Does 50/50 custody mean no child support?
No: in every state we cover, the higher earner can still owe support at 50/50, because the formulas split the cost of the children by income, not only by time.[3][4][6][8][9] Child support only drops to zero at equal time when the incomes are equal, or when a court deviates.
| State | Shared custody rule | Every other weekend (about 80 nights) | Equal time (182 nights) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | No formula; time is a deviation factor | $991.37 | $991.37 |
| New York | No formula; time is a deviation factor | $941.97 | $941.97 |
| Ohio | Flat 10% off at 90+ overnights; more only by deviation | $729.70 | $656.73 |
| Florida | 73+ overnights each: × 1.5 and cross-multiply | $769.19 | $182.94 |
| North Carolina | 123+ overnights each: Worksheet B, × 1.5 | $775.20 | $196.45 |
| Illinois | 146+ overnights each: × 1.5 and cross-credit | $829.27 | $188.55 |
| Pennsylvania | 40%+ of overnights: share cut by (time − 30) points | $859.85 | $569.65 |
| Georgia | Every day counts: N^2.5 formula (since 2026) | $719.51 | $132.90 |
| California | Every percent counts: K × (1 + H%) | $920.49 | $281.25 |
Florida, Pennsylvania and California use net income, so their rows use net figures of $4,800 and $3,300; the other states start from gross income. Every number comes from the same code as our state calculators.
Three ways states handle shared custody
States handle shared custody with a threshold formula, a continuous formula, or no formula at all.
- Threshold formulas. Below a set number of overnights nothing changes; above it, a cross-credit formula applies, usually multiplying the basic obligation by 1.5 to reflect the cost of two homes. Florida starts at 73 overnights for each parent, North Carolina at 123, Illinois at 146, and Pennsylvania at 40% of overnights for the paying parent.[4][6][8][9]
- Continuous formulas. California’s formula uses the higher earner’s percentage of time directly, and Georgia, since January 1, 2026, raises each parent’s days to the power 2.5. Every additional overnight changes the amount.[3][5]
- No formula. Texas and New York apply the same percentage whatever the schedule; parenting time is only a reason the court may deviate. Ohio gives a flat 10% reduction at 90 overnights and leaves anything more to the court.[2][7][10]
Who pays child support with 50/50 custody?
With equal time, the parent with the higher income normally pays. Pennsylvania’s rule says so directly and also caps the payment so the receiving household does not end up with more income than the paying one.[9] Georgia treats the lower earner as the custodial parent when time is exactly equal, and California’s formula sends the payment from the higher earner unless the lower earner has much less time.[5][3]
How the 1.5 multiplier works
Threshold states multiply the basic obligation by 1.5 once time is shared, then credit each parent for the overnights the children spend with them.[4][8][6] Because the total is raised before the credit, the shared-custody amount is not simply the primary-custody amount cut in half: in the table above, North Carolina’s amount at equal time is $196 against $775 at 80 nights, not zero.
What else changes with shared custody
Add-ons such as child care and health insurance still split by income in most states. North Carolina’s shaded low-income area does not apply to shared custody, and in Illinois a change already enacted lowers the shared care threshold to 110 overnights from January 1, 2027.[6][8] Federal rules require every state to base support on each parent’s ability to pay, which is why time alone does not settle the amount.[1]
Colorado (since March 1, 2026) and Minnesota also count every overnight; see the Colorado child support calculator and the MN child support calculator. New Jersey switches to a shared parenting worksheet at 28% of overnights (NJ child support calculator), Arizona adjusts from 20 days a year (Arizona child support calculator), and Washington, like Texas and New York, has no time formula (Washington state child support calculator).
To run your own numbers, use the child support calculator by state. For the bigger picture, read how much child support is in each state and how child support is calculated.
Estimates, not orders. Courts decide custody schedules and support, and can deviate from any guideline. Not legal advice; see our legal disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
Do you pay child support with 50/50 custody?
Usually the higher earner does. Most state formulas split costs by income, so equal time reduces support but does not end it unless incomes are about equal.
How many overnights count as shared custody?
It depends on the state: 73 a year for each parent in Florida, 123 in North Carolina, 146 in Illinois, and 40% of overnights for the paying parent in Pennsylvania. California and Georgia have no threshold.
Is child support lower with shared custody?
Yes in most states, once the threshold is passed. In Texas and New York the guideline does not change, but a court may deviate for extended time.
What is child support with 50/50 custody and equal incomes?
Usually zero or close to it, because each parent’s share of the shared obligation is offset by the time the children spend with them.
Sources
- 45 CFR § 302.56, Guidelines for setting child support orders
- Texas Family Code, Chapter 154 (Child Support)
- Family Code § 4055 (statewide uniform guideline formula)
- Section 61.30, Florida Statutes: child support guidelines
- SB 454 (2024), as passed: amends O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 (new table; parenting time and low-income adjustments)
- North Carolina Child Support Guidelines (AOC-A-162, Rev. 1/23)
- Family Court Act § 413 (Child Support Standards Act)
- 750 ILCS 5/505, Child support
- Pa.R.Civ.P. 1910.16-4, Calculation of the support obligation
- Ohio Revised Code 3119.051, Parenting time reduction