Child Support Calculations in Colorado

Colorado uses the Income Shares model to calculate child support, governed by C.R.S. § 14-10-115 and the JDF 1822 Guidelines. Whether you're navigating an uncontested or contested divorce, understanding how Colorado calculates child support is essential for your financial planning.

The Income Shares Model

Colorado's Income Shares model estimates what intact households at different income levels typically spend on children, then allocates that cost between parents in proportion to their adjusted gross incomes. The schedule of basic child support obligations (BCSO) runs up to a combined monthly adjusted gross income of $30,000; above that, the court has discretion but cannot order less than the top-of-schedule amount.

• Worksheet A (JDF 1820): Used when one parent has at least 273 overnights (primary physical care)
• Worksheet B (JDF 1821): Used when each parent has at least 93 overnights (shared physical care)
• Split care: When each parent has primary care of at least one child, compute separate obligations and offset

Calculating Adjusted Gross Income

"Adjusted gross income" (AGI) means gross income less preexisting court-ordered child support actually paid and certain maintenance payments. Each parent's share of total AGI determines their percentage used to apportion the basic obligation and add-ons.

Gross income includes: Wages, salaries, tips, commissions, bonuses, dividends, severance, pensions, royalties, rents, interest, trust income, annuities, capital gains, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, disability insurance, and mandatory overtime (if required by the employer).

Excluded from gross income: Child support received, means-tested benefits (Colorado Works/TANF, SSI, SNAP), income from additional jobs that push hours over full-time, and certain retirement account gains until distribution.

Voluntary overtime and second jobs: Colorado draws a clear line—overtime counts only if required as a condition of employment. Income from additional jobs that take the parent beyond full-time is not included in gross income.

Potential Income Imputation

If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court may impute potential income. Exceptions exist when the parent is physically or mentally incapacitated, caring for a joint child under 24 months, or incarcerated for 180+ days. The statute lists factors including assets, work history, skills, education, health, criminal record, and local job market. Without recent work history or higher education, courts often impute at least minimum wage.

Maintenance and Child Support Interplay

When maintenance (spousal support) is between the same parties and is non-taxable (post-2018 orders), Colorado applies multipliers:

• Combined AGI ≤ $10,000: Recipient's gross income includes maintenance × 1.25; payor deducts the same
• Combined AGI > $10,000: Use 1.33 multiplier instead
• Pre-2019 taxable maintenance: Use actual amounts

Shared Physical Care: The 1.5x Multiplier

When each parent has at least 93 overnights per year, Colorado uses Worksheet B with a unique 1.5x multiplier to reflect duplicated basic costs in two households:

• Step 1: Look up the BCSO from the schedule for combined AGI and number of children
• Step 2: Multiply BCSO by 1.5 (150%) to get the shared physical care support obligation
• Step 3: Apportion the 150% amount between parents by their income shares
• Step 4: Multiply each parent's share by the percentage of time children spend with the other parent
• Step 5: Offset the two amounts; add each parent's share of add-ons
• Step 6: Cap the final shared order so it doesn't exceed what Worksheet A would have produced

Multiple children with different overnights: When you have different overnight arrangements for different children, use the statutory average method—sum overnights across children and divide by the number of children.

Add-Ons and Extraordinary Expenses

Colorado adds certain costs to the basic obligation and shares them proportionally:

• Work-related and education-related childcare: Net costs after federal tax credit; must not exceed quality licensed care rates
• Children's health insurance: Only the children's portion of premiums (use per-person method if needed)
• Extraordinary medical expenses: Unreimbursed costs exceeding $250 per child per year, including orthodontia, therapy, chronic conditions
• Extraordinary expenses: Special/private school fees to meet child's needs; transportation between homes (with accompanying parent if child under 12)

Low-Income Adjustments

Colorado has two low-income mechanisms:

• AGI ≤ $650/month: Minimum order of $10/month regardless of number of children; not adjusted by overnights
• AGI $650-$1,500: Low-income schedule applies—$50 (1 child), $70 (2), $90 (3), $110 (4), $130 (5), $150 (6+); may add pro-rata share of add-ons; total capped at 20% of obligor's AGI

Important: The low-income schedule does not apply in shared physical care cases (where each parent has 93+ overnights).

Estimate Your Colorado Child Support

Use our calculator below to estimate child support in Colorado. For official calculations, use the Colorado Child Support Services calculator or the Judicial Branch worksheets.

