62% 328 20.71%
435 22.85% 480 25.48% 535 28.03% 589 30.50% 640
2110 15.59% 329 20.66%
436 22.80% 481 25.43% 537 27.97% 590 30.43% 642
2120 15.56% 330 20.62%
437 22.76% 482 25.37% 538 27.91% 592 30.37% 644
2130 15.53% 331 20.58%
438 22.71% 484 25.32% 539 27.85% 593 30.30% 645
2140 15.50% 332 20.54%
440 22.66% 485 25.27% 541 27.80% 595 30.24% 647
2150 15.47% 333 20.50%
441 22.62% 486 25.22% 542 27.74% 596 30.18% 649
2160 15.45% 334 20.46%
442 22.57% 488 25.17% 544 27.68% 598 30.12% 651
2170 15.42% 335 20.43%
443 22.53% 489 25.12% 545 27.63% 600 30.06% 652
2180 15.40% 336 20.40%
445 22.49% 490 25.08% 547 27.59% 601 30.01% 654
2190 15.38% 337 20.36%
446 22.45% 492 25.04% 548 27.54% 603 29.96% 656
2200 15.36% 338 20.33%
447 22.42% 493 25.00% 550 27.50% 605 29.92% 658
2210 15.34% 339 20.30%
449 22.38% 495 24.96% 552 27.45% 607 29.87% 660
2220 15.32% 340 20.27%
450 22.35% 496 24.92% 553 27.41% 608 29.82% 662
2230 15.30% 341 20.24%
451 22.31% 498 24.88% 555 27.36% 610 29.77% 664
2240 15.28% 342 20.21%
453 22.27% 499 24.84% 556 27.32% 612 29.72% 666
2250 15.26% 343 20.18%
454 22.24% 500 24.80% 558 27.28% 614 29.68% 668
2260 15.24% 344 20.15%
455 22.20% 502 24.76% 560 27.23% 615 29.63% 670
2270 15.22% 345 20.13%
457 22.17% 503 24.72% 561 27.19% 617 29.58% 672
2280 15.20% 347 20.10%
458 22.14% 505 24.68% 563 27.15% 619 29.54% 673
2290 15.18% 348 20.07%
460 22.10% 506 24.64% 564 27.11% 621 29.49% 675
2300 15.16% 349 20.04%
461 22.07% 508 24.61% 566 27.07% 623 29.45% 677
2310 15.14% 350 20.01%
462 22.04% 509 24.57% 568 27.03% 624 29.40% 679
2320 15.12% 351 19.98%
464 22.00% 510 24.53% 569 26.99% 626 29.36% 681
2330 15.10% 352 19.96%
465 21.97% 512 24.50% 571 26.95% 628 29.32% 683
2340 15.08% 353 19.93%
466 21.94% 513 24.46% 572 26.91% 630 29.27% 685
2350 15.07% 354 19.90%
468 21.91% 515 24.42% 574 26.87% 631 29.23% 687
2360 15.05% 355 19.88%
469 21.87% 516 24.39% 576 26.83% 633 29.19% 689
2370 15.03% 356 19.85%
470 21.84% 518 24.35% 577 26.79% 635 29.15% 691
2380 15.01% 357 19.82%
472 21.81% 519 24.32% 579 26.75% 637 29.10% 693
2390 14.99% 358 19.80%
473 21.78% 521 24.28% 580 26.71% 638 29.06% 695
2400 14.98% 359 19.77%
474 21.75% 522 24.25% 582 26.67% 640 29.02% 697
2410 14.96% 361 19.74%
476 21.72% 523 24.22% 584 26.64% 642 28.98% 698
2420 14.94% 362 19.72%
477 21.69% 525 24.18% 585 26.60% 644 28.94% 700
2430 14.93% 363 19.69%
479 21.66% 526 24.15% 587 26.56% 645 28.90% 702
2440 14.91% 364 19.67%
480 21.63% 528 24.11% 588 26.53% 647 28.86% 704
2450 14.89% 365 19.64%
481 21.60% 529 24.08% 590 26.49% 649 28.82% 706
2460 14.87% 366 19.62%
483 21.57% 531 24.05% 592 26.45% 651 28.78% 708
2470 14.86% 367 19.60%
484 21.54% 532 24.02% 593 26.42% 653 28.74% 710
2480 14.84% 368 19.57%
485 21.51% 533 23.98% 595 26.38% 654 28.70% 712
2490 14.83% 369 19.55%
487 21.48% 535 23.95% 596 26.35% 656 28.67% 714
- 15 -
CONNECTICUT CHILD
SUPPORT GUIDELINES
SCHEDULE OF BASIC
CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS
($2500 - $2990 COMBINED
NET WEEKLY INCOME)
1 Child 2 Children 3
Children 4 Children 5 Children 6 Children
Combined
Net
Weekly
Income
% $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $
2500 14.81% 370 19.52%
488 21.45% 536 23.92% 598 26.31% 658 28.63% 716
2510 14.79% 371 19.50%
489 21.43% 538 23.89% 600 26.28% 660 28.59% 718
2520 14.78% 372 19.48%
491 21.40% 539 23.86% 601 26.24% 661 28.55% 720
2530 14.76% 373 19.45%
492 21.37% 541 23.83% 603 26.21% 663 28.52% 721
2540 14.75% 375 19.43%
494 21.34% 542 23.80% 604 26.18% 665 28.48% 723
2550 14.73% 376 19.41%
495 21.32% 544 23.77% 606 26.14% 667 28.44% 725
2560 14.71% 377 19.38%
496 21.29% 545 23.74% 608 26.11% 668 28.41% 727
2570 14.70% 378 19.36%
498 21.26% 546 23.71% 609 26.08% 670 28.37% 729
2580 14.68% 379 19.34%
499 21.23% 548 23.68% 611 26.04% 672 28.34% 731
2590 14.67% 380 19.32%
500 21.21% 549 23.65% 612 26.01% 674 28.30% 733
2600 14.65% 381 19.29%
502 21.18% 551 23.62% 614 25.98% 675 28.27% 735
2610 14.64% 382 19.27%
503 21.16% 552 23.59% 616 25.95% 677 28.23% 737
2620 14.62% 383 19.25%
504 21.13% 554 23.56% 617 25.92% 679 28.20% 739
2630 14.61% 384 19.23%
506 21.10% 555 23.53% 619 25.88% 681 28.16% 741
2640 14.60% 385 19.21%
507 21.08% 556 23.50% 620 25.85% 683 28.13% 743
