What is the right amount of child support?

Here are the guidelines that affect the amount of child support in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. The child support calculator defines the upper limits on combined incomes in Virginia, DC and Maryland.

Check these guidelines to determine if you should pay or receive child support. These calculators also help with the amount of child support.

Child Support Calculator in Maryland

Maryland recently revised its statute to increase the income limit of the child support guideline to combined monthly income of $15,000, and increase support payable at all income levels.  The Maryland guidelines do not explicitly apply to cases where combined monthly income exceeds $15,000.

Maryland case law suggests that it can be appropriate to determine the amount of child support in above guidelines cases by extrapolating at the marginal rate applicable at the highest guidelines bracket.  The most popular Maryland child support calculator, SASI-CALC, extrapolates in that way.

Child Support Calculator in Washington, DC

The District of Columbia child support guidelines apply up to combined monthly income of $20,000.  The District’s guidelines do not apply to cases where the parent’s combined income exceeds $20,000 per month. The amount of child support cannot be less than it would be at $20,000 combined income.

Child Support Calculator in Virginia

The Virginia statutory child support charts end at combined monthly income of $10,000. The statute explicitly provides for the rate of child support on monthly incomes exceeding $10,000.

For example, the total amount of child support for two children increases $5.10 for each $100 dollars of combined income between $10,000 and $20,000.  So no case is “above the guidelines” in Virginia.