Child Support Calculations in Rhode Island

Rhode Island uses an Income Shares model under Administrative Order 2023-02, effective July 1, 2023. Whether you're navigating an uncontested or contested divorce, understanding the schedule, worksheet steps, and shared-placement rules is essential for accurate child support calculations.

The Income Shares Model

Rhode Island's approach approximates what parents would have spent on children had the household remained intact. The Family Court applies a schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations keyed to combined monthly adjusted gross income and number of children.

• Schedule effective date: July 1, 2023 (Administrative Order 2023-02)
• Combined income cap: $40,000/month—above this, court uses discretion
• Self-support reserve (SSR): $1,333/month (federal poverty guideline for one person, built into schedule)
• Minimum order: $50/month (lowest schedule value at $1,350 combined income)
• Routine medical: $250/child/year already embedded in schedule

What Counts as Income

Under the OCSS guidelines, gross income includes:

• Wages and salary: All employment compensation
• Benefits: Workers' compensation, temporary disability, Social Security disability
• Self-employment: Net business income
• Investment income: Interest, dividends, trust distributions
• Other sources: Pensions, retirement benefits, annuities

Required Deductions

The worksheet (FC-78) requires these deductions from gross income:

• Preexisting support orders: Court-ordered support for other children (line 2a)
• Health insurance premiums: Cost for children in this case (line 2b)
• Additional minor dependents: Adjustment for other children (line 2c)
• Work-related child care: Net cost after federal tax credit (line 2d)

Don't guess your obligation. Enter both incomes and custody split for Rhode Island:

Optional Adjustments

The court may consider in its discretion:

• Pension/retirement contributions
• Life insurance premium payments
• Parent's extraordinary medical expenses
• Income tax exemptions adjustment
• Assigned marital debt payments

Worksheet Calculation Steps

Rhode Island uses the one-page FC-78 worksheet:

1. Enter gross income: Each parent's monthly gross income (line 1)
2. Subtract required deductions: Lines 2a-d for each parent
3. Apply optional adjustments: If applicable (lines 3a-e)
4. Calculate combined income: Add both parents' adjusted gross incomes (line 4)
5. Determine percentage shares: Each parent's share of combined income (line 5)
6. Find Basic Child Support Obligation: Look up combined income and number of children on schedule (line 6)
7. Add net child care: Actual cost minus federal tax credit (line 7)
8. Calculate Total Child Support Obligation: BCSO plus child care (line 8)
9. Multiply by percentage share: Each parent's share of TCSO (line 9)
10. Determine recommended order: Nonresidential parent's share (line 10)

Important Rounding Rule

Always round combined adjusted income up to the next $50 increment. For example, $5,263 rounds up to $5,300 before looking up the schedule value.

Weekly Conversion

Courts commonly express orders in weekly terms. Convert monthly to weekly by dividing by 4.3333 (e.g., $358/month ÷ 4.3333 ≈ $83/week).

Need a Deeper Analysis?

The calculator above gives you a quick estimate. For a comprehensive breakdown covering deductions, shared-placement offsets, and medical support specific to your case, get your full analysis here.

Shared Placement (49% Threshold)

Under Administrative Order 2018-01, special calculations apply when each parent has at least 49% of parenting time:

• Standard parenting time (<49%): Schedule assumes noncustodial parent has at least 20% of overnights—no automatic reduction
• Shared placement (≥49% each): Run two worksheets (each parent as residential), then offset the results. Model your shared-placement scenario
• Offset method: Higher-earning parent pays the difference between the two calculated amounts

Split Custody

When at least one child resides primarily with each parent:

• Compute separate guideline obligation for each household
• Offset the two results
• Parent with larger obligation pays the net difference

Medical Support Requirements

Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2 and RICR 218-30-00-1.18:

• Health insurance requirement: Must be obtained when available at "reasonable cost"
• Reasonable cost definition: No more than 5% of parent's gross monthly income
• Cash medical contribution: If private insurance unavailable, court may order up to 5% of income
• Routine medical: Schedule includes $250/child/year for ordinary expenses
• Extraordinary medical: Court may allocate separately or deviate for unreimbursed costs above $250

Work-Related Child Care

Child care costs receive special treatment to avoid double counting:

• Deduction: Parent paying child care deducts their share on line 2d
• Add-on: Net cost (actual minus federal tax credit) added to BCSO on line 7
• Allocation: Total shared proportionally based on income percentages

When Courts May Deviate

Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2, the court may deviate if the guideline result is "inequitable to the child or either parent." Factors include:

• Financial resources of the child
• Financial resources of the custodial parent
• Standard of living child would have enjoyed absent dissolution
• Physical/emotional condition and educational needs of the child
• Financial resources and needs of the noncustodial parent
• High income: Combined income above $40,000/month (court discretion)
• Extraordinary expenses: Special medical or educational needs
• Travel costs: Substantial parenting-time travel expenses

Duration of Support

Under Rhode Island law:

• Standard termination: Age 18
• High school extension: If child is 18 and still in high school, support continues to graduation plus 90 days (never beyond 19th birthday)
• Disabled adult children: Support may continue for child with severe impairment (onset before emancipation) who remains dependent
• Post-secondary education: No statute compelling college support absent agreement

Modification and Review

Through OCSS administrative review or court:

• Three-year review: Either party may request review/adjustment without proving changed circumstances. Check if your order needs updating
• Before three years: Requires "substantial change in circumstances"
• Retroactivity: Modifications generally apply only from date of notice to other party
• Incarceration: Cannot be treated as voluntary unemployment

Enforcement Tools

Rhode Island OCSS employs automated enforcement:

• Income withholding: Mandatory in new/modified orders; employers must remit within 7 days
• Administrative Offset Program: Triggers at $25 past due and 30 days delinquent
• Federal tax refund intercept
• Passport denial
• Bank match/intercept
• Insurance and lottery intercepts
• Driver's license suspension
• Credit bureau reporting
• Contempt of court: May include bonds and body attachment

Interest on Arrears

Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.5:