2650 14.57% 386 19.18%
508 21.04% 558 23.46% 622 25.81% 684 28.08% 744
2660 14.54% 387 19.14%
509 21.00% 559 23.41% 623 25.76% 685 28.02% 745
2670 14.51% 387 19.10%
510 20.96% 560 23.37% 624 25.70% 686 27.97% 747
2680 14.48% 388 19.07%
511 20.91% 560 23.32% 625 25.65% 687 27.91% 748
2690 14.45% 389 19.03%
512 20.87% 561 23.27% 626 25.60% 689 27.85% 749
2700 14.42% 389 19.00%
513 20.83% 562 23.23% 627 25.55% 690 27.80% 750
2710 14.39% 390 18.96%
514 20.79% 563 23.18% 628 25.50% 691 27.74% 752
2720 14.36% 391 18.93%
515 20.75% 564 23.13% 629 25.45% 692 27.69% 753
2730 14.33% 391 18.89%
516 20.71% 565 23.09% 630 25.40% 693 27.63% 754
2740 14.30% 392 18.86%
517 20.66% 566 23.04% 631 25.35% 694 27.58% 756
2750 14.28% 393 18.82%
518 20.62% 567 23.00% 632 25.30% 696 27.52% 757
2760 14.25% 393 18.79%
519 20.58% 568 22.95% 633 25.25% 697 27.47% 758
2770 14.22% 394 18.76%
520 20.54% 569 22.91% 635 25.20% 698 27.41% 759
2780 14.19% 395 18.72%
520 20.50% 570 22.86% 636 25.15% 699 27.36% 761
2790 14.16% 395 18.69%
521 20.47% 571 22.82% 637 25.10% 700 27.31% 762
2800 14.14% 396 18.66%
522 20.43% 572 22.78% 638 25.05% 701 27.26% 763
2810 14.11% 396 18.62%
523 20.39% 573 22.73% 639 25.01% 703 27.21% 764
2820 14.08% 397 18.59%
524 20.35% 574 22.69% 640 24.96% 704 27.15% 766
2830 14.06% 398 18.56%
525 20.31% 575 22.65% 641 24.91% 705 27.10% 767
2840 14.03% 398 18.53%
526 20.27% 576 22.60% 642 24.86% 706 27.05% 768
2850 14.00% 399 18.49%
527 20.24% 577 22.56% 643 24.82% 707 27.00% 770
2860 13.98% 400 18.46%
528 20.20% 578 22.52% 644 24.77% 708 26.95% 771
2870 13.95% 400 18.43%
529 20.16% 579 22.48% 645 24.73% 710 26.90% 772
2880 13.92% 401 18.40%
530 20.12% 580 22.44% 646 24.68% 711 26.85% 773
2890 13.90% 402 18.37%
531 20.09% 581 22.40% 647 24.64% 712 26.80% 775
2900 13.87% 402 18.34%
532 20.05% 581 22.36% 648 24.59% 713 26.76% 776
2910 13.85% 403 18.31%
533 20.01% 582 22.32% 649 24.55% 714 26.71% 777
2920 13.82% 404 18.28%
534 19.98% 583 22.28% 650 24.50% 716 26.66% 778
2930 13.80% 404 18.25%
535 19.94% 584 22.24% 652 24.46% 717 26.61% 780
2940 13.77% 405 18.22%
536 19.91% 585 22.20% 653 24.42% 718 26.56% 781
2950 13.75% 406 18.19%
537 19.87% 586 22.16% 654 24.37% 719 26.52% 782
2960 13.72% 406 18.16%
537 19.84% 587 22.12% 655 24.33% 720 26.47% 784
2970 13.70% 407 18.13%
538 19.80% 588 22.08% 656 24.29% 721 26.43% 785
2980 13.67% 407 18.10%
539 19.77% 589 22.04% 657 24.25% 723 26.38% 786
2990 13.65% 408 18.07%
540 19.73% 590 22.00% 658 24.20% 724 26.33% 787
- 16 -
CONNECTICUT CHILD
SUPPORT GUIDELINES
SCHEDULE OF BASIC
CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS
($3000 - $3490 COMBINED
NET WEEKLY INCOME)
1 Child 2 Children 3
Children 4 Children 5 Children 6 Children
Combined
Net
Weekly
Income
% $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $
3000 13.62% 409 18.04%
541 19.70% 591 21.97% 659 24.16% 725 26.29% 789
3010 13.60% 409 18.01%
542 19.67% 592 21.93% 660 24.12% 726 26.24% 790
3020 13.58% 410 17.98%
543 19.63% 593 21.89% 661 24.08% 727 26.20% 791
3030 13.55% 411 17.96%
544 19.60% 594 21.85% 662 24.04% 728 26.15% 792
3040 13.53% 411 17.93%
545 19.57% 595 21.82% 663 24.00% 730 26.11% 794
3050 13.51% 412 17.90%
546 19.53% 596 21.78% 664 23.96% 731 26.07% 795
3060 13.48% 413 17.87%
547 19.50% 597 21.74% 665 23.92% 732 26.02% 796
3070 13.46% 413 17.84%
548 19.47% 598 21.71% 666 23.88% 733 25.98% 798
3080 13.44% 414 17.82%
549 19.44% 599 21.67% 667 23.84% 734 25.94% 799
3090 13.42% 415 17.79%
550 19.40% 600 21.63% 669 23.80% 735 25.89% 800
3100 13.39% 415 17.76%
551 19.37% 601 21.60% 670 23.76% 737 25.85% 801
3110 13.37% 416 17.74%
552 19.34% 601 21.56% 671 23.72% 738 25.81% 803
3120 13.35% 416 17.71%
553 19.31% 602 21.53% 672 23.68% 739 25.77% 804
3130 13.33% 417 17.68%
554 19.28% 603 21.49% 673 23.64% 740 25.72% 805
3140 13.31% 418 17.66%
554 19.25% 604 21.46% 674 23.61% 741 25.68% 806
3150 13.28% 418 17.63%
555 19.22% 605 21.43% 675 23.57% 742 25.64% 808
3160 13.26% 419 17.61%
556 19.18% 606 21.39% 676 23.53% 744 25.60% 809
3170 13.24% 420 17.58%
557 19.15% 607 21.36% 677 23.49% 745 25.56% 810
3180 13.22% 420 17.55%
558 19.12% 608 21.32% 678 23.46% 746 25.52% 812
3190 13.20% 421 17.53%
