Vermont Child Support Calculator

Vermont uses the income shares model under 15 V.S.A. § 656, combining both parents' available incomes and applying the state's Table of Intact Family Expenditures on Children. The total obligation is divided proportionally based on each parent's share of combined income. Adjustments are added for childcare, extraordinary medical expenses, and health insurance premiums. The guideline tables were last updated January 2, 2024.

Vermont converts each parent's gross monthly income to available income by subtracting federal, state, and FICA taxes using standardized Tax Conversion Tables under 15 V.S.A. § 656. Gross income includes wages, self-employment earnings, investment income, and benefits. If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court may impute potential income based on earning capacity. The presumed income figure is $95,449.50 as of July 2025.

Vermont uses different Tax Conversion Tables depending on custody arrangement — one for sole and split custody, another for shared custody cases under 15 V.S.A. § 656. In sole custody, the noncustodial parent pays their proportional share to the custodial parent. In shared custody arrangements, both parents' time with the child and respective incomes factor into a modified calculation that accounts for duplicated household expenses.

Vermont allows child support modification under 15 V.S.A. § 660 upon showing a real, substantial, and unanticipated change of circumstances such as job loss or income change. If the existing order deviates more than 10% from current guideline amounts, that automatically qualifies as a substantial change. After three years without modification, the court may waive the changed-circumstances requirement entirely. Either parent or the Office of Child Support may file the motion.

Vermont's base child support covers housing, food, clothing, and transportation costs from the Table of Intact Family Expenditures. Courts add adjustments for reasonable childcare costs required for employment, extraordinary medical and educational expenses, and children's health insurance premiums under 15 V.S.A. § 656. Health insurance is presumed reasonable when premiums cost 5% or less of a parent's gross income under 15 V.S.A. § 658.

Vermont sets a self-support reserve of $1,596 per month as of February 2026 to ensure noncustodial parents maintain a minimum standard of living under 15 V.S.A. § 656. If paying the guideline amount would reduce income below this reserve, support is set at the difference between available income and the reserve. For very low-income parents below the lowest guideline figure, the court sets a nominal support amount using discretionary factors under 15 V.S.A. § 659.

Vermont child support continues until the child reaches age 18 or completes secondary education, whichever occurs later, under 15 V.S.A. § 658. If parties agree, the court may include additional support designated for postsecondary education under 15 V.S.A. § 659. When an older sibling ages out, the paying parent must file a motion to modify the order for remaining minor children — the amount does not adjust automatically.

Vermont enforces child support through multiple mechanisms under 15 V.S.A. § 603. Courts can impose a 10% penalty on amounts overdue by more than 30 days, order wage withholding after 7 days of delinquency, and hold the parent in contempt of court. The Office of Child Support may suspend professional, driver's, hunting, and fishing licenses when arrears reach one-quarter of the annual obligation under 15 V.S.A. § 798. The delinquent parent may also be ordered to pay the other parent's attorney fees.