Utah calculates child support using the Income Shares Model, which combines both parents' gross monthly incomes and divides the obligation proportionally. The state's official child support calculator is maintained by the Office of Recovery Services (ORS) and applies the base combined child support obligation table under Utah Code § 81-6-304. For a family earning $10,000/month combined with two children, the base obligation is approximately $1,848/month before adjustments for overnights, insurance, and childcare. The minimum child support order in Utah is $30/month, and the guidelines cover combined incomes up to $100,000/month.
| Key Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Calculator Model | Income Shares (both parents' incomes) |
| Governing Statute | Utah Code Title 81, Chapter 6 |
| Minimum Support | $30/month |
| Income Table Range | $726 to $100,000/month combined |
| Joint Custody Threshold | 111 overnights/year minimum |
| Medical/Dental Split | 50/50 between parents |
| Work-Related Childcare | 50/50 between parents |
| Divorce Filing Fee | $325 (as of March 2026) |
| Residency Requirement | 3 months in Utah and filing county |
| Waiting Period | 30 days from filing to finalization |
How the Utah Child Support Calculator Works
The Utah child support calculator uses the Income Shares Model to determine each parent's financial obligation based on combined gross monthly income, the number of children, and the custody arrangement. Under Utah Code § 81-6-204, courts look up the base combined child support obligation from a statutory table, then split that amount proportionally according to each parent's share of the combined income. A parent earning 60% of the combined household income pays 60% of the base obligation. Utah recodified its entire child support statutory framework effective September 1, 2024, moving all provisions from Title 78B, Chapter 12 to Title 81, Chapter 6 of the Utah Domestic Relations Code. The guidelines tables were last updated January 1, 2023, with a quadrennial review scheduled for 2025 reporting to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee.
The calculation follows a straightforward five-step process:
- Determine each parent's monthly adjusted gross income
- Add both incomes together to find the combined gross monthly income
- Look up the base combined child support obligation in the table under Utah Code § 81-6-304 based on combined income and number of children
- Calculate each parent's proportional share (parent income divided by combined income)
- Apply adjustments for overnights, health insurance premiums, and work-related childcare costs
What Counts as Gross Income in Utah
Utah defines gross income broadly under Utah Code § 81-6-203 to include all earned and unearned income sources, encompassing salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, rents, dividends, pensions, Social Security benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, and trust income. The statute limits earned income to the equivalent of one full-time 40-hour work week unless the parent historically and consistently worked more than 40 hours before the original child support order was established. Alimony received from a prior marriage counts as gross income for child support purposes, while alimony paid on a prior marriage is deducted.
Income sources included in the child support worksheet:
- Salaries, wages, overtime pay, commissions, and bonuses
- Rental income, royalties, and capital gains
- Pensions, annuities, Social Security benefits, and trust distributions
- Workers' compensation and disability insurance benefits
- Severance pay, prizes, and gifts
- Dividends and interest income
- Unemployment compensation benefits
Income sources excluded from the calculation:
- Benefits received under means-tested public assistance programs (TANF, SSI, food stamps)
- Adoption assistance subsidies
- Child support received for other children
- Earned income of a minor child
Imputed Income Rules in Utah
Utah courts may impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, assigning earning capacity based on employment history, occupational qualifications, and prevailing wages in the local community under Utah Code § 81-6-203. When a parent has no recent work history and no identifiable occupation, Utah defaults to imputing income at federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour) for a 40-hour work week, producing approximately $1,257/month in gross imputed income. Courts must hold a hearing with specific findings of fact before imputing income unless the parent stipulates or defaults.
Utah prohibits imputing income in four specific circumstances:
- The custodial parent's childcare costs would approach or exceed their earning capacity
- The parent is physically or mentally unable to earn minimum wage
- The parent is enrolled in career or occupational training to obtain basic job skills
- A child has unusual emotional or physical needs requiring the parent's presence at home
These exceptions protect parents who have legitimate reasons for reduced earnings rather than an intent to minimize child support obligations. The burden falls on the parent claiming the exception to demonstrate that the condition applies.
Sole Physical Custody Child Support Calculation
Under Utah Code § 81-6-205, when one parent has sole physical custody (the child spends fewer than 111 overnights per year with the noncustodial parent), the noncustodial parent pays their proportional share of the base combined child support obligation directly to the custodial parent. The Sole Physical Custody Worksheet (Utah Courts Form 1021) walks through the calculation step by step. For example, if the combined monthly gross income is $8,000, Parent A earns $5,000 (62.5%), and Parent B earns $3,000 (37.5%), and the base obligation for two children at $8,000 combined income is approximately $1,528, the noncustodial parent paying 62.5% would owe approximately $955/month before adjustments for insurance and childcare.