559 19.09% 609 21.29% 679 23.42% 747 25.48% 813
3200 13.18% 422 17.50%
560 19.06% 610 21.26% 680 23.38% 748 25.44% 814
3210 13.16% 422 17.48%
561 19.03% 611 21.22% 681 23.35% 749 25.40% 815
3220 13.14% 423 17.45%
562 19.00% 612 21.19% 682 23.31% 751 25.36% 817
3230 13.11% 424 17.43%
563 18.98% 613 21.16% 683 23.27% 752 25.32% 818
3240 13.09% 424 17.40%
564 18.95% 614 21.13% 684 23.24% 753 25.28% 819
3250 13.07% 425 17.38%
565 18.92% 615 21.09% 686 23.20% 754 25.24% 820
3260 13.05% 426 17.35%
566 18.89% 616 21.06% 687 23.17% 755 25.21% 822
3270 13.03% 426 17.33%
567 18.86% 617 21.03% 688 23.13% 756 25.17% 823
3280 13.01% 427 17.31%
568 18.83% 618 21.00% 689 23.10% 758 25.13% 824
3290 12.99% 427 17.28%
569 18.80% 619 20.97% 690 23.06% 759 25.09% 826
3300 12.97% 428 17.26%
570 18.78% 620 20.93% 691 23.03% 760 25.05% 827
3310 12.95% 429 17.24%
570 18.75% 621 20.90% 692 22.99% 761 25.02% 828
3320 12.93% 429 17.21%
571 18.72% 621 20.87% 693 22.96% 762 24.98% 829
3330 12.91% 430 17.19%
572 18.69% 622 20.84% 694 22.93% 763 24.94% 831
3340 12.90% 431 17.17%
573 18.66% 623 20.81% 695 22.89% 765 24.91% 832
3350 12.88% 431 17.14%
574 18.64% 624 20.78% 696 22.86% 766 24.87% 833
3360 12.86% 432 17.12%
575 18.61% 625 20.75% 697 22.83% 767 24.83% 834
3370 12.84% 433 17.10%
576 18.58% 626 20.72% 698 22.79% 768 24.80% 836
3380 12.82% 433 17.07%
577 18.56% 627 20.69% 699 22.76% 769 24.76% 837
3390 12.80% 434 17.05%
578 18.53% 628 20.66% 700 22.73% 770 24.73% 838
3400 12.78% 435 17.03%
579 18.50% 629 20.63% 701 22.69% 772 24.69% 840
3410 12.76% 435 17.01%
580 18.48% 630 20.60% 703 22.66% 773 24.66% 841
3420 12.74% 436 16.98%
581 18.45% 631 20.57% 704 22.63% 774 24.62% 842
3430 12.73% 437 16.96%
582 18.42% 632 20.54% 705 22.60% 775 24.59% 843
3440 12.71% 437 16.94%
583 18.40% 633 20.51% 706 22.57% 776 24.55% 845
3450 12.69% 438 16.92%
584 18.37% 634 20.49% 707 22.53% 777 24.52% 846
3460 12.67% 438 16.90%
585 18.35% 635 20.46% 708 22.50% 779 24.48% 847
3470 12.65% 439 16.88%
586 18.32% 636 20.43% 709 22.47% 780 24.45% 848
3480 12.64% 440 16.85%
587 18.30% 637 20.40% 710 22.44% 781 24.42% 850
3490 12.62% 440 16.83%
587 18.27% 638 20.37% 711 22.41% 782 24.38% 851
- 17 -
CONNECTICUT CHILD
SUPPORT GUIDELINES
SCHEDULE OF BASIC
CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS
($3500 - $4000 COMBINED
NET WEEKLY INCOME)
1 Child 2 Children 3
Children 4 Children 5 Children 6 Children
Combined
Net
Weekly
Income
% $ % $ % $ % $ % $ % $
3500 12.60% 441 16.81%
588 18.25% 639 20.35% 712 22.38% 783 24.35% 852
3510 12.58% 442 16.79%
589 18.22% 640 20.32% 713 22.35% 784 24.32% 853
3520 12.57% 442 16.77%
590 18.20% 641 20.29% 714 22.32% 786 24.28% 855
3530 12.55% 443 16.75%
591 18.17% 642 20.26% 715 22.29% 787 24.25% 856
3540 12.53% 444 16.73%
592 18.15% 642 20.24% 716 22.26% 788 24.22% 857
3550 12.51% 444 16.71%
593 18.12% 643 20.21% 717 22.23% 789 24.19% 859
3560 12.50% 445 16.69%
594 18.10% 644 20.18% 718 22.20% 790 24.15% 860
3570 12.48% 446 16.67%
595 18.08% 645 20.15% 720 22.17% 791 24.12% 861
3580 12.46% 446 16.65%
596 18.05% 646 20.13% 721 22.14% 793 24.09% 862
3590 12.45% 447 16.63%
597 18.03% 647 20.10% 722 22.11% 794 24.06% 864
3600 12.43% 447 16.61%
598 18.00% 648 20.08% 723 22.08% 795 24.03% 865
3610 12.41% 448 16.59%
599 17.98% 649 20.05% 724 22.05% 796 23.99% 866
3620 12.40% 449 16.57%
600 17.96% 650 20.02% 725 22.03% 797 23.96% 867
3630 12.38% 449 16.55%
601 17.93% 651 20.00% 726 22.00% 798 23.93% 869
3640 12.36% 450 16.53%
602 17.91% 652 19.97% 727 21.97% 800 23.90% 870
3650 12.35% 451 16.51%
603 17.89% 653 19.95% 728 21.94% 801 23.87% 871
3660 12.33% 451 16.49%
604 17.87% 654 19.92% 729 21.91% 802 23.84% 873
3670 12.32% 452 16.47%
604 17.84% 655 19.90% 730 21.88% 803 23.81% 874
3680 12.30% 453 16.45%
605 17.82% 656 19.87% 731 21.86% 804 23.78% 875
3690 12.28% 453 16.43%
606 17.80% 657 19.84% 732 21.83% 806 23.75% 876
3700 12.27% 454 16.41%
607 17.78% 658 19.82% 733 21.80% 807 23.72% 878
3710 12.25% 455 16.39%
608 17.75% 659 19.80% 734 21.77% 808 23.69% 879
3720 12.24% 455 16.38%
609 17.73% 660 19.77% 735 21.75% 809 23.66% 880
3730 12.22% 456 16.36%
610 17.71% 661 19.75% 737 21.72% 810 23.63% 881
3740 12.21% 457 16.34%
