Tips for Using the Kentucky Child Support Calculator

In Kentucky, child support is calculated based on multiple factors. These include the number of children being supported, whether either parent is currently supporting other children, and others. From the court's perspective, the goal is to provide each child with the same degree of financial support he or she would have received if the parents had stayed together. Therefore, the state of Kentucky takes both parents' income into consideration, as opposed to looking only at the non-custodial parent's income. To help parents estimate child support, the state provides an official Kentucky child support calculator on their website. To achieve the most accurate estimate, use the tips below:

• Remember that the state's online child support calculator only provides an estimate of the child support you will owe or receive
• To the best of your ability, enter accurate income and expense data for both parents
• If you do not have access to your ex's income and expense data, you will need to enter an estimate for now
• Be sure to include any child support payments that are currently being deducted from either parent's income
• When calculating health insurance premiums, only include the amount being on behalf of the child (or children) in question, as opposed to the entire family
• When entering income, select the appropriate time frame (such as annually, monthly, or weekly); getting this wrong will through off Kentucky's child support calculator and give you an incorrect amount
• Once you've entered all of the data, print out the estimate to share with your attorney
• Avoid using other sites on the Internet to estimate Kentucky child support; you'll get the most accurate estimate using the calculator provided by the state

• Number of children
• Current child support amount (if applicable)
• The custodial parent's gross (pre-tax) income 
• Child-related expenses being paid by the custodial parent, including automatic child support deductions, child support being paid to other children, child care costs, and health insurance premiums being paid on behalf of the child or children in question
• The non-custodial parent's gross (pre-tax) income
• Child-related expenses being paid by the non-custodial parent, including automatic child support deductions, child support being paid to other children, child care costs, and health insurance premiums being paid on behalf of the child or children in question

According to the U.S. Census, the median income in Kentucky is $43,036 per year. Say that two parents have one child. In this scenario, the custodial parent earns $17,214.40, and the noncustodial parent earns $25,821.60. According to the Kentucky child support calculator, the noncustodial parent would owe the custodial parent $315.60 per month. Naturally, that number would be adjusted for child care or health insurance costs. For instance, if the noncustodial parent in this scenario were paying $100 per month for the child's health coverage, then the child support owed per month would come down to $275.60 according to the Kentucky child support calculator.

Note: The sample calculations shown here are based on data entered into the Kentucky child support calculator on September 6, 2015.