Arizona Native, 30+ Years in AZ•
ASU Graduate•
Business Owner Since 2006•
Last updated: August 26, 2026
Arizona calculates child support with the Income Shares Model in 12 steps
The court adds both parents’ gross monthly incomes, looks up that combined figure on the state’s Schedule of Basic Support Obligations, splits the result by each parent’s income share, then subtracts a parenting-time credit (0% to 50% of the basic amount) and credits the parent who pays the child’s health insurance or childcare. Two Arizona parents earning $5,000 and $3,000 a month with one child, 100 days of parenting time for the higher earner, and $150/month in insurance paid by that parent land at $435 per month.
The formula is set by the 2022 Arizona Child Support Guidelines (still the current version as of August 2026). Everything below uses the actual schedule and tables from that document.
I’ve lived in the Valley for over 30 years and run a business here since 2006, and the single most common family-law question I hear from business owners going through a split is some version of “what am I actually going to pay?” The honest answer is that Arizona’s formula is mechanical enough that you can estimate it yourself in ten minutes if someone shows you the real tables. That’s what this page does. No vague “it depends” — the actual schedule numbers, the actual parenting-time percentages, and three worked examples with Arizona incomes.
One thing up front: I’m not a lawyer and this isn’t legal advice. When it’s time to turn an estimate into a filed Child Support Worksheet, the East Valley option I point people to is Dynasty Legal Documents in Gilbert and Mesa, an Arizona Supreme Court certified legal document preparer that prepares the petition and worksheet for a fraction of attorney rates. More on that near the end.
The Arizona child support formula, step by step
The 2022 Guidelines lay the calculation out as 12 steps. In practice, seven of them do all the work. Here they are in the order the court’s worksheet runs them.
| Step | What the court does | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Determine each parent’s Child Support Income — gross, before taxes, from all sources | Guidelines §II.A |
| 2 | Subtract court-ordered spousal maintenance actually paid and support for children of other relationships | §II.B |
| 3 | Add the two adjusted incomes and look the total up on the Schedule of Basic Support Obligations for the number of children | §III.A + Schedule |
| 4 | Add adjustments: +10% per child 12 or older, the child’s share of medical/dental/vision premiums, work-related childcare, agreed private-school costs | §III.B |
| 5–6 | Split that combined obligation between the parents in proportion to income (a 60/40 income split means a 60/40 obligation split) | §IV |
| 7 | Subtract the parenting-time credit: the paying parent’s annual days, converted to a percentage of the basic obligation (table below) | §V.D |
| 8–9 | Credit the parent who actually pays the insurance or childcare directly, since that money is already spent on the child | §VI |
| 10 | Run the Self-Support Reserve Test so a low-income paying parent keeps at least 80% of full-time minimum wage | §VIII |
| 11–12 | Apply any deviation the judge finds appropriate, round to the nearest dollar, and enter the order | §IX–X |
Source: Arizona Judicial Branch, 2022 Child Support Guidelines (effective January 1, 2022, revised September 21, 2022). The full PDF including the schedule is hosted by the Maricopa County Superior Court.
How much is child support in AZ for 1 kid? (Real schedule numbers)
There is no flat rate. The starting point is the Basic Child Support Obligation, which the schedule sets by combined income. Below are the actual figures from the 2022 schedule for one, two, and three children at common Arizona household incomes. Remember: this is the total both parents are expected to spend on the kids each month — the paying parent’s share is a percentage of it, minus parenting-time and expense credits.
| Combined adjusted monthly income | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 | $574 | $874 | $1,057 |
| $4,000 | $750 | $1,123 | $1,349 |
| $5,000 | $883 | $1,332 | $1,596 |
| $6,000 | $953 | $1,429 | $1,700 |
| $7,000 | $1,031 | $1,548 | $1,845 |
| $8,000 | $1,092 | $1,622 | $1,912 |
| $10,000 | $1,274 | $1,889 | $2,224 |
| $12,000 | $1,416 | $2,088 | $2,443 |
| $15,000 | $1,650 | $2,415 | $2,801 |
| $20,000 | $1,991 | $2,912 | $3,376 |
Figures are the Basic Child Support Obligation from the Schedule in the 2022 Arizona Child Support Guidelines. The schedule runs in $50 increments from $750 to $30,000 of combined income; above $30,000 the $30,000 figure applies unless a parent asks the court for more. If your combined income falls exactly between two rows, the Guidelines say to round up.