611 17.69% 662 19.72% 738 21.69% 811 23.60% 883
3750 12.19% 457 16.32%
612 17.67% 662 19.70% 739 21.67% 813 23.57% 884
3760 12.18% 458 16.30%
613 17.64% 663 19.67% 740 21.64% 814 23.54% 885
3770 12.16% 458 16.28%
614 17.62% 664 19.65% 741 21.61% 815 23.52% 887
3780 12.15% 459 16.27%
615 17.60% 665 19.63% 742 21.59% 816 23.49% 888
3790 12.13% 460 16.25%
616 17.58% 666 19.60% 743 21.56% 817 23.46% 889
3800 12.12% 460 16.23%
617 17.56% 667 19.58% 744 21.54% 818 23.43% 890
3810 12.10% 461 16.21%
618 17.54% 668 19.55% 745 21.51% 820 23.40% 892
3820 12.09% 462 16.19%
619 17.52% 669 19.53% 746 21.48% 821 23.37% 893
3830 12.07% 462 16.18%
620 17.50% 670 19.51% 747 21.46% 822 23.35% 894
3840 12.06% 463 16.16%
620 17.48% 671 19.48% 748 21.43% 823 23.32% 895
3850 12.04% 464 16.14%
621 17.45% 672 19.46% 749 21.41% 824 23.29% 897
3860 12.03% 464 16.12%
622 17.43% 673 19.44% 750 21.38% 825 23.26% 898
3870 12.01% 465 16.11%
623 17.41% 674 19.42% 751 21.36% 827 23.24% 899
3880 12.00% 466 16.09%
624 17.39% 675 19.39% 752 21.33% 828 23.21% 901
3890 11.99% 466 16.07%
625 17.37% 676 19.37% 754 21.31% 829 23.18% 902
3900 11.97% 467 16.06%
626 17.35% 677 19.35% 755 21.28% 830 23.16% 903
3910 11.96% 468 16.04%
627 17.33% 678 19.33% 756 21.26% 831 23.13% 904
3920 11.94% 468 16.02%
628 17.31% 679 19.30% 757 21.23% 832 23.10% 906
3930 11.93% 469 16.00%
629 17.29% 680 19.28% 758 21.21% 834 23.08% 907
3940 11.91% 469 15.99%
630 17.27% 681 19.26% 759 21.19% 835 23.05% 908
3950 11.90% 470 15.97%
631 17.25% 682 19.24% 760 21.16% 836 23.02% 909
3960 11.89% 471 15.96%
632 17.23% 682 19.22% 761 21.14% 837 23.00% 911
3970 11.87% 471 15.94%
633 17.21% 683 19.19% 762 21.11% 838 22.97% 912
3980 11.86% 472 15.92%
634 17.20% 684 19.17% 763 21.09% 839 22.95% 913
3990 11.85% 473 15.91%
635 17.18% 685 19.15% 764 21.07% 841 22.92% 915
4000 11.83% 473 15.89%
636 17.16% 686 19.13% 765 21.04% 842 22.90% 916
- 18 -
(g)
Determining the health
care coverage contribution
Subject to
section 46b-215a-3 of the Regulations of Connecticut State
Agencies, each child support award
entered under
this section shall include a provision for either parent to
contribute to the health care
coverage of
the child in accordance with this subsection.
(1) Medical
or dental insurance coverage
The health
care coverage requirement may be satisfied by an order under
subparagraph (A) or (B) of
this
subdivision.
(A) An order
under this subparagraph shall direct either parent to name the
child as a beneficiary
of any
medical or dental insurance or benefit plan:
(i) carried
by such parent, or
(ii)
available at reasonable cost to such parent on a group basis
through an employer or a
union.
(B) If
coverage in accordance with subparagraph (A) is unavailable, an
order under this
subparagraph
shall direct either parent to apply for coverage on behalf of the
child under any
available
state or federally funded insurance plan including, but not limited
to, the Husky Plan,
Part
B.
(2) Exception
for low-income obligors
Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, no order
shall enter for payment of Husky Plan,
Part A or
Part B, contributions by a low-income obligor.
(3) Payment
of unreimbursed expenses
An order
shall be made under this subdivision for payment of the child’s
medical and dental
expenses that
are not covered by insurance or reimbursed in any other manner.
Such order may be in
lieu of an
order under subdivision (1) of this subsection, or in addition to
an order under such
subdivision.
The amount of such order to be paid by each parent shall be
determined in accordance
with
subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision.
(A) Calculate
the custodial parent’s net disposable income, as defined in section
46b-215a-1(16) of
the
Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, in the following
manner:
(i) Add the
recommended current support order (line 34 amount) to the custodial
parent’s
line 14
amount. Enter the sum on line 21 in the custodial parent’s
column.
(ii) Enter
the weekly amount of any alimony paid by one parent to the other on
line 22, and
check the
appropriate box to indicate which parent pays it.
(iii)
Multiply the line 22 amount by eighty percent, and enter on line
23.
