Calculation is client-side, income figures are never transmitted or stored.
How Colorado Child Support Is Calculated
- Combine both parents' adjusted gross incomes to get combined adjusted gross income.
- Look up the basic child support obligation from the official Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations for that combined income and number of children.
- Each parent's share equals their income divided by the combined income, applied to the basic obligation.
- Apply the Parenting Time Table: each parent's annual overnights map to a graduated credit percentage (0% at 0 overnights up to 100% at 365), replacing the old 92-overnight cliff under HB 25-1159 (effective 2026-03-01).
- If the paying parent's income is at or below the self-support reserve (state minimum wage x 29 hrs/week x 50 weeks/year / 12), a reduced low-income adjustment may apply instead.
- Above $40,000/month combined income, courts use discretion but the amount must not be less than the $40,000-bracket amount.
Colorado Child Support Worksheet Walkthrough
Example: combined income $6,000/month, 2 children, Parent A earns $3,600/mo (60% share) and has 110 overnights/year, Parent B earns $2,400/mo (40% share).
- Basic child support obligation for $6,000 combined (interpolated near $5,850-$6,800 bracket), 2 children: ≈$1,600/month.
- Parent A's share: 60% × $1,600 ≈ $960/month.
- Parenting Time credit at 110 overnights: 18.41% × $1,600 ≈ $295 subtracted from Parent A's share.
- Parent A pays approximately $665/month guideline child support.
How This Calculator Works — Formula & Constants
Source: Colorado Revised Statutes (via HB 25-1159, 2025 session) · Calcul déterministe — no AI, no arbitrary estimate.
Constants used
| Constant | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Self-support reserve | $1,832/mo | C.R.S. § 14-10-115 |
| Custody adjustment | Graduated overnight-credit table | C.R.S. § 14-10-115 |
Formula
base_obligation = schedule_lookup(combined_income, children)
share_B = parentB_income / combined_income
total_obligation = base_obligation + childcare_cost + health_insurance_cost
obligation_B = total_obligation × share_B
obligation_B = obligation_B × (1 - custody_credit(overnights))
Deterministic calculation based on Colorado's official guideline schedule table. Verify against Colorado's official calculator for a court-ready figure.
FAQ
How is child support calculated in Colorado?
Combine both parents' adjusted gross incomes to get combined adjusted gross income. Look up the basic child support obligation from the official Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations for that combined income and number of children. Each parent's share equals their income divided by the combined income, applied to the basic obligation. Apply the Parenting Time Table: each parent's annual overnights map to a graduated credit percentage (0% at 0 overnights up to 100% at 365), replacing the old 92-overnight cliff under HB 25-1159 (effective 2026-03-01). If the paying parent's income is at or below the self-support reserve (state minimum wage x 29 hrs/week x 50 weeks/year / 12), a reduced low-income adjustment may apply instead. Above $40,000/month combined income, courts use discretion but the amount must not be less than the $40,000-bracket amount.
How does Colorado's new Parenting Time Table work (HB 25-1159)?
Colorado replaced its old 92-overnight cliff with a graduated Parenting Time Table under HB 25-1159, effective 2026-03-01. Annual overnights now map to a smoothly increasing credit percentage — 0% at 0 overnights up to 100% at 365 — so every additional overnight incrementally lowers the paying parent's obligation, instead of only qualifying for a credit once you crossed a fixed day-count.
What is Colorado's self-support reserve?
Colorado's self-support reserve is calculated from the state minimum wage: hourly minimum wage × 29 hours/week × 50 weeks/year ÷ 12 months, which comes to $1,832/month using the 2026 Colorado minimum wage of $15.16/hour. If the paying parent's income falls at or below this level, a reduced low-income adjustment may apply instead of the standard formula.
What happens if combined income is above $40,000/month?
Colorado's official schedule extends to $40,000/month in combined gross income. Above that, courts use discretion to determine the appropriate amount, but the order cannot be set lower than the $40,000-bracket amount — the schedule acts as a floor rather than a hard ceiling above that point.
Methodology & Source
Formula model: income shares. Effective 2026-03-01, guideline version 2026-CO-HB25-1159-v1, last reviewed 2026-07-11.
Official source: Colorado Revised Statutes (via HB 25-1159, 2025 session) (C.R.S. § 14-10-115).
Courts may deviate from the guideline amount for documented reasons — this calculator shows the presumptive guideline amount only, not a court order. Above $40,000/month combined income, courts use discretion but the amount must not be less than the $40,000-bracket amount.
Guideline figures transcribed from the primary source above and cross-checked against Colorado's official calculator/worksheet for multiple test scenarios — see our verification methodology.