Connecticut Child Support Calculator (2026)
Connecticut calculates child support under income-shares guidelines (CGS § 46b-215a (implementing regulations: Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 46b-215a-1 through 46b-215a-6)). Estimate the guideline amount below.
Income basis: combined net weekly income of both parents.
Enter the income above to see the guideline estimate.
Simplified guideline estimate, interpolated from the official schedule — before health-insurance, childcare, and parenting-time adjustments. For the exact figure use the official Connecticut calculator.
Your Case Details
Answer a few questions to see your estimated range.
Approximate gap between higher-earner and lower-earner.
Estimated Monthly Support
$840 — $1,560
State formulas vary significantly. This estimate uses national averages — your state's guidelines may produce a different number.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
Connecticut uses the income-shares model: both parents' incomes are combined and each parent owes their proportional share of the official schedule amount (CGS § 46b-215a (implementing regulations: Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 46b-215a-1 through 46b-215a-6)). Connecticut's official tables have extra dimensions this quick tool can't capture — use the official worksheet linked above for your figure; this page explains what drives it.
How Connecticut Calculates Child Support
Connecticut uses an income-shares model based on the parents' combined net weekly income and the number of children. Courts apply the official Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations (Conn. Agencies Regs. §46b-215a-2c), adopted by the Commission for Child Support Guidelines under CGS §46b-215a, which must review the guidelines every four years. The guidelines were substantially revised effective August 1, 2026 (the prior version had been effective since July 1, 2015), expanding the schedule from $4,000 to $6,000 in combined net weekly income (about $312,000/year) and adding a new worksheet (CCSG-1A) for families with more than two legally recognized parents. (Connecticut publishes its schedule only as scanned images, so this page runs in referral mode — use the official worksheet for exact figures.)
Statutory basis: CGS § 46b-215a (implementing regulations: Conn. Agencies Regs. §§ 46b-215a-1 through 46b-215a-6). Exact figure: official Connecticut calculator.
Worked Example
For an obligor with net weekly income below the $362 self-support reserve, the presumptive current support for one child is 10% of the obligor's net weekly income — e.g., a $300/week net income yields roughly $30/week in support — and parents with net weekly income under $150 owe no current support order. For combined net weekly income above the self-support reserve, the presumptive basic obligation is read directly off the official Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations for the parties' combined net weekly income and number of children, then divided between the parents in proportion to each parent's share of that combined income, before adding each parent's contribution toward qualified child-care and health-insurance costs.
When Courts Deviate From the Guideline
- Shared physical custody where each parent has substantially equal residential responsibility for the child
- Extraordinary disparity between the parents' incomes
- Total support obligation would exceed 55% of the obligor's net income
- Extraordinary expenses for the child's education, unreimbursed health care, or special needs
- More than two legally recognized parents under the Connecticut Parentage Act (new for the August 2026 revision)
- Other equitable factors that the court finds necessary to serve the best interests of the child
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a cap on how much child support can be ordered in Connecticut?
Not a hard dollar cap. The official schedule runs up to $6,000 in the parents' combined net weekly income (about $312,000/year) as of the August 1, 2026 guidelines revision — previously $4,000/week under the 2015 guidelines. Above that level, courts set support case-by-case, using the top of the schedule as a guide rather than a strict ceiling.
What counts as income under the Connecticut child support guidelines?
'Net income' starts from gross income — all earned and unearned income not specifically excluded, including wages, overtime, incentive pay, bonuses, and Social Security dependency benefits — minus allowable deductions such as federal/state income tax, Social Security and Medicare tax, health-insurance premiums for the parent, dependents and the child at issue, Paid Family and Medical Leave contributions, and existing court-ordered alimony or child support for other children.
How does shared custody affect the child support amount in Connecticut?
Substantially equal shared physical custody is a listed deviation criterion that can justify departing from the standard guideline figure, but Connecticut does not use a separate shared-custody percentage formula the way some other states do — the court still starts from the income-shares worksheet calculation and then applies its discretion to adjust for the actual custody split.
Until what age does child support run in Connecticut, and does it cover college?
Support generally continues until a child turns 18, or — if the child is still a full-time high school student — until graduation or age 19, whichever happens first. Connecticut courts can separately enter an 'educational support order' requiring a parent to help pay college costs if the parties agree or the court finds it appropriate, under CGS §46b-56c.