(iv) If the
noncustodial parent pays alimony to the custodial parent, add the
line 23 amount to
the custodial
parent’s line 21 amount, and enter the sum on line 24 in the
custodial
parent’s
column. If the custodial parent pays alimony to the noncustodial
parent, subtract
the line 23
amount from the custodial parent’s line 21 amount, and enter the
result on line
24 in the
custodial parent’s column.
(v) If there
is an amount on line 19 in the noncustodial parent’s column, enter
it on line 25.
(vi) Add the
line 25 amount to the custodial parent’s line 24 amount, and enter
on line 26 in
the custodial
parent’s column. This line 26 amount is the custodial parent’s
net
disposable
income.
- 19 -
(B) Calculate
the noncustodial parent’s net disposable income, as defined in
section
46b-215a-1(16) of the Regulations of Connecticut State
Agencies, in the following manner:
(i) Subtract
the recommended current support order (line 34 amount) from the
noncustodial
parent’s line
14 amount. Enter the result on line 21 in the noncustodial parent’s
column.
(ii) Enter
the weekly amount of any alimony paid by one parent to the other on
line 22, and
check the
appropriate box to indicate which parent pays it.
(iii)
Multiply the line 22 amount by eighty percent, and enter on line
23.
(iv) If the
noncustodial parent pays alimony to the custodial parent, subtract
the line 23
amount from
the noncustodial parent’s line 21 amount, and enter the result on
line 24 in
the
noncustodial parent’s column. If the custodial parent pays alimony
to the
noncustodial
parent, add the line 23 amount to the noncustodial parent’s line 21
amount,
and enter the
sum on line 24 in the noncustodial parent’s column.
(v) If there
is an amount on line 19 in the noncustodial parent’s column, enter
it on line 25.
(vi) Subtract
the line 25 amount from the noncustodial parent’s line 24 amount,
and enter on
line 26 in
the noncustodial parent’s column. This line 26 amount is the
noncustodial
parent’s net
disposable income.
(C) Calculate
each parent’s percentage share of combined net disposable income in
the following
manner:
(i) Enter the
sum of the custodial and noncustodial parents’ line 26 amounts on
line 27. This
amount is the
combined net disposable income.
(ii) Divide
each parent’s line 26 amount by the line 27 amount, multiply each
result by one
hundred
percent, and enter each parent’s percentage (rounded to the nearest
whole
percentage)
on line 28.
(D) Determine
the recommended order for unreimbursed medical expenses in the
following
manner:
(i) If the
noncustodial parent is a low-income obligor, enter the lesser of:
(I) such parent’s
percentage
share from line 28, or (II) fifty percent on line 35 for such
parent; and enter
one hundred
percent minus the percentage entered for the noncustodial parent on
line 35
for the
custodial parent.
(ii) If the
noncustodial parent is not a low-income obligor, enter the
percentage share from
line 28 for
each parent on line 35.
(h)
Determining the child care
contribution
(1) General
rule
Subject to
section 46b-215a-3 of the Regulations of Connecticut State
Agencies, the noncustodial
parent shall
be ordered to pay the custodial parent a child care contribution as
part of each child
support award
entered under this section. Such contribution shall be for the
purpose of reimbursing
the custodial
parent for a portion of the child care costs incurred on behalf of
the subject child.
(2)
Contribution amount
(A)
Qualifying costs
Child care
costs shall qualify for a contribution from the noncustodial parent
only to the extent
that
they:
- 20 -
(i) are
reasonable,
(ii) are
necessary to allow a parent to maintain employment,
(iii) are not
otherwise reimbursed or subsidized, and
(iv) do not
exceed the level required to provide quality care from a licensed
source.
(B)
Noncustodial parent’s share
Except as
provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, the amount of the
child care contribution,
to be entered
on line 36 of the worksheet, shall equal the amount determined in
subclause
(i) or (ii)
of this subparagraph, as follows:
(i) the
noncustodial parent’s percentage share of combined net disposable
income, as
entered on
line 28 of the worksheet, multiplied by the qualifying child care
costs as they
are incurred,
or
(ii) where
there is a finding of noncompliance with a prior child care
contribution order, a
weekly dollar
amount calculated by multiplying the noncustodial parent’s
percentage
share of
combined net disposable income, as entered on line 28 of the
worksheet, by the
estimated
average qualifying child care costs.
(3) Special
rules for low-income obligors
(A)
Definition of “low-income obligor”
For the
purposes of this subdivision only, the term “low-income obligor”
shall include those
obligors
whose net disposable income (amount on line 26 of the worksheet) is
within the
darker shaded
area of the schedule.
(B) Child
care contribution limits
(i) If the
custodial parent’s net disposable income (amount on line 26 of the
worksheet) is
within the
darker shaded area of the schedule, the child care contribution of
the lowincome
obligor shall
equal the lesser of the noncustodial parent’s line 28 percentage
or
fifty percent
of the qualifying child care costs. Enter the correct percentage,
or the
corresponding
dollar amount in conjunction with a finding of noncompliance, on
line 36
of the
worksheet.
(ii) If the
custodial parent’s net disposable income (amount on line 26 of the
worksheet) is
outside the
darker shaded area of the schedule, the child care contribution of
the lowincome
obligor, to
be entered on line 36 of the worksheet, shall equal:
(I) twenty
percent of the qualifying child care costs, in lieu of the amount
provided in
subdivision
(2)(B)(i) of this subsection; or
(II) where
there is a finding of noncompliance with a prior child care
contribution, a
weekly dollar
amount equal to twenty percent of the estimated average
qualifying
child care
costs, in lieu of the amount provided in subdivision (2)(B)(ii) of
this
subsection.
- 21 -
Section
46b-215a-3. Deviation criteria
(a)
Introduction
The current
support, health care coverage contribution, and child care
contribution amounts calculated
under section
46b-215a-2b of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, and
the amount of the
arrearage
payment calculated under section 46b-215a-4a of the Regulations of
Connecticut State
Agencies, are
presumed to be the correct amounts to be ordered. The presumption
regarding each such
amount may be
rebutted by a specific finding on the record that such amount would
be inequitable or
inappropriate
in a particular case. An agreement of the parties may be sufficient
to rebut the presumption
when such
finding cites one or more deviation criteria, which may include
other equitable factors, to
support such
agreement. Any such finding shall state the amount that would have
been required under
such sections
and include a factual finding to justify the variance. Only the
deviation criteria stated in the
lettered
subparagraphs of subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, of subsection
(b) of this section, and indicated
by the check
boxes in section VII of the worksheet, shall establish sufficient
bases for such findings.
