Child Support Calculations in Indiana

Indiana uses the Income Shares model to calculate child support, governed by the Indiana Child Support Rules and Guidelines and I.C. Title 31, Article 16. The Guidelines were most recently updated effective May 14, 2024, with significant changes to medical support and parenting-time credits effective January 1, 2024. Whether you're navigating an uncontested or contested divorce, understanding how Indiana calculates child support is essential.

The Income Shares Model

Indiana's Income Shares model determines the Basic Child Support Obligation (BCSO) from the Guideline Schedules for Weekly Support Payments based on combined weekly adjusted income (WAI) and the number of children. The schedule provides BCSO amounts at $10 increments up to a combined WAI of $9,200/week (approximately $478,400/year).

Above the cap: For income exceeding $9,200/week, apply these percentages to the entire combined WAI:

• 1 child: 8.1%
• 2 children: 11.4%
• 3 children: 13.1%
• 4 children: 14.7%
• 5 children: 16.2%
• 6+ children: 17.6% to 20.4%

Determining Gross Income

"Weekly Gross Income" (WGI) includes income from any source:

• Wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, and overtime
• Self-employment income (gross minus ordinary/necessary expenses)
• Partnership distributions, dividends, interest, and trust income
• Pensions, Social Security benefits (SSDI), unemployment, and workers' comp
• Severance, annuities, structured settlements, and capital gains
• In-kind benefits that reduce living expenses (company car, free housing)

Excluded: Means-tested benefits (TANF, SSI, SNAP), survivor benefits for other children, and new spouse income.

Imputation: If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed without just cause, courts may impute "potential income" based on employment history, education, and local earning levels. With no work history, potential income may be capped at minimum wage. Incarceration should not result in imputing potential income.

Adjustments to Get Weekly Adjusted Income

Indiana allows specific adjustments to convert WGI to Weekly Adjusted Income (WAI):

• Subsequent-born children: Multiply WGI by a factor (1 child: .065, 2: .097, 3: .122, etc.) and subtract
• Court-ordered support for prior-born children: Deduct the weekly order amount
• Legal duty to prior-born children without order: Deduct amounts actually paid
• Spousal maintenance: Deduct court-ordered alimony (property-settlement payments excluded)

Parenting-Time Credit (Table PT)

Indiana uses a unique parenting-time credit system based on annual overnights. The credit starts at 52 overnights (roughly alternate weekends) and uses Table PT's TOTAL and DUPLICATED fractions:

• 52-55 overnights: TOTAL 0.063, DUP 0.011
• 86-90 overnights: TOTAL 0.180, DUP 0.094
• 106-110 overnights: TOTAL 0.344, DUP 0.239
• 131-135 overnights: TOTAL 0.549, DUP 0.421
• 156-160 overnights: TOTAL 0.641, DUP 0.488
• 181-183 overnights (equal time): TOTAL 0.682, DUP 0.505

Equal parenting time: For 181-183 overnights, the court assigns "controlled expenses" (clothing, school supplies, routine personal-care items) to one parent. The other parent receives the parenting-time credit.

Split custody: When each parent has physical custody of at least one child, complete two worksheets and offset the obligations; the higher-paying parent pays the difference.

Estimate Your Indiana Child Support

Use our calculator to get a preliminary estimate. For official calculations, use the Indiana Judicial Branch Child Support Calculator.

Medical Support (2024 Update)

As of January 1, 2024, Indiana eliminated the old "6% rule" for routine medical costs. The new rules are:

• Health insurance: Required if accessible at reasonable cost (presumed reasonable unless lowest option exceeds 5% of combined gross income)
• Routine OTC items: Paid by the parent during their parenting time (no longer embedded in the schedule)
• Uninsured medical: Parents share deductibles, co-pays, and uncovered amounts in proportion to their income shares
• Documentation: Orders must specify 30-day timing for reimbursement requests

Childcare and Add-Ons

Beyond the BCSO, Indiana adds these expenses to create the Total Child Support Obligation (TCSO):

• Work-related childcare: Added to BCSO; the paying parent receives a dollar-for-dollar credit. Reduce by Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit if claimed.
• Child's health insurance premiums: Added to BCSO; the paying parent receives a dollar-for-dollar credit
• Extraordinary educational expenses: Addressed via Guideline 8 and the Post-Secondary Education Worksheet

Common Calculation Mistakes

• Ignoring the 52-overnight threshold: Parenting-time credit starts at 52 overnights, not before
• Missing Table PT fractions: Use both TOTAL and DUPLICATED values from the official table
• Forgetting equal-time assignment: At 181-183 overnights, one parent must be assigned controlled expenses
• Using outdated medical rules: The 6% rule was eliminated January 1, 2024
• Not applying subsequent-child factors: Use the correct multiplier for other children you support

Modification and Duration

Indiana provides pathways to modify support:

• 20% difference: If recalculation differs by more than 20% AND at least 12 months have passed since the last order
• Substantial change: Any substantial and continuing change making the current order unreasonable
• Incarceration: May qualify as a substantial change in circumstances
• Retroactivity limited: Modifications generally cannot predate the filing date

Duration: Support ends at age 19 (not 18). Earlier emancipation may occur through marriage, active-duty military service, or if an 18-year-old has been out of school for 4 months and is self-supporting. Support continues during incapacity. Post-secondary education support may be ordered separately.

Enforcement and Interest

Indiana provides robust enforcement tools:

• Interest on arrears: Courts may order up to 1.5% per month (18% per year) on delinquent support; general judgment interest is 8% per year
• Income withholding: Default method; employers must observe CCPA limits (50-65% depending on circumstances)
• Tax refund intercepts: Federal and state refunds applied to arrears
• License suspension: Driver's, professional, hunting, and fishing licenses
• Passport denial: When arrears exceed $2,500
• Additional tools: Credit bureau reporting, lottery intercepts, bank levies, vehicle liens

Key Takeaways

• Income Shares model: BCSO from schedule, allocated by income percentage
• $9,200/week cap: Above this, use percentage-of-income formulas (8.1% to 20.4%)
• Parenting-time credit: Starts at 52 overnights using Table PT's TOTAL and DUP fractions
• Equal time (181-183 overnights): Controlled expenses assigned to one parent
• 2024 medical changes: 5% affordability test; pro-rata uninsured cost sharing
• Support ends at 19: Not 18, with earlier emancipation exceptions
• 20%/12-month modification rule: Or substantial change in circumstances

For more information about Indiana divorce processes, see our Indiana divorce timeline and filing checklist.