Social Security Offset

If children receive Social Security dependent benefits (or certain federal retirement dependent benefits) due to the noncustodial parent's disability or retirement, the obligor's share is reduced dollar-for-dollar by those benefits. Lump-sum retroactive payments can be credited against arrears accrued during the eligibility period.

Deviations from Guidelines

The schedule is a rebuttable presumption. Courts may deviate when application would be inequitable, unjust, or inappropriate, but must state findings including the presumed guideline amount and reasons for deviation. Factors include:

• One parent spending substantially more time than overnights reflect
• Extraordinary medical expenses for a parent or current spouse
• Extraordinary parenting-time transportation costs
• Gross disparity in parental incomes
• Ownership of substantial non-income-producing assets
• Consistent overtime excluded from gross income
• Secondary employment beyond full-time

Duration of Support

Under Colorado law:

• Standard termination: Age 19 for orders on or after July 1, 1997
• High school extension: If child is still in high school at 19, support continues until the month following graduation, but not beyond age 21
• Early emancipation: Marriage or entry into active military duty
• Disabled child: Support may continue past 19 for mentally or physically disabled children
• Post-secondary education: No statutory requirement, but parties may agree in writing to share expenses

Modification Standards

Modification requires a substantial and continuing change of circumstances:

• 10% threshold: A recalculation resulting in less than 10% change is deemed not substantial
• No retroactive decrease: Only installments accruing after motion filing are modifiable
• 36-month reviews: The state notifies IV-D parties of their right to request review at least every 36 months
• Administrative reviews: Must be granted if 36+ months have elapsed since last review

Enforcement and Arrears Interest

Colorado provides robust enforcement through Child Support Services and the Family Support Registry:

• Interest on arrears: 10% per annum (2 points above the 8% statutory rate), compounded annually for post-July 2021 arrears
• Income withholding: Standard for all orders; employers must comply within 14 working days
• License suspension: Driver's, professional, occupational, and recreational licenses for noncompliance
• State tax refund intercepts: Certified arrears offset through Department of Revenue
• Bank levies: Administrative liens on financial accounts, workers' comp, and insurance claims
• Passport denial: Federal threshold of $2,500 in arrears
• Civil contempt: Courts can enforce through contempt proceedings

Major Changes Effective March 1, 2026

HB25-1159 (signed May 31, 2025) makes significant updates to Colorado's child support guidelines:

• 93-overnight threshold eliminated: Shared parenting time recognized from the first overnight
• 1.5x multiplier removed: Basic obligation taken directly from schedule and allocated by income shares
• Single worksheet: Replaces the current Worksheet A/B system
• Income cap increased: From $30,000 to $40,000 combined monthly AGI
• Self-support reserve: New concept based on 29 hours/week at state minimum wage
• Smoothing calculation: Graduated formula for parents above the self-support reserve but still low-income

Until March 1, 2026, the current rules with the 1.5x multiplier and 93-overnight threshold remain in effect.

Common Calculation Mistakes

• Wrong overnight threshold: Shared care requires 93+ overnights each parent, not a lower number
• Forgetting the 1.5x multiplier: Unique to Colorado shared placement (until March 2026)
• Including voluntary overtime: Only required overtime counts toward income
• Wrong maintenance multiplier: Use 1.25 for combined AGI ≤$10,000, 1.33 above
• Missing the Worksheet A cap: Shared care orders cannot exceed primary care calculation
• Ignoring the $250 threshold: Extraordinary medical only counts above $250/child/year

Key Takeaways

• Income Shares model: Both parents' incomes determine the BCSO, allocated by income percentage
• $30,000 combined income cap: Court discretion above this threshold (increasing to $40,000 in March 2026)
• 93-overnight threshold: Triggers shared placement Worksheet B (being eliminated March 2026)
• 1.5x multiplier: Applied in shared care for duplicated household costs
• Low-income minimum: $10/month for AGI ≤$650; schedule for $650-$1,500 with 20% cap
• Support to 19: Or through high school graduation (not beyond 21)
• 10% modification threshold: Less than 10% change deemed not substantial
• 10% annual interest: On arrears, compounded annually

For more information about Colorado divorce processes, see our Colorado divorce timeline and filing checklist. For property division information, review our Colorado marital property guide.