The “how much for 1 kid” question almost always gets answered wrong online because people quote the schedule number as if it’s the payment. It isn’t. A parent earning 60% of the household income with one child at $5,000 combined starts at 60% of $883, or $530 — and that’s before the parenting-time credit and any insurance they pay directly. Read the worked example below before you panic or celebrate.
Worked example: a Mesa couple, one child, $8,000 combined
Parent A works in Tempe and earns $5,000 a month gross. Parent B lives in Mesa and earns $3,000. Their daughter is 9. Parent A has her about 100 days a year (alternating weekends plus a summer block) and carries her on an employer health plan; the child-only portion of the premium is $150 a month. No spousal maintenance, no other kids.
Change one input and the number moves fast. If Parent A’s time drops to 60 days (every other weekend only), the credit falls to 7.5% ($82) and the payment rises to $544. If the daughter turns 12, add 10% to the basic obligation ($109) before splitting, which pushes the payment up roughly $68. That sensitivity is exactly why the day-count in your parenting plan matters as much as the income figures.
The Arizona parenting time table (the actual percentages)
This is the piece most “Arizona child support calculator” pages get wrong, so here is the table exactly as it appears in Guidelines §V.D. Count the paying parent’s total parenting-time days per year, find the band, and multiply the percentage by the basic obligation (not the obligation with insurance and childcare added).
| Parenting-time days per year | Adjustment percentage | Typical schedule |
|---|---|---|
| 0–19 | 0% | Little or no contact |
| 20–34 | 2.5% | Occasional weekends |
| 35–49 | 5% | Every other weekend, no holidays |
| 50–69 | 7.5% | Every other weekend plus some holidays |
| 70–84 | 10% | Weekends plus a summer block |
| 85–99 | 15% | Weekends plus a weeknight |
| 100–114 | 17.5% | Extended weekends plus summer |
| 115–129 | 20% | Roughly one-third of the year |
| 130–142 | 25% | 5-2-2-5 with fewer holidays |
| 143–152 | 32.5% | Close to 40/60 |
| 153–163 | 40% | Just under equal |
| 164 or more | 50% | Essentially equal (week-on/week-off, 2-2-3) |
How days are counted. Each full 24-hour block is one day. Leftover time counts as one day if it’s 12+ hours, a half day for 6–11 hours, and a quarter day for 3–5 hours. A Friday 3 p.m. to Monday 8 a.m. weekend is three days (two full days plus 17 hours). Exchanges at school count from the end of the school day. Get this count right before you file — the court uses the schedule in the parenting plan, and a miscount of a few weekends a year can shift the band.
Who pays child support in 50/50 custody in Arizona?
The higher earner usually still pays, and equal time does not mean zero support. With essentially equal parenting time (164+ days each), both parents get a 50% credit against the basic obligation, and whatever is left flows from the higher-income parent to the lower-income parent. Here is a second example, this time a Gilbert couple with two kids on a week-on/week-off schedule.
The Guidelines are explicit that the parent with more parenting time can even end up paying the other parent when the numbers work out that way — for instance when the lower-time parent carries an expensive health plan for the child. Support and parenting time are separate obligations; withholding one is not a defense to the other.
What counts as income (and what doesn’t)
“Child Support Income” is broader than the number on your W-2 and is not the same as adjusted gross income for taxes. The Guidelines (§II.A) count income from any source before deductions.
- Wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, severance
- Self-employment: gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses (including half the self-employment tax)
- Rental income, dividends, interest, capital gains, trust income
- Pensions, Social Security, workers’ comp, unemployment, disability
- Military pay including BAH/BAS
- Recurring gifts, prizes, and spousal maintenance received
- Child support you receive for other children
- TANF, SSI, Nutrition Assistance, and other means-tested benefits
- A new spouse’s or stepparent’s income
- Overtime or a second job beyond full-time, in most cases — parents are allowed to work extra without raising support
- Income generated by divided marital property is counted; the property split itself is not
Business owners, read this twice. If you run an LLC or S-corp in the Valley, the court looks at what the business actually produces, not what you choose to pay yourself. Expense write-offs that reduce your personal living costs (a vehicle, a phone, meals) can be added back. Seasonal income is annualized — a teacher paid $7,000 for nine months is treated as $5,250 a month.