The sole custody worksheet also requires each parent to report:
- Monthly health/dental insurance premiums for the children
- Monthly work-related childcare expenses
- Any court-ordered adjustments for extraordinary expenses
Both parents split medical insurance premiums and work-related childcare costs equally (50/50) under Utah Code § 81-6-209, unless the court finds good cause to order a different allocation.
Joint Physical Custody Adjustments
Utah's child support calculator applies significant adjustments when both parents share physical custody, defined as each parent having at least 111 overnights per year with the child under Utah Code § 81-6-206. The Joint Physical Custody Worksheet (Form 1020FA) uses a graduated reduction formula that decreases the obligor's payment based on the number of overnights. Between 110 and 130 overnights, each additional night reduces the obligation by 0.27% of the base combined child support obligation. Above 131 overnights, the reduction rate jumps to 0.84% per night, roughly a 3x steeper reduction that reflects the increased direct costs borne by the parent with more overnight time.
The joint custody calculation process:
- Calculate each parent's share of the base combined child support obligation
- Determine the number of overnights each parent has per year
- Apply the graduated overnight adjustment formula
- Subtract the adjustment from the higher-earning parent's obligation
- The parent with the larger remaining obligation pays the difference to the other parent
For example, if Parent A has 140 overnights per year and the base combined child support obligation is $1,528, the overnight adjustment equals: (130 minus 110) multiplied by 0.0027 multiplied by $1,528 = $82.51, plus (140 minus 130) multiplied by 0.0084 multiplied by $1,528 = $128.35, for a total adjustment of $210.86/month.
Medical, Dental, and Childcare Expenses
Utah requires both parents to share equally (50/50) in the children's health insurance premiums, uninsured medical and dental expenses, and work-related childcare costs under Utah Code § 81-6-209. The court designates which parent's health plan serves as primary coverage and which serves as secondary when both parents carry insurance. The children's portion of the insurance premium is calculated using a per capita method: total premium divided by the number of persons covered, multiplied by the number of children in the case. All reasonable and necessary uninsured and unreimbursed medical and dental expenses, including deductibles and copayments, are split 50/50 between the parents.
| Expense Type | Default Split | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Health/dental insurance premiums (children's share) | 50/50 | § 81-6-209 |
| Uninsured medical/dental expenses | 50/50 | § 81-6-209 |
| Deductibles and copayments | 50/50 | § 81-6-209 |
| Work-related childcare | 50/50 | § 81-6-209 |
| Extraordinary medical expenses | Court discretion | § 81-6-209 |
How to Use the Official Utah Child Support Calculator
The Office of Recovery Services (ORS) provides Utah's official child support calculator online at orscsc.dhs.utah.gov. This free tool applies the current statutory guidelines and produces results consistent with what Utah courts use when setting child support orders. To use the Utah child support calculator, you will need each parent's monthly gross income, the number of children, the custody arrangement (sole, joint, or split), the number of overnights per parent, monthly health insurance premiums for the children, and monthly work-related childcare costs.
Step-by-step instructions for the ORS calculator:
- Visit the ORS child support calculator at orscsc.dhs.utah.gov
- Select the custody type: sole physical, joint physical, or split custody
- Enter Parent A's monthly gross income from all sources
- Enter Parent B's monthly gross income from all sources
- Enter the number of children
- For joint custody, enter the number of overnights each parent has per year
- Enter the monthly cost of health insurance premiums for the children
- Enter monthly work-related childcare expenses
- Click calculate to generate the estimated child support obligation
- Review the output showing each parent's proportional share and the net payment amount
The calculator produces an estimate, not a court order. Judges retain discretion to deviate from the guidelines when strict application would be unjust, inequitable, or inappropriate under Utah Code § 81-6-204.
Modifying a Utah Child Support Order
Utah allows modification of child support orders when there is a substantial change in circumstances under Utah Code § 81-6-212. A material change exists when the difference between the existing order and the recalculated amount under current guidelines exceeds 10% of the current order, or when at least 3 years have passed since the last order was established or modified. The ORS can review and adjust child support orders through its own administrative process without requiring a return to court, making modifications more accessible for parents who cannot afford attorney fees.
Common grounds for modification include:
- Significant increase or decrease in either parent's income (job loss, promotion, disability)
- Change in the number of overnights or custody arrangement
- Change in the child's medical or educational needs
- Change in childcare costs or health insurance premiums
- Emancipation of one of the children in the order
- Incarceration of the obligor parent for more than 180 days
To petition for modification, a parent files a motion with the district court in the county where the original order was entered. The filing fee for a motion to modify is separate from the initial $325 divorce filing fee. Parents who cannot afford filing fees may request a fee waiver using Utah Courts Form 1301GEG.