(b)
Criteria for deviation
from presumptive support amounts
(1) Other
financial resources available to a parent
In some
cases, a parent may have financial resources that are not included
in the definition of net
income, but
could be used by such parent for the benefit of the child or for
meeting the needs of the
parent. The
resources that may justify a deviation from presumptive support
amounts under this
subdivision
are limited to the following:
(A)
substantial assets, including both income-producing and
non-income-producing property;
(B) the
parent's earning capacity;
(C) parental
support being provided to a minor obligor;
(D) the
regularly recurring contributions or gifts of a spouse or domestic
partner, but only if it is
found that
the parent has reduced his or her income or has experienced an
extraordinary
reduction of
his or her living expenses as a direct result of such contributions
or gifts; and
(E) hourly
wages for regular, overtime and additional employment in excess of
45 total paid hours
per week, but
not to exceed 52 total paid hours per week, provided:
(i) the
parent has earned such wages on a regular and consistent basis, and
the opportunity to
earn such
wages is reasonably expected to continue on a regular and
consistent basis in
the
foreseeable future;
(ii)
considering such wages as income available for the support
determination is in the best
interests of
the child, including but not limited to parenting time, under the
totality of
circumstances; and
(iii) such
wages shall not be considered income for order modification
purposes if the parent
is an obligor
who is an hourly wage earner and who worked 45 hours per week or
less at
the time of
the establishment of the support order.
(2)
Extraordinary expenses for care and maintenance of the child
In some
cases, a parent may be incurring extraordinary expenses that are
essential for the proper
care and
maintenance of the child whose support is being determined. Only
the following expenses,
when found to
be extraordinary and to exist on a substantial and continuing
basis, may justify a
deviation
from presumptive support amounts under this subdivision:
- 22 -
(A) education
expenses,
(B)
unreimbursable medical expenses, and
(C) expenses
for special needs.
(3)
Extraordinary parental expenses
In some
cases, a parent may incur extraordinary expenses that are not
considered allowable
deductions
from gross income, but which are necessary for the parent to
maintain a satisfactory
parental
relationship with the child, continue employment, or provide for
the parent's own medical
needs. Only
the following expenses, when found to be extraordinary and to exist
on a substantial
and
continuing basis, may justify a deviation from presumptive support
amounts under this
subdivision:
(A)
significant visitation expenses,
(B)
job-related unreimbursable employment expenses of individuals who
are not self-employed,
and
(C)
unreimbursable medical and disability-related expenses.
(4) Needs of
a parent's other dependents
In some
cases, a parent may be legally responsible for the support of
individuals other than the child
whose support
is being determined. Only the following factors may justify a
deviation from
presumptive
support amounts under this subdivision:
(A) resources
available to a qualified child for whom a deduction was taken under
section
46b-215a-2b(e) of the Regulations of Connecticut State
Agencies;
(B) child
care expenses for a parent’s qualified child, as defined in section
46b-215a-2b(e)(1)(A)
of the
Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, provided such expenses
may be used to
deviate only
from the presumptive child care contribution component of the child
support
award, and
only when an initial child support award is being established or
such parent is
defending
against a proposed modification of an existing child care
contribution;
(C) verified
support payments made by a parent for his or her dependent child
not residing with
such parent;
and
(D) the
significant and essential needs of a spouse, provided
(i) such
needs may be used as a possible defense against an increase in the
support order, but
not as a
reason for decreasing such order, and
(ii) the
income, assets, and earning capacity of such spouse shall be
considered in determining
whether to
deviate.
(5)
Coordination of total family support
In some
cases, child support is considered in conjunction with a
determination of total family
support,
property settlement, and tax implications. When such considerations
will not result in a
lesser
economic benefit to the child, it may be appropriate to deviate
from presumptive support
amounts for
the following reasons only:
(A) division
of assets and liabilities,
(B) provision
of alimony, and
(C) tax
planning considerations.
- 23 -
(6) Special
circumstances
In some
cases, there may be special circumstances not otherwise addressed
in this section in which
deviation
from presumptive support amounts may be warranted for reasons of
equity. Such
circumstances
are limited to the following:
(A) Shared
physical custody.
When a shared
physical custody arrangement exists, deviation is warranted only
when:
(i) such
arrangement substantially reduces the custodial parent’s, or
substantially increases
the
noncustodial parent’s, expenses for the child; and
(ii)
sufficient funds remain for the parent receiving support to meet
the basic needs of the
child after
deviation.
(B)
Extraordinary disparity in parental income.
When the
custodial parent has high income, resulting in an extraordinary
disparity between the
parents’ net
incomes, it may be appropriate to deviate from presumptive support
amounts if:
(i) such
deviation would enhance the lower income parent’s ability to foster
a relationship
with the
child; and
(ii)
sufficient funds remain for the parent receiving support to meet
the basic needs of the
child after
deviation.
(C) Best
interests of the child.
(D) Other
equitable factors.
Section
46b-215a-4a. Arrearage guidelines
(a)
Scope of
section
This section
shall be used to determine periodic payments on child support
arrearages, subject to section
46b-215a-3 of
the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. The determination of
lump sum payments
remains
subject to the discretion of the judge or family support
magistrate, in accordance with existing
law.
(b)
General rule
(1) Except as
provided in subsections (c), (d) and (e) of this section, the
weekly arrearage payment shall
equal the
lesser of:
(A) twenty
percent of the weekly current support order, or
(B)
fifty-five percent of the obligor's net income, reduced by the
amount of the current support
order.
(2) In a
Title IV-D case where arrearages are owing to both the state and a
custodial parent, one
payment order
shall enter under which payments shall be distributed in accordance
with Title IV-D
distribution
requirements. Such order shall be payable to the custodial parent
until the custodial
parent’s
arrearage is satisfied, and then to the state.