Under A.R.S. § 25-320(N), the court presumes every parent can earn at least full-time minimum wage. Arizona’s 2026 minimum wage is $15.15 per hour (Industrial Commission of Arizona), which works out to $2,626 a month at 40 hours a week. Flagstaff and Tucson set their own higher local minimums. Quit a good job to lower your support and the court can attribute the old income anyway, after weighing the reasons and the child’s best interests.
The add-ons: older kids, health insurance, childcare, private school
Children 12 and older: +10%
The Guidelines assume a teenager costs about 10% more than a younger child. The basic obligation goes up 10% for each child who has turned 12, prorated when only some of the kids qualify (as in the Gilbert example above). The adjustment kicks in the day after the twelfth birthday, and it’s a common reason to seek a modification on an older order.
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Only the portion of the premium attributable to the child is added. If your plan quotes employee-only versus employee-plus-children pricing, the difference divided by the number of covered kids is the number to use. If it doesn’t, the total premium divided by everyone covered is the fallback. The parent who pays the premium gets it credited back against their obligation. If both parents have comparable coverage available, the parent with more parenting time is normally assigned to carry it. Shopping for a plan? Our guide to health insurance in Arizona covers the marketplace and employer options.
Work-related childcare
Daycare or after-school care that lets a parent work or look for work is added to the obligation and annualized: $100 a month during the school year plus $400 a month in summer becomes $175 every month, not a number that swings with the calendar. The provider can’t be someone you claim as a dependent.
Private school and extraordinary expenses
Tuition and special-needs costs count only if both parents agree or the court orders them. Non-covered medical costs (copays, deductibles, braces) are not built into the monthly number. Instead the order assigns each parent a percentage, and the parent who pays has 180 days to request reimbursement.
The Self-Support Reserve: what’s the lowest child support can be?
Arizona doesn’t publish a flat minimum payment. Instead, Guidelines §VIII protect a paying parent’s ability to live on 80% of full-time minimum wage. For 2026 that reserve is roughly $2,101 a month ($2,626 × 0.80). The court subtracts the reserve from the paying parent’s adjusted income; if what’s left is less than the calculated support, the judge may reduce the order to that remainder. If what’s left is zero or negative, the court can order no support or a nominal amount.
Example: both parents earn full-time minimum wage ($2,626 each, $5,252 combined, rounded to the $5,250 row). One child, basic obligation $903, 50% share = $452. The paying parent’s income minus the reserve is $525 — more than $452 — so the full $452 stands. Drop that parent to 30 hours a week and the reserve test starts cutting the number. Two other rules: the reserve test only applies to current support, not arrears, and if the monthly amount would be less than the Support Clearinghouse fee the court doesn’t enter an award at all.
Deviations and the Rule 69 agreement
The Guidelines amount is presumed correct, but a judge must deviate when applying it would be “inappropriate or unjust,” after considering the child’s best interests. The court has to write down what the order would have been and what it is after the deviation. Circumstances the Guidelines specifically list include a large income gap where both parents have significant time, combined income over $30,000, one parent paying a disproportionate share of the child’s expenses, and long-distance travel costs for parenting time.
Parents can also agree to a different number. That’s the Rule 69 agreement people ask about: under Rule 69 of the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure, an agreement is binding if it’s in writing or stated on the record, and the court will accept a child support deviation by agreement only if both parents knew what the Guidelines amount would have been and signed without duress. Rounding to a whole dollar, compromising on an individual input, or applying the self-support reserve is not a deviation.
Changing an existing order: the 15% rule
Child support can be modified on a “substantial and continuing change in circumstances” under A.R.S. § 25-327. The Guidelines give you a shortcut: if running the current numbers produces an amount that differs from the existing order by 15% or more, that variance is itself evidence of changed circumstances and you can use the simplified modification procedure with the Supreme Court’s forms. A job loss, a raise, a child turning 12, a new parenting schedule, or a change in who carries insurance are the usual triggers. Note that support doesn’t automatically drop when one of several children ages out — you have to file to recalculate for the remaining kids.
