How New Jersey calculates child support
The New Jersey Child Support Guidelines (Rules of Court, Appendix IX) apply in every child support case, including temporary and agreed orders. The amount they produce is presumed to be correct. A judge who orders a different amount must say why in writing.
New Jersey uses an income shares model: support is based on what families with the same combined income spend on their children, and each parent pays in proportion to income.
- Each parent’s net income.
Each parent’s weekly net income is gross taxable income minus mandatory retirement contributions, alimony paid, income tax withholding (federal, state, Social Security and Medicare), mandatory union dues and other child support orders, plus alimony received and non-taxable income. - Combined net income.
Add the two weekly net incomes. - Basic award.
Look up the combined income and number of children in the Appendix IX-F schedule. - Add costs.
Add net work-related child care and the children’s share of health insurance. - Split by income.
Each parent owes their percentage of the total. The parent the children live with is presumed to spend their share directly. - Credits.
The paying parent is credited for child care and insurance they pay, and may get a parenting-time adjustment: the basic award × their share of overnights × 37%. - Self-support reserve.
Check that the paying parent keeps at least $460 a week (see below).
The schedule (Appendix IX-F)
The schedule in effect since September 1, 2025 lists the basic weekly award by combined net weekly income, from $180 to $3,600. Selected rows:
| Combined net weekly income | One child | Two children |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $293 | $339 |
| $1,500 | $369 | $420 |
| $2,000 | $425 | $481 |
| $2,500 | $481 | $538 |
Below $180 a week combined, the court sets support from the paying parent’s income and expenses and the children’s needs, generally between $5 a week and the $180 amount. Above $3,600 a week ($187,200 a year), the award at $3,600 is the minimum and the court adds a discretionary amount based on the factors in N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23.
Source: Appendix IX-F, Schedule of Child Support Awards.
Parenting time: sole or shared parenting
- Sole parenting applies when the other parent has the children less than about 28% of overnights (two a week). That parent may still get the parenting-time adjustment described above.
- Shared parenting may apply at about 28% of overnights or more, if a parenting plan is filed or ordered and the other parent keeps separate living space for the children. Even then, a shared-parenting award is not presumed; the court decides.
Costs added to the basic award
| Item | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Work-related child care | The net cost, after tax credits, is added. From June 1, 2026 it counts for children under 13. |
| Children’s health insurance | The cost of adding the children to the policy is added. |
| Unreimbursed health costs over $250 per child a year | Added if predictable and recurring; otherwise shared by income as they arise. |
| First order entered when a child is 12 or older | The award is adjusted upward by 14.6%. |
The self-support reserve
The self-support reserve protects a paying parent with very low income. Under the amendments effective June 1, 2026, it is $460 a week, which is 150% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for one person (2026 Supreme Court order).
Subtract the order from the paying parent’s net income. If less than $460 is left, and the other parent would still have more than $460, the order is reduced to the paying parent’s net income minus $460. If both parents are below the reserve, no reduction is made.
Worked example
One child lives with Parent B. Parent A has net income of $1,200 a week and Parent B $800 a week. Parent B pays $100 a week in net work-related child care. Parent A has no regular overnights.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Combined net weekly income | $1,200 + $800 | $2,000 |
| Parent A’s share of income | $1,200 ÷ $2,000 | 60% |
| Basic award, one child (Appendix IX-F) | Schedule row $2,000 | $425 |
| Add net child care | $425 + $100 | $525 |
| Parent A’s share of the total | $525 × 60% | $315 |
| Self-support reserve check | $1,200 − $315 = $885, above $460 | Not triggered |
| Weekly order (Parent A pays) | $315 a week |
Without the child care cost, Parent A would pay $255 a week. A real calculation uses the full worksheet, including taxes, credits and any parenting-time adjustment. These figures come from LawCat’s calculator, which follows the sole-parenting worksheet line by line.
When child support ends
Under N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.67, support ends automatically when the child turns 19, unless a court order sets a later date. That date cannot be after the child turns 23. Support also ends if the child marries, dies or enters the military.
- Before the child turns 19, the parent receiving support can ask in writing to continue it while the child is still in high school, is a full-time college or other post-secondary student, or has a disability that began before 19.
- Support for a child with a severe mental or physical incapacity can continue past 23 if an order provides for it.
Changing an order
A parent files a motion and shows a change in circumstances since the order. New guideline figures alone are not enough. Support generally cannot be changed for any period before the motion was filed, or before notice of it was mailed if the motion follows within 45 days (N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.23a).
Estimate your own case. LawCat’s New Jersey calculator follows the sole-parenting worksheet and shows every line. It never asks for names and does not save your answers.
Open the New Jersey calculator →About the calculator · New Jersey divorce guide · Is child support taxable?
Official sources
- Appendix IX-A, Considerations in the Use of Child Support Guidelines (amendments effective June 1, 2026)
- Appendix IX-B, Use of the Child Support Guidelines — line instructions (effective June 1, 2026)
- Appendix IX-F, Schedule of Child Support Awards (effective September 1, 2025)
- Appendix IX-C, Sole-Parenting Worksheet (CN 10788)
- Order, annual updating amendments to Appendices IX-A, IX-B, IX-E and IX-H (effective June 1, 2026)
- N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.67 (when child support ends)
- N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.23a (no retroactive changes)
- N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 (support factors)
Questions people ask
How is child support calculated in New Jersey?
New Jersey uses an income shares model. Add both parents’ weekly net incomes, find the basic award for that income and number of children in the Appendix IX-F schedule, add work-related child care and the children’s health insurance, and divide the total by each parent’s share of income. Credits and a $460 weekly self-support reserve can lower the order.
What is the maximum income for New Jersey child support?
The schedule stops at $3,600 of combined net income a week, or $187,200 a year. Above that, the award at $3,600 is the minimum and the court adds a discretionary amount based on the statutory factors.
When does child support end in New Jersey?
Support ends automatically at 19 unless a court order sets a later date, which cannot be after age 23. It also ends if the child marries, dies or enters the military. Support for a child with a severe disability can continue past 23 (N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.67).
How many overnights do you need for shared parenting support in New Jersey?
About 28% of overnights, the equivalent of two a week, with a parenting plan and separate living space for the children. Even then, a shared-parenting award is not presumed; the court decides.
Page updated October 14, 2026. Figures change; confirm them with the official sources above.