(c)
Special rule for
low-income obligors
Subject to
subsection (e)(1) of this section, the weekly arrearage payment of
a low-income obligor shall
equal the
greater of:
- 24 -
(1) ten
percent of the weekly current support order, or
(2) one
dollar per week.
(d)
Special rule if there is
no current support order
Subject to
subsection (e)(1) of this section, the weekly arrearage payment
when there is no current support
order in
effect for any child of the parties shall equal:
(1) twenty
percent of an imputed support obligation for the child for whom the
arrearage is owed if such
child is an
unemancipated minor, or
(2) fifty
percent of an imputed support obligation for the child for whom the
arrearage is owed if such
child is
deceased, emancipated or over age eighteen.
(e)
Special rule for child
living with the obligor
(1)
Applicability
This
subsection applies when the child for whom the arrearage is owed is
living with the obligor. If
this
subsection applies, subsections (c) and (d) of this section shall
not be used to determine the
arrearage
payment. For the purposes of this subsection, a child is deemed to
be living with the
obligor if
the circumstances in either subparagraph (A) or subparagraph (B) of
this subdivision are
found.
(A) The
obligor is the child's legal guardian and is currently living in
the same household with such
child.
(B) The
obligor is not the child's legal guardian, but the child has lived
in the same household with
the obligor
for at least:
(i) the six
months immediately preceding the determination of the arrearage
payment, or
(ii) six of
the twelve months immediately preceding such determination.
(2) Special
rule
When this
subsection applies, the weekly arrearage payment shall be:
(A) one
dollar per week if the obligor's gross income is less than or equal
to two hundred fifty
percent of
the poverty guideline for the obligor's household size, as
published annually in the
Federal
Register by the
Department of Health and Human Services; or
(B) twenty
percent of the imputed support obligation for such child if the
obligor's gross income is
greater than
two hundred fifty percent of the poverty guideline for the
obligor's household size,
as published
annually in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human
Services.
(f)
Use of the worksheet in
arrearage determinations
Line
references throughout this subsection are to the worksheet included
in section 46b-215a-5b of the
Regulations
of Connecticut State Agencies, which worksheet is intended for use
with the following
instructions.
(1) Determine
the total arrearage
Add all
amounts described in subparagraphs (A), (B) and (C) of this
subdivision to determine the
total
arrearage to be paid for past support of the subject child. Enter
the sum on line 37, indicating
- 25 -
separately,
if applicable, amounts due to the state and amounts due to the
family. Amounts
comprising
the total arrearage are:
(A) the total
of all delinquent amounts that have become due and payable under a
current support
order, but
which have not been reduced to a judgment or an arrearage
finding;
(B) the total
of all unpaid support amounts that have been reduced previously to
a judgment or
arrearage
finding; and
(C) the total
of all support amounts due for periods prior to the initial
determination of a support
order.
(2) Determine
the arrearage payment
Enter on line
32 either twenty percent of the line 34 amount or, if applicable,
the amount determined
in one of
subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of this subdivision
(corresponding to paragraphs A to
D, inclusive,
in section VI of the worksheet). The line 32 amount is the
presumptive arrearage
payment.
Enter this amount on line 38 unless a deviation criterion applies.
If the amount entered on
line 38
differs from the line 32 amount, complete section VII of the
worksheet.
(A) If the
noncustodial parent is a low-income obligor, enter on line 32 the
greater of ten percent of
the line 34
amount or $1 per week, unless subparagraph (B) of this subdivision
applies.
(B) If the
child is living with the obligor, enter on line 32 either: (i) $1
per week if the obligor’s
gross income
is less than or equal to two hundred fifty percent of poverty level
for the obligor's
household
size, or (ii) twenty percent of an imputed support obligation for
the child if the
obligor’s
gross income is greater than two hundred fifty percent of poverty
level for the
obligor's
household size.
(C) If there
is no current support order and subparagraph (B) of this
subdivision does not apply,
enter on line
32 either: (i) twenty percent of an imputed support obligation if
the child is an
unemancipated
minor, or (ii) fifty percent of an imputed support obligation if
the child is
deceased,
emancipated, or over age 18.
(D) If
subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of this subdivision do not
apply and the sum of the
current
support and arrearage payments would exceed fifty-five percent of
the noncustodial
parent’s line
14 amount, enter fifty-five percent of the noncustodial parent’s
line 14 amount,
minus the
line 34 amount, on line 32.
Section
46b-215a-5b. Worksheet for the Connecticut child support and
arrearage guidelines
The worksheet
in this section is intended for use with all applicable
instructions in sections 46b-215a-2b and
46b-215a-4a
of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. The use of
computer-generated worksheets
in
substantially similar format is specifically authorized, provided
the line numbers in such worksheets
correspond to
those set forth in this section. All money amounts entered on the
worksheet may be rounded to
the nearest
dollar by dropping amounts under fifty cents and increasing amounts
from fifty to ninety-nine
cents to the
next whole dollar. Following is form CCSG-1, Worksheet for the Connecticut Child
Support
and
Arrearage Guidelines:
- 26 -
CCSG-1 Rev. 8-05
C.G.S. §46b-215a
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
§46b-215a-5b,
Regulations of
Connecticut State
Agencies COMMISSION FOR CHILD
SUPPORT GUIDELINES
WORKSHEET for
the Connecticut Child Support
and Arrearage Guidelines
MOTHER FATHER
CUSTODIAN
MOTHER FATHER
OTHER:
COURT D.N./CASE NO.
NUMBER OF CHILDREN
CHILD’S NAME DATE OF
BIRTH CHILD’S NAME DATE OF BIRTH CHILD’S NAME DATE OF BIRTH
All money amounts in
this worksheet may be rounded to the nearest dollar
I. NET INCOME
(Weekly amounts) MOTHER FATHER
Gross income (attach
verification) $ $ 1.
1a. Number of hours
used in calculation
2. Federal income tax
(based on all allowable exemptions, deductions and credits) $
$
3. Social security tax
or mandatory retirement $ $
4. Medicare tax $
$
5. State and local
income tax (based on all allowable exemptions, deductions and
credits) $ $
6.
Medical/hospital/dental insurance premiums (including Husky) for
parent and all legal dependents $ $
7. Court-ordered life
insurance for benefit of child $ $
8. Court-ordered
disability insurance $ $
9. Mandatory union dues
or fees (if deducted by employer) $ $
10. Mandatory uniforms
and tools (if deducted by employer) $ $
11. Non-arrearage
payments on court-ordered alimony and child support awards (for
other than child) $ $
12. Imputed support
obligation for qualified child (line 12d below times the number of
qualified children) $ $
MOTHER FATHER
Number of qualified
children
12a. Sum of lines 2-11
$ $
12b. Line 1 minus line
12a $ $
12c. Current support
amount for the parent’s qualified children
plus all children for
whom support is being determined
(based on line 12b for
claiming parent only)
$ $
12d. Line 12c divided
by number of children used in line 12c $ $
13. Sum of lines 2-12 $
$
14. Net income (line 1
minus line 13) $ $
II. CURRENT
SUPPORT
15. Combined net weekly
income (rounded to the nearest $10) $
16. Basic child support
obligation (from Schedule of
Basic Child Support Obligations) $
17. Each parent’s
percentage share of line 15 (line 14 for each parent divided by
line 15, times 100%) % %
(If noncustodial
parent is a low-income obligor, skip this line and enter line 16
amount in noncustodial parent’s column on line 18.)
18. Each parent’s share
of the basic child support obligation (line 17 times line 16 for
each parent) $ $
19. Social security
dependency benefits adjustment $ $
20. Presumptive current
support amounts (line 18 minus line 19) (Rounded to the nearest dollar)
(Enter noncustodial
parent’s amount on line 34, unless deviation criteria apply – see
section VII.)
$ $
CONTINUED ON
REVERSE
- 27 -
III. NET DISPOSABLE
INCOME MOTHER FATHER
21. Line 14 plus line
34 (for custodial
parent); line 14 minus line
34 (for noncustodial
parent) $ $
22. Amount of weekly
alimony (if any) (paid
by: noncustodial parent
custodial parent) $
23. Line 22 times 80%
$
24. Line 21 plus line
23 (for recipient of
alimony); line 21 minus line
23 (for payer of
alimony) $ $
25. Noncustodial
parent’s line 19 amount (social security dependency benefits for
child) $
26. Line 24 plus line
25 (for custodial
parent); line 24 minus line
25 (for noncustodial
parent) $ $
IV. UNREIMBURSED
MEDICAL EXPENSE
27. Sum of line 26
amounts (combined net disposable income) $
28. Each parent’s
percentage share of combined net disposable income
(line 26 for each
parent divided by line 27, times 100% - rounded to the nearest
whole percentage)
% %
If the noncustodial
parent is a low-income obligor, proceed to line 29.
If the noncustodial
parent is not a low-income obligor, enter these percentages on line
35, unless deviation criteria apply.
29. Unless deviation
criteria apply, enter on line 35 for the noncustodial parent the
lesser of the noncustodial parent’s line 28 percentage or
50%; and enter on line
35 for the custodial parent 100% minus the percentage entered for
the noncustodial parent.
V. CHILD CARE
CONTRIBUTION
30. Determine if the
noncustodial parent’s line 26 amount falls within the darker shaded
area of the schedule. If it does, proceed to line 31.
If it does not, skip
line 31 and enter the noncustodial parent’s line 28 percentage on
line 36, unless deviation criteria apply.
31. Determine if the
custodial parent’s line 26 amount falls within the darker shaded
area of the schedule.
If it does not, enter
20% on line 36 as the noncustodial parent’s child care
contribution, unless deviation criteria apply.
If it does, enter on
line 36 the lesser of the noncustodial parent’s line 28 percentage
or 50%, unless deviation criteria apply.
VI. ARREARAGE
PAYMENT (Enter line 32 amount
on line 38 unless deviation criteria apply.)
32. 20% of line 34:
$ OR amount determined in A, B, C or D, below
(check box that applies and enter
amount here): $
A. If noncustodial
parent is a low-income obligor, enter the greater of 10% of line 34
or $1 per week, unless paragraph B below applies.
B. If the child is
living with the obligor, enter: (1) $1 per week if the obligor’s
gross income is less than or equal to 250% of poverty level, OR (2)
20%
of an imputed support
obligation for the child if the obligor’s gross income is greater
than 250% of poverty level.
C. If there is no
current support order and paragraph B above does not apply, enter:
(1) 20% of an imputed support obligation if the child is an
unemancipated
minor, OR (2) 50% of an
imputed support obligation if the child is deceased, emancipated,
or over age 18.
D. If paragraphs A, B
and C, above, do not apply and the sum of the current support and
arrearage payments would exceed 55% of the noncustodial
parent’s line 14
amount, enter 55% of the noncustodial parent’s line 14 amount,
minus the line 34 amount.
VII. DEVIATION
CRITERIA (Attach additional
sheet if necessary.)
33. Reason(s) for
deviation from presumptive support amounts: (Check all boxes that apply.) Check here if deviating by agreement.
Parent’s other
financial resources Extraordinary parental expenses Coordination of
total family support
substantial assets
significant visitation expenses division of assets and
liabilities
parent’s earning
capacity unreimbursed employment expenses provision of
alimony
parental support
provided to a minor obligor unreimbursed medical/disability
expenses tax planning considerations
recurring gifts of
spouse or domestic partner Needs of parent’s other dependents Special
circumstances
employment over 45
hours per week resources available to qualified child shared
physical custody
Extraordinary
expenses for child child
care expenses for qualified child extraordinary disparity in
parental income
education expenses
verified support for non-resident child best interests of the
child
unreimbursable medical
expenses significant and essential needs of a spouse other
equitable factors (explain
below):
special needs
VIII. RECOMMENDED
ORDERS (Explain any amounts
that are different from presumptive amounts in Section
VII.)
34. Current support: $
(presumptive current support from line 20: $ )
35. Unreimbursed
medical expenses: Mother % Father %
36. Child care
contribution: % (OR in conjunction with a finding of noncompliance:
$ )
37. Total arrearage:
$ to state to family
38. Arrearage payment: $
39. Total child support
award (exclusive of percentage amounts): $
40. Additional orders
(if any):
PREPARED BY TITLE
DATE