Enforcement of Utah Child Support Orders
The Utah Office of Recovery Services enforces child support orders using a comprehensive set of tools authorized by state and federal law. Income withholding (wage garnishment) is the default collection method, with a maximum of 50% of the obligor's disposable earnings per pay period. When a parent falls $2,500 or more behind in child support payments, the federal government denies passport applications and renewals. ORS also intercepts federal and state tax refunds, suspends driver's licenses, revokes professional and occupational licenses, places liens on real and personal property, levies bank accounts, and reports arrearages to credit bureaus.
Enforcement tools available to ORS:
- Income withholding from wages and salary (default method)
- Federal and state tax refund intercept
- Unemployment and workers' compensation benefit intercept
- Driver's license suspension
- Professional and occupational license suspension or revocation
- Passport denial at $2,500 or more in arrears
- Property liens and bank account levies
- Credit bureau reporting of arrearages
- Civil contempt proceedings (may result in community service or incarceration)
Parents can contact ORS directly at (801) 536-8500, Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, or email orswebcss@utah.gov for enforcement assistance.
Utah Child Support Duration and Termination
Child support in Utah typically continues until the child turns 18 years old, or until age 19 if the child is still enrolled full-time in high school. Under Utah Code § 81-6-204, support terminates automatically upon emancipation, which occurs when the child marries, joins the military, or is otherwise legally emancipated by a court. Utah does not require parents to pay child support through college unless both parents voluntarily agree to include post-secondary education support in their divorce decree or settlement agreement. Parents cannot retroactively reduce child support that has already accrued; past-due support (arrearages) remains enforceable even after the child reaches adulthood.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Utah in 2026?
Utah uses the Income Shares Model under Utah Code § 81-6-204, combining both parents' gross monthly incomes and looking up the base obligation in a statutory table covering combined incomes from $726 to $100,000/month. Each parent pays their proportional share. The guidelines tables were last updated January 1, 2023.
What is the minimum child support payment in Utah?
The minimum child support order in Utah is $30/month. This low-income threshold applies when the noncustodial parent's adjusted gross income is $649/month or less, or when the combined parental income falls between $650 and $1,050/month under the base combined child support obligation table in Utah Code § 81-6-304.
How many overnights trigger joint custody child support in Utah?
Each parent must have at least 111 overnights per year to qualify for the Joint Physical Custody Worksheet under Utah Code § 81-6-206. Below 111 overnights, Utah applies the sole physical custody calculation. The overnight reduction rate jumps from 0.27% to 0.84% per night at 131 overnights.
Can Utah courts impute income to an unemployed parent?
Yes. Under Utah Code § 81-6-203, courts may impute income to a voluntarily unemployed or underemployed parent based on employment potential and local prevailing wages. The default imputation is federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour) for 40 hours/week, approximately $1,257/month gross. A hearing with findings of fact is required before imputation.
How do I modify a child support order in Utah?
File a motion to modify in the district court where the original order was entered under Utah Code § 81-6-212. Modification requires a substantial change in circumstances, defined as a 10% or greater difference between the current order and the recalculated guideline amount, or 3 or more years since the last order.
Who pays for children's health insurance in Utah?
Both parents split the children's health insurance premiums equally (50/50) under Utah Code § 81-6-209. The children's portion is calculated per capita: total premium divided by persons covered, multiplied by the number of children. Uninsured medical and dental expenses, including deductibles and copays, are also split 50/50.
What happens if a parent does not pay child support in Utah?
The Office of Recovery Services (ORS) enforces orders through wage garnishment (up to 50% of disposable earnings), tax refund intercepts, license suspensions, bank levies, and property liens. At $2,500 or more in arrears, the federal government denies passport applications. ORS contact: (801) 536-8500.
Does child support in Utah cover college expenses?
No. Utah does not require parents to pay child support through college. Support terminates at age 18, or age 19 if the child is still enrolled full-time in high school. Parents may voluntarily agree to include post-secondary education support in their divorce decree, but courts cannot order it absent an agreement.
Where can I find the official Utah child support calculator?
The Office of Recovery Services (ORS) maintains Utah's official child support calculator at orscsc.dhs.utah.gov. The calculator applies current statutory guidelines under Utah Code Title 81, Chapter 6. Printable worksheets (Forms 1020FA and 1021) are available on the Utah Courts website at utcourts.gov.
Did Utah change its child support laws recently?
Yes. Effective September 1, 2024, Utah recodified its entire child support statutory framework from Title 78B, Chapter 12 to Title 81, Chapter 6 of the Utah Domestic Relations Code. The substantive guidelines remain the same, but all section numbers changed (e.g., former § 78B-12-301 became § 81-6-304).