Rhode Island Child Support Calculator (2026)
Rhode Island calculates child support under income-shares guidelines (R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2; Family Court Administrative Order 2023-02). Estimate the guideline amount below.
Income basis: combined monthly adjusted gross income.
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 Rhode Island 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
Rhode Island uses the income-shares model: both parents' incomes are combined, the official schedule sets a basic support obligation, and each parent owes their proportional share (R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2; Family Court Administrative Order 2023-02). The calculator above interpolates the official schedule for a quick estimate — health-insurance, child-care, and parenting-time adjustments come on top.
How Rhode Island Calculates Child Support
Rhode Island uses the Income Shares Model under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2(a), applied to the parties' combined monthly adjusted gross income via the official Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations and the FC-78 Child Support Guideline Worksheet. The current schedule was adopted by Family Court Administrative Order 2023-02 (signed June 22, 2023, effective July 1, 2023), built from 2021 Betson-Rothbarth child-rearing-cost measurements updated to August 2022 price levels; the next quadrennial review is due no later than May 2027. The worksheet nets 'Monthly Gross Income' against required deductions (preexisting child support, health insurance/medical cash contributions, additional minor dependents, work-related child care cost share) to reach 'Monthly Adjusted Gross Income,' which is then looked up on the schedule.
Statutory basis: R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2; Family Court Administrative Order 2023-02. Exact figure: official Rhode Island calculator.
Official Schedule — Excerpt
Basic support obligation at selected combined incomes (combined monthly adjusted gross income), from the official Rhode Island schedule:
| Combined income | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,350 | $637 | $980 | $1,173 |
| $5,000 | $916 | $1,379 | $1,655 |
| $7,500 | $1,140 | $1,737 | $2,097 |
| $10,000 | $1,323 | $1,988 | $2,393 |
Worked Example
Two parents have a combined monthly adjusted gross income of $5,000 and 2 children: Parent A earns $3,000/month (60% share) and Parent B earns $2,000/month (40% share). On the 2023 Schedule, the basic obligation for 2 children at $5,000/month combined is $1,379. If Parent B is the noncustodial parent, Parent B's presumptive support obligation (FC-78 worksheet Line 9) is 40% × $1,379 = $551.60/month, before adding each parent's pro rata share of work-related child care costs and any 'cash medical' contribution (the schedule already builds in $250 per child per year for ordinary medical expenses).
When Courts Deviate From the Guideline
- The financial resources of the child
- The financial resources of the custodial parent
- The standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the family remained intact
- The physical and emotional condition of the child and the child's educational needs
- The financial resources and needs of the noncustodial parent
- Actual, documented circumstances of the obligated parent must be used whenever reasonably possible instead of automatic imputation of income, and incarceration may not be treated as the equivalent of voluntary unemployment
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a maximum (cap) on child support amounts in Rhode Island?
Not a hard statutory ceiling. The official schedule stops at a combined monthly adjusted gross income of $40,000 (about $480,000/year), where the basic obligation tops out at $3,281 for one child up to $7,498 for six children. Above that level, Administrative Order 2023-02's 'High Wage Earner Guideline' (Exhibit 9) has the court calculate the family's income as a ratio of the $40,000 table maximum, multiply that ratio by the top-of-table obligation, and divide the result by income share — so support can still grow proportionally beyond $40,000/month combined income.
What counts as income on the Rhode Island Child Support Guideline Worksheet?
The FC-78 worksheet starts with each parent's 'Monthly Gross Income' (Line 1), then subtracts required deductions — preexisting child support payments, health insurance premiums or medical cash contributions, additional minor dependents, and each parent's work-related child care cost share — plus any court-ordered optional adjustments (pension/retirement payments, life insurance premiums, extraordinary medical expenses, income tax exemption adjustments, or payments toward assigned marital debt) to reach 'Monthly Adjusted Gross Income' (Line 4).
How does shared or split custody change the Rhode Island calculation?
The standard schedule presumes the noncustodial parent has the child overnight at least 20% of the time. Under Administrative Order 2018-01, when each parent has at least 49% of overnight time ('shared placement'), the worksheet (Exhibit 8) calculates each parent's presumptive obligation and the parent with the larger obligation pays the difference. For 'split placement' (each parent has primary placement of at least one child, Exhibit 7), each parent's obligation runs as if they were the noncustodial parent for the children in the other home, and the two amounts are netted.
Until what age does child support run in Rhode Island, and does it cover college?
Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2(b), the court may, in its discretion, extend support for a child attending high school at the time of their 18th birthday and for 90 days after graduation, but in no case beyond the 19th birthday. The statute does not provide for support to continue into college beyond that window.