Calculation is client-side, income figures are never transmitted or stored.
How West Virginia Child Support Is Calculated
- Add both parents' monthly gross income (minus allowed deductions such as preexisting child support and student loan payments) to get combined adjusted gross income, then look up the West Virginia Monthly Basic Child Support Obligations table for the total number of children.
- Each parent's share of that amount (plus work-related child care and extraordinary medical/other expenses) is their percentage of combined adjusted gross income.
- If the paying parent's own adjusted gross income is below $2,600/month, an Ability to Pay Calculation applies: their spendable income (80% of their income) minus the $997 Self-Support Reserve (floored at $50) caps the final order, if that figure is lower than the standard recommended amount.
- Above $35,000/month combined income, an exact extended formula applies: the $35,000-level amount plus a fixed percentage of the income above $35,000 (0.088 for one child, up to 0.196 for six).
- This calculator models Worksheet A, used when the parent with less time has under 35% (127) of the year's overnights. Extended Shared Parenting (35%+ overnights) and Split Physical Custody use different worksheets, not modeled here.
West Virginia Child Support Worksheet Walkthrough
Example: Parent A earns $3,000/month, Parent B earns $2,000/month (combined $5,000). There are two children, who live primarily with Parent B.
- Combined adjusted gross monthly income: $3,000 + $2,000 = $5,000.
- Basic Child Support Obligations table at $5,000 combined, two children: about $1,181.
- Parent A's income share: $3,000 / $5,000 = 60%.
- Parent A pays: $1,181 x 60% = $709/month.
How This Calculator Works — Formula & Constants
Source: West Virginia Legislature — W. Va. Code §§ 48-13-301 to 48-13-403 · Calcul déterministe — no AI, no arbitrary estimate.
Constants used
| Constant | Value | Source |
|---|
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
Deterministic calculation based on West Virginia's official guideline schedule table. Verify against West Virginia's official calculator for a court-ready figure.
FAQ
How is child support calculated in West Virginia?
Add both parents' monthly gross income (minus allowed deductions such as preexisting child support and student loan payments) to get combined adjusted gross income, then look up the West Virginia Monthly Basic Child Support Obligations table for the total number of children. Each parent's share of that amount (plus work-related child care and extraordinary medical/other expenses) is their percentage of combined adjusted gross income. If the paying parent's own adjusted gross income is below $2,600/month, an Ability to Pay Calculation applies: their spendable income (80% of their income) minus the $997 Self-Support Reserve (floored at $50) caps the final order, if that figure is lower than the standard recommended amount. Above $35,000/month combined income, an exact extended formula applies: the $35,000-level amount plus a fixed percentage of the income above $35,000 (0.088 for one child, up to 0.196 for six). This calculator models Worksheet A, used when the parent with less time has under 35% (127) of the year's overnights. Extended Shared Parenting (35%+ overnights) and Split Physical Custody use different worksheets, not modeled here.
What is West Virginia's Ability to Pay Calculation?
When the paying parent's own adjusted gross income is below $2,600/month, West Virginia caps the support order at that parent's spendable income (80% of their income) minus a $997 Self-Support Reserve (floored at $50), if that figure is lower than the standard recommended order.
What happens above the $35,000/month cap in West Virginia?
W. Va. Code 48-13-303 provides an exact extended formula: the amount at the $35,000 combined-income level, plus a fixed percentage of income above $35,000 (ranging from 8.8% for one child to 19.6% for six children) -- not left entirely to court discretion.
What is West Virginia's Extended Shared Parenting worksheet?
When the parent with less time has 35% or more of the year's overnights, West Virginia uses Worksheet B instead: the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.6, and each parent is credited for the share of time they retain the child, with the final amounts offset. This is different from the standard Worksheet A this calculator uses.
Methodology & Source
Formula model: income shares. Effective 2023-01-01, guideline version 2023-WV-v1, last reviewed 2026-07-13.
Official source: West Virginia Legislature — W. Va. Code §§ 48-13-301 to 48-13-403 (W. Va. Code §§ 48-13-301, 48-13-302, 48-13-303, 48-13-403).
Below $550/month combined gross income, W. Va. Code 48-13-302 sets the obligation at a flat $50/month (or a discretionary amount) -- this calculator instead uses the table's own $550 row for any income at or below that level, which may slightly overstate very-low-income cases. This calculator models Worksheet A (W. Va. Code 48-13-403), used when the parent with less time has under 35% (127) of the year's overnights. It does not model Extended Shared Parenting (Worksheet B, W. Va. Code 48-13-502, when the parent with less time has 35% or more of overnights -- a materially different calculation multiplying the basic obligation by 1.6 and cross-crediting each parent for their own overnight share) or Split Physical Custody.
Guideline figures transcribed from the primary source above and cross-checked against West Virginia's official calculator/worksheet for multiple test scenarios — see our verification methodology.