Child support · Indiana · Income shares, weekly (Indiana Child Support Guidelines)
Indiana child support calculator 2026
Under the Indiana guidelines (income shares, weekly (Indiana Child Support Guidelines)), a parent with gross income of $5,000 a month paying support for one child to a parent earning $3,500 would pay about $693 a month, or $8,320 a year, before the court considers any deviation. For two children it is about $1,040 a month. Parenting time changes the amount in Indiana, so the calculator asks how many overnights the children spend with each parent.
Rules checked against the Indiana statute and guidelines (effective 14 May 2024) on .
One child, headline example
$693
a month
Two children
$1,040
a month
Model
Income shares, weekly (Indiana Child Support Guidelines)
parenting time counts
A year, one child
$8,320
headline example
Indiana child support by the paying parent's income
Guideline monthly support when the receiving parent earns $3,500 a month gross, with no health insurance or childcare add-ons and the children living mainly with the receiving parent. Net income is estimated from gross using the state's method.
| Payer's gross monthly income | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $417 | $627 | $782 |
| $3,000 | $480 | $720 | $900 |
| $4,000 | $589 | $885 | $1,105 |
| $5,000 | $693 | $1,040 | $1,300 |
| $6,000 | $783 | $1,174 | $1,467 |
| $7,500 | $945 | $1,418 | $1,773 |
| $10,000 | $1,162 | $1,743 | $2,179 |
| $15,000 | $1,571 | $2,294 | $2,804 |
How parenting time changes Indiana child support
Same incomes as the headline example ($5,000 and $3,500 a month, one child), with different overnights per year for the paying parent.
| Overnights a year with the paying parent | Monthly support |
|---|---|
| 0 | $693 |
| 52 | $627 |
| 104 | $480 |
| 146 | $296 |
| 182 (about half) | $240 |
Worked example, step by step
Indiana income shares, weekly worksheet (Indiana Child Support Guidelines, 2024 schedule).
| Step | Figure |
|---|---|
| Paying parent weekly gross income (monthly x 12 / 52) | $1,153.85 |
| Paying parent weekly adjusted income (line 1E) | $1,153.85 |
| Receiving parent weekly adjusted income | $807.69 |
| Combined weekly adjusted income (line 3) | $1,961.54 |
| Paying parent share of combined income (line 2) | 58.8% |
| Basic weekly obligation, 1 child (schedule row $1,960.00, line 4) | $272.00 |
| Total weekly child support obligation (line 5) | $272.00 |
| Paying parent obligation (line 6 = line 2 x line 5) | $160.00 |
| Recommended weekly child support (line 8) | $160.00 |
| Monthly equivalent (weekly x 52 / 12) | $693.33 |
What the guideline assumes
Indiana orders are set as a weekly amount. The monthly figure here is that weekly amount x 52 / 12 for comparison with other states.
Also worth knowing
Weekly gross income means income from any source before tax, with only the deductions the guidelines list (subsequent-born children, prior-born children, maintenance paid). The low-income adjustment is built into the shaded lower rows of the 2024 schedule and depends on combined income. Courts can deviate with written findings; the Child Support Obligation Worksheet filed with the court decides the order. Schedule effective 1 January 2024, amended 14 May 2024.
Get the official figure
Indiana publishes its own calculator, Indiana Supreme Court Child Support Calculator, which follows the same guidelines with every input the court uses. Use it, and a family law attorney or the state child support agency, before relying on any number here.
Courts can deviate
The guideline amount is a presumption, not a fixed rule. A judge can order more or less where the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate, for example for high incomes, special needs, or an agreement between the parents that the court approves.
Guides and definitions
- Long term capital gains tax: 2026 rates, brackets and examples (Guide)
- Child tax credit 2026: amount, income limits and who qualifies (Guide)
- Earned income tax credit: who qualifies and how much you get (Guide)
- Child Tax Credit (The Child Tax Credit cuts US federal tax by up to $2,200 per qualifying child under 17, with up to $1,700 refundable.)
- FICA (FICA is the US payroll tax for Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 in 2026) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% over $200,000).)
- Marginal tax rate (Your marginal tax rate is the share of your next pound or dollar of income that goes in tax and deductions.)
- Standard deduction (The standard deduction is the fixed amount US taxpayers subtract from income before federal tax: $16,100 single, $32,200 joint for 2026.)
- State Disability Insurance (SDI) (State Disability Insurance is a payroll deduction that funds short-term disability and paid family leave; California takes 1.3% of all wages in 2026.)
Child support in other states
- California (Statewide uniform guideline formula (income and time-share))
- Florida (Income shares (both parents’ net incomes combined))
- Illinois (Income shares (750 ILCS 5/505))
- Texas (Percentage of the paying parent’s net resources)
All states compared · Enter your own incomes, children and parenting time
Common questions
How is child support calculated in Indiana?
Indiana uses the Income shares, weekly (Indiana Child Support Guidelines) model. Indiana income shares, weekly worksheet (Indiana Child Support Guidelines, 2024 schedule). The court starts from the guideline amount and can adjust it.
How much is child support for one child in Indiana?
It depends on income. With the paying parent on $5,000 a month and the other parent on $3,500, the guideline amount is about $693 a month. On $4,000 it is about $589, and on $10,000 about $1,162.
How much is child support for two children in Indiana?
About $1,040 a month in the headline example, compared with $693 for one child. The guideline does not simply double for two children.
Does 50/50 custody mean no child support in Indiana?
Not necessarily. Equal time reduces the amount, and if both parents earn the same it can fall to near zero, but where incomes differ the higher earner usually still pays something under the Indiana formula.
Is this the amount a Indiana court will order?
No. It is a guideline estimate from the published rules, with net income estimated from gross. The actual order depends on the full worksheet, the evidence of each parent's income and any deviation the judge allows. Use Indiana's official calculator and get legal advice.
Sources and assumptions
- Gross monthly incomes as entered; net income for the formula is estimated with the state's standard method (single filer, standard deduction).
- No health insurance, childcare or other add-ons, and no support paid for other children, unless shown.
- Indiana Supreme Court order adopting the 2024 guidelines (17 Oct 2023, effective 1 Jan 2024)
- Indiana Supreme Court order amending the schedule (14 May 2024)
- Guideline Schedules for Weekly Support Payments (PDF)
- Parenting Time Credit Worksheet (PDF)
- Indiana Child Support Rules and Guidelines (rules.incourts.gov)
- DCS policy manual summary of the guidelines (2025)
- Indiana Supreme Court Child Support Calculator
A guideline estimate, not legal advice. The court decides child support.