How the Utah child support calculator works
This Utah child support calculator follows Utah Code §§ 81-6-204 to 81-6-206, which replaced the old Title 78B chapter 12 numbering in 2024; the tables apply to orders first entered on or after January 1, 2023.[1]
- Gross income from all sources, with earned income limited to one full-time job. Means-tested benefits are excluded.
- Adjusted gross income: subtract alimony and child support actually paid under earlier orders.
- Base combined obligation: look up combined adjusted income, rounded to the dollar, in the 81-6-304 table. Below $1,951, or in the blank cells for more children at low incomes, the base is $0.
- Income shares: each parent owes their percentage of the base.
- Sole or joint custody: the worksheet depends on whether each parent has at least 111 overnights.
- Add-ons: work-related child care and the children’s health insurance premium are split equally, not by income.[1]
Sole custody and the low income table
In sole custody, the paying parent owes their share of the base obligation, or the lower amount from the low income table if their own adjusted income is $2,450 a month or less, and never less than $30.[1] If the base obligation is $0 because combined income is too low, the award comes from the low income table alone.
Joint physical custody: 111 overnights
When each parent has at least 111 overnights a year, the parent with fewer overnights owes their share minus 0.27% of the base for each overnight from 111 to 130 and 0.84% for each overnight above 130.[1][4] With equal time, the lower earner is counted as having 183 overnights.
| Parent B’s overnights | Worksheet | Guideline support |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | Sole | $616 |
| 111 | Joint | $613 |
| 120 | Joint | $588 |
| 130 | Joint | $560 |
| 140 | Joint | $474 |
| 160 | Joint | $302 |
| 182 | Joint | $112 |
If the joint custody result is negative, the other parent pays. Split custody, where each parent has at least one child, uses a separate worksheet; use the Office of Recovery Services calculator for that case.[3]
Child care and health insurance are split equally
Utah divides reasonable work-related child care and the children’s share of the health insurance premium equally between the parents, along with uninsured medical and dental costs.[1] The child care presumption can be rebutted if base support plus medical costs would exceed half of the paying parent’s adjusted income. A minimal child care award table for children under 13 has been enacted for orders entered from January 1, 2027.
Other Utah rules
- Income above $100,000 a month: the court sets support case by case, but not below the table’s top amount.
- More than six children: the court may add to the six-child amount.
- Extended parent-time: in sole custody, support for a child is reduced by 50% during periods of at least 25 of 30 days with the noncustodial parent, or 25% for at least 12 of 30 days.
- Deviations need written findings; an order $10 or more away from the worksheet counts as a deviation.[1]
Official Utah calculator and agency
The Office of Recovery Services publishes the state’s child support calculator and worksheets, and the Utah courts’ self-help pages explain sole, joint and split custody.[2][3][4]
- ORS Child Support Calculator
- Utah Office of Recovery Services: Calculate Child Support
- Utah Courts: Child Support
Utah splits add-ons equally, which is unusual; most states split them by income, as in the Arkansas child support calculator and the California child support calculator. Compare every state’s parenting time rule in 50/50 custody child support.
An estimate, not an order. The court decides the amount. Not legal advice; see our legal disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in Utah?
Both parents’ gross incomes are combined, the base obligation for that income and number of children is read from the Utah Code table, and each parent owes their share; joint custody and the low income table can lower it.
How many overnights is joint custody in Utah?
At least 111 overnights a year for each parent. Above that, each overnight from 111 to 130 reduces support by 0.27% of the base, and each overnight over 130 by 0.84%.
What is the minimum child support in Utah?
$30 a month in sole custody. In joint custody, if the base obligation is $0, the award is $0.
Who pays child care in Utah?
Reasonable work-related child care is split equally between the parents, regardless of income.