When Arizona child support ends
The presumptive termination date is the last day of the month of the youngest child’s 18th birthday. If the child won’t have finished high school by then, support continues to the anticipated graduation month or age 19, whichever comes first. The worksheet calculates this date automatically and it must appear in any income withholding order. Arrears with interest survive termination, and the withholding order can stay in place until they’re paid.
Do you need a lawyer to file for child support in Arizona?
No. Arizona lets parents represent themselves, and for an uncontested establishment or modification most people have three realistic paths.
- Family law attorney. Necessary if income is disputed, a parent is hiding money, or custody itself is contested. Expect hourly billing.
- Do it yourself with the Maricopa County Superior Court calculator and the Self-Service Center forms. Free, but every rejected filing costs you weeks.
- Certified Legal Document Preparer (CLDP). Licensed by the Arizona Supreme Court to prepare court documents for people representing themselves. They can’t give legal advice or appear in court, but they run the worksheet, draft the petition, and file it correctly the first time. Here’s a plain-English breakdown of the difference between a CLDP and a paralegal.
Melissa Moy’s team prepares the Petition for Child Support, Petition to Modify, the Child Support Worksheet the court actually requires, Parenting Plans, and Income Withholding Orders, then files the package with the Clerk of Superior Court. They have a free Arizona child support calculator on their site, and a step-by-step guide on how to file for child support in Arizona without a lawyer. If the split also involves a divorce or maintenance, their Arizona divorce cost guide and spousal maintenance calculator cover the other two numbers that feed into this one.
Two more Arizona resources worth knowing: the DES Division of Child Support Services can establish, enforce, and modify orders for either parent regardless of income, and the state calculator information page explains the inputs the official tool asks for. For related planning around a separation, see our guides to living trust costs in Arizona and estate planning attorneys in Mesa, or browse everything in our Family Law section.
Arizona child support FAQ
How much child support will I pay if I make $2,000 a week in Arizona?
$2,000 a week is about $8,667 a month. The answer depends on the other parent’s income and your parenting time. If the other parent earns $3,000, combined income rounds to $11,650 and the one-child basic obligation is $1,386; your 74.3% share is about $1,030 before the parenting-time credit. With 100 days a year (17.5% of $1,386, or $243) you’d be near $787 before insurance credits. Run your exact numbers through the Dynasty Legal calculator or the Maricopa County tool.
What is the average child support payment in Arizona?
The state doesn’t publish an average order amount, and any site quoting one without a source is guessing. What is published is the schedule: for one child the basic obligation ranges from $159 at $750 combined income to $1,991 at $20,000. The paying parent’s actual order is a share of that figure, reduced by parenting time.
Is Arizona a “mother’s rights” state?
No. Arizona law is gender-neutral on legal decision-making, parenting time, and support. The child support formula only asks who earns what and who has the child how many days; it never asks which parent is the mother.
Is child support taxable in Arizona?
No. Child support is neither taxable income to the recipient nor deductible by the payer. Spousal maintenance ordered after December 31, 2018 is treated the same way under federal law, which is why the Guidelines let a paying parent adjust for the pre-tax cost of maintenance.
Who claims the child on taxes?
Unless the parents agree otherwise, the child tax credit is allocated in proportion to income. A parent earning two-thirds of the combined income claims the child two years out of three. The court can condition that right on the paying parent being fully current by December 31, and the receiving parent can claim the year if the payer isn’t.
Can child support be used for anything?
Yes, in the sense that the receiving parent is presumed to spend it on the child and doesn’t have to account for it line by line. It’s meant to cover the child’s share of housing, food, clothing, transportation, and ordinary expenses in that household.
How much can child support take per paycheck?
Arizona orders are usually collected through an Income Withholding Order sent to the employer and routed through the Support Clearinghouse. Withholding covers the monthly order plus any ordered arrears payment, spread evenly across pay periods, up to the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act limits (50%–65% of disposable earnings depending on circumstances).
Were the Arizona child support guidelines updated for 2026?
No. The Guidelines in force are the 2022 version (effective January 1, 2022, revised September 21, 2022). Arizona reviews its guidelines every four years and the next quadrennial review was scheduled to begin in 2024; as of August 2026 no replacement guidelines have been adopted. What does change every January is the minimum wage, which moves the self-support reserve and the attributed-income floor.
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