Kentucky calculates child support using the Income Shares Model under KRS 403.212, which estimates what parents would have spent on their children in an intact household and divides that amount proportionally based on each parent's gross income. The minimum child support obligation in Kentucky is $60 per month, the shared parenting time credit requires at least 73 overnights per year, and courts may deviate from guidelines only with written findings of extraordinary circumstances. The official Kentucky child support calculator is available through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services at kentuckychildsupport.ky.gov.
| Key Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Governing Statute | KRS 403.212 (amended effective July 1, 2025) |
| Calculation Model | Income Shares Model |
| Minimum Monthly Obligation | $60 per month |
| Shared Parenting Credit Threshold | 73 or more days per year (KRS 403.2122) |
| Filing Fee (Divorce Petition) | $113 to $250 depending on county (as of March 2026) |
| Residency Requirement | 180 days (KRS 403.140) |
| Waiting Period | 60 days after filing (KRS 403.170) |
| Grounds for Divorce | Irretrievably broken (no-fault only) |
| Property Division | Equitable distribution |
| Review Cycle | Guidelines reviewed at least every 4 years per federal law |
How the Kentucky Child Support Calculator Works
The Kentucky child support calculator uses the Income Shares Model under KRS 403.212 to determine each parent's financial obligation based on combined adjusted gross income, the number of children, and allowable deductions for health insurance, work-related childcare, and extraordinary medical expenses. Kentucky courts apply a statutory table that correlates combined parental income to a base child support obligation, then each parent pays their proportional share. For example, if Parent A earns $4,000 per month and Parent B earns $2,000 per month, the combined gross income is $6,000, and Parent A is responsible for 66.7% of the total child support obligation while Parent B covers 33.3%.
The calculation follows a structured worksheet process (Form CS-71) that Kentucky courts require in every child support proceeding. The worksheet captures each parent's gross monthly income, subtracts allowable adjustments, applies the statutory support table, and produces a final monthly obligation. Kentucky updated its child support guidelines through HB 404 (effective 2022) and HB 244 (effective July 1, 2025), making the shared parenting time credit a codified part of the calculation rather than leaving it to judicial discretion.
Step-by-Step: Calculating Child Support in Kentucky
Kentucky requires parents to complete the CS-71 Child Support Worksheet, which walks through a 10-step process to determine the final monthly obligation. Each step builds on the previous one, and Kentucky courts will not accept a child support order without a completed worksheet attached. The process takes approximately 15 to 30 minutes when both parents have their financial documents ready.
Step 1: Determine Each Parent's Gross Monthly Income
Gross monthly income under KRS 403.212(2)(b) includes salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, dividends, pensions, Social Security benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, disability benefits, trust income, capital gains, rental income, and virtually all other sources of income. Kentucky excludes means-tested public assistance (SNAP, TANF) and child support received for other children from the gross income calculation. If a parent is self-employed, gross income equals gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses.
Step 2: Address Voluntary Unemployment or Underemployment
Kentucky courts may impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed under KRS 403.212(2)(d). The court evaluates the parent's employment potential based on education, work history, job skills, and prevailing wage rates in the local area. However, Kentucky law prohibits imputing income to any incarcerated individual, a change introduced by HB 404 in 2022. A parent attending school full-time to improve earning capacity may also receive consideration from the court before income is imputed.
Step 3: Calculate Combined Adjusted Gross Income
After determining each parent's gross monthly income, the worksheet subtracts allowable adjustments including pre-existing child support obligations paid for other children and maintenance (spousal support) actually paid. The resulting adjusted gross incomes are combined to produce the combined adjusted monthly gross income figure, which is used to look up the base support obligation in the statutory table under KRS 403.212(5).
Step 4: Look Up the Base Child Support Obligation
The statutory table in KRS 403.212 provides base child support obligations for combined adjusted gross incomes ranging from $650 to $15,000 or more per month and for 1 through 6 or more children. For a combined monthly income of $6,000, the base obligation for one child is approximately $783 per month, for two children approximately $1,175, and for three children approximately $1,350. These figures are guidelines; courts apply the exact table values from the statute.
Step 5: Add Health Insurance, Childcare, and Extraordinary Costs
The base obligation is increased by the cost of health insurance premiums for the children, work-related childcare expenses, and extraordinary medical expenses exceeding $100 per child per year. These costs are added to the base obligation to produce the total child support obligation. For example, if the base obligation is $783 and health insurance costs $200 per month and childcare costs $400 per month, the total obligation becomes $1,383.
Step 6: Divide Proportionally Between Parents
Each parent's share equals their percentage of the combined adjusted gross income multiplied by the total child support obligation. Using the earlier example where Parent A earns $4,000 (66.7%) and Parent B earns $2,000 (33.3%), Parent A's share of a $1,383 total obligation would be $922 and Parent B's share would be $461. The non-custodial parent typically pays their share to the custodial parent.
Shared Parenting Time Credit Under KRS 403.2122
Kentucky provides an automatic child support reduction when a parent exercises 73 or more days of parenting time per year under KRS 403.2122, enacted through HB 404 in 2022. A "day" is defined as any period of more than 12 consecutive hours within a 24-hour period where the child is under the care, control, or supervision of that parent. The credit reduces the non-custodial parent's obligation by a percentage that increases proportionally with the number of overnights exercised, reaching maximum impact at 50/50 equal timesharing (182.5 days each).
Before HB 404, Kentucky courts handled shared parenting time adjustments inconsistently, with each judge applying different methods. The 2022 reform standardized this calculation statewide. To qualify for the credit, the parent must consistently exercise their parenting time as ordered. A parent who has 73 days of court-ordered time but only exercises 40 days will not receive the shared parenting time credit. The credit applies automatically through the CS-71 Worksheet when the parenting time threshold is met.
| Parenting Time Scenario | Days Per Year | Credit Available | Typical Impact on Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard visitation | Under 73 days | No credit | Full guideline amount |
| Extended visitation | 73 to 109 days | Partial credit | 10% to 20% reduction |
| Substantial shared time | 110 to 145 days | Moderate credit | 20% to 35% reduction |
| Near-equal timesharing | 146 to 182 days | Significant credit | 35% to 50% reduction |
| Equal 50/50 timesharing | 182.5 days | Maximum credit | Up to 50% or more reduction |
What Income Counts for the Child Support Calculator in Kentucky
Kentucky defines gross income broadly under KRS 403.212(2)(b) to include virtually all income sources except means-tested public assistance programs like SNAP and TANF. Salaries and hourly wages constitute the primary income source for most Kentucky parents, but the statute also captures commissions, bonuses, overtime pay, dividends, interest, trust income, annuities, capital gains, Social Security benefits, veterans' benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, disability payments, pension and retirement distributions, rental income, and royalties. Kentucky courts have consistently held that even irregular or one-time income sources must be averaged over a reasonable period and included in the calculation.
Self-employment income requires calculating gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses, but Kentucky courts scrutinize claimed deductions. Depreciation, home office deductions, and vehicle expenses that primarily serve personal use may be added back into gross income. A self-employed parent earning $120,000 in gross receipts who claims $50,000 in business expenses will have a gross income of $70,000 ($5,833 per month) for child support purposes, but the court may disallow a portion of those deductions if they appear excessive or personal in nature.
Deviation Factors: When Courts Depart from the Kentucky Child Support Calculator
Kentucky courts may deviate from the child support calculator guidelines only when a judge makes a written finding that strict application would be unjust or inappropriate under KRS 403.211. The deviation must be based on specific statutory factors, and the court must state the guideline amount, the deviation amount, and the reason for departing from the guidelines in its written order. Deviations occur in approximately 10% to 15% of Kentucky child support cases.
The seven statutory grounds for deviation include: (1) extraordinary medical or dental needs of the child; (2) extraordinary educational, job training, or special needs of the child; (3) extraordinary needs of either parent, such as ongoing medical treatment costs; (4) independent financial resources of the child, including trust funds or inheritance; (5) combined parental income exceeding the top of the statutory table ($15,000 per month); (6) a written agreement between parents who demonstrate knowledge of the guideline amount and voluntarily agree to a different figure, provided no public assistance is being paid on behalf of the child; and (7) any other factor of an extraordinary nature specifically identified by the court.
How to Use the Official Kentucky Child Support Calculator Online
The official Kentucky child support calculator is hosted by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services at kentuckychildsupport.ky.gov and provides a free child support estimator that applies the current KRS 403.212 guidelines and statutory table. The online tool requires both parents' gross monthly incomes, the number of children, health insurance premium costs, childcare expenses, and the number of parenting days each parent exercises. The calculator produces an estimated monthly obligation within seconds, though Kentucky courts use the formal CS-71 Worksheet for binding orders.
To use the calculator effectively, gather the following documents before starting: (1) the most recent 3 months of pay stubs for both parents; (2) the most recent federal tax return for both parents; (3) documentation of health insurance premiums allocated to the children; (4) receipts or invoices for work-related childcare; (5) records of any extraordinary medical expenses for the children; and (6) a parenting schedule showing the number of overnights each parent exercises. Having these documents ready ensures the calculator produces an estimate within 5% to 10% of what a Kentucky court would likely order.
Modifying an Existing Kentucky Child Support Order
Kentucky allows modification of child support orders when there is a material change in circumstances that results in a 15% or greater difference between the current order and the recalculated guideline amount under KRS 403.213. Common qualifying changes include job loss or significant income reduction (involuntary), a substantial raise in either parent's income, a change in the number of overnights exercised, a change in health insurance or childcare costs, the emancipation of one child in a multi-child order, or a child's extraordinary medical needs. The parent requesting modification must file a motion with the circuit court that issued the original order.
The Kentucky Child Support Enforcement office also conducts reviews of child support orders every 3 years upon request from either parent. These administrative reviews compare the existing order to the current guideline calculation and recommend modification if the 15% threshold is met. The review process is free through the Child Support Enforcement office, while filing a private motion for modification through the circuit court incurs filing fees of approximately $40 to $80 depending on the county. Processing time for modifications ranges from 60 to 120 days in most Kentucky counties.
Enforcement of Kentucky Child Support Orders
Kentucky enforces child support orders through the Division of Child Support within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which has authority to pursue multiple enforcement actions simultaneously against a non-paying parent. Automatic income withholding (wage garnishment) is the primary enforcement mechanism, required in all Kentucky child support orders under KRS 403.215. The employer deducts the child support amount directly from the obligor's paycheck and forwards payment to the Kentucky State Disbursement Unit, with a maximum withholding of 50% of disposable income (60% if the obligor has no other dependents, 65% if arrearages exceed 12 weeks).
Additional enforcement tools include suspension of driver's licenses and professional or recreational licenses when a parent falls 6 or more months behind in payments, interception of federal and state tax refunds, reporting delinquent obligors to credit bureaus, placing liens on real and personal property, denial of U.S. passport applications for arrearages exceeding $2,500, and contempt of court proceedings. Criminal non-support under KRS 530.050 is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a $500 fine. Flagrant non-support, which applies when a parent is 6 or more months behind or owes more than $1,000, is a Class D felony carrying 1 to 5 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Kentucky Child Support and Taxes
Child support payments are neither tax-deductible for the paying parent nor taxable income for the receiving parent under current federal tax law (Internal Revenue Code Section 71, as amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017). Kentucky follows this federal treatment, meaning child support has no impact on either parent's state income tax return. This differs from spousal maintenance (alimony) ordered in Kentucky divorces before January 1, 2019, which may still be deductible by the payer and taxable to the recipient under pre-TCJA rules.
The dependency exemption for children is a separate negotiation point in Kentucky divorces. Under KRS 403.212, the court may allocate the federal child tax credit ($2,000 per qualifying child in 2026) between parents as part of the overall child support order. The custodial parent claims the exemption by default under IRS rules, but the non-custodial parent can claim it if the custodial parent signs IRS Form 8332 releasing the exemption. Kentucky courts frequently alternate the exemption between parents in even and odd years when there are two or more children.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Kentucky Child Support Calculator
What is the minimum child support payment in Kentucky?
Kentucky sets a minimum child support obligation of $60 per month under KRS 403.212, regardless of how low the non-custodial parent's income may be. This minimum applies even when the guideline calculation would produce a lower figure. Courts may order the $60 minimum when a parent earns below $650 per month in gross income.
How does Kentucky calculate child support for 50/50 custody?
Kentucky applies the shared parenting time credit under KRS 403.2122 when each parent has the child for 182.5 days per year. The credit reduces the higher-earning parent's obligation by up to 50% compared to standard guidelines. Even with equal timesharing, the parent earning more typically pays some support to equalize the child's standard of living across both households.
Can Kentucky courts impute income to an unemployed parent?
Kentucky courts may impute income to a voluntarily unemployed or underemployed parent under KRS 403.212(2)(d) based on their education, work history, and local job market conditions. However, Kentucky law specifically prohibits imputing income to an incarcerated parent, a protection added by HB 404 in 2022. The court assigns earning capacity rather than actual earnings when calculating child support.
How long does child support last in Kentucky?
Kentucky child support obligations continue until the child turns 18, or until age 19 if the child is still enrolled in high school full-time under KRS 403.213. Support terminates automatically upon the child's marriage, emancipation by court order, or entry into active military duty. Kentucky does not require parents to pay child support through college, though parents may voluntarily agree to post-secondary education support.
What is the income limit for Kentucky's child support table?
The statutory child support table under KRS 403.212 covers combined adjusted gross incomes from $650 to $15,000 per month. When combined income exceeds $15,000 per month ($180,000 per year), Kentucky courts apply the guideline percentage at the $15,000 level and may exercise discretion to increase the obligation based on the child's reasonable needs and the parents' ability to pay.
How do I get a child support order modified in Kentucky?
Kentucky requires a material change in circumstances producing at least a 15% difference between the current order and the recalculated guideline amount under KRS 403.213. Either parent may file a motion with the circuit court or request a free administrative review through the Child Support Enforcement office every 3 years. Modification processing typically takes 60 to 120 days.
Does Kentucky count overtime or bonus income for child support?
Kentucky includes overtime pay, bonuses, and commissions in gross income under KRS 403.212(2)(b). Courts average irregular income over the most recent 12 to 36 months to determine a reliable monthly figure. A parent earning $5,000 per month in base salary plus $12,000 per year in bonuses would have gross monthly income calculated at $6,000 ($5,000 plus $1,000 averaged monthly bonus).
What happens if a parent does not pay child support in Kentucky?
Kentucky enforces unpaid child support through wage garnishment, tax refund interception, license suspensions (driver's, professional, and recreational), property liens, passport denial for arrearages over $2,500, and criminal prosecution. Non-support is a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to 1 year in jail and a $500 fine under KRS 530.050. Flagrant non-support (6+ months behind or $1,000+ owed) is a Class D felony with 1 to 5 years imprisonment.
Can parents agree to no child support in Kentucky?
Kentucky allows parents to agree to a child support amount different from the guidelines under KRS 403.212, but both parents must demonstrate knowledge of the guideline amount, the agreement must be voluntary, and no public assistance can be paid on behalf of the child. The court must approve the agreement and retains authority to reject it if the deviation is not in the child's best interest. Zero-support agreements are rarely approved.
How does the Kentucky child support calculator handle multiple families?
Kentucky allows a deduction from gross income for pre-existing child support obligations actually paid for children from prior relationships under KRS 403.212. The deduction applies only to court-ordered support that is currently being paid, not to voluntary payments or arrearages. If Parent A pays $500 per month for a child from a previous marriage, that $500 is subtracted from gross income before calculating the new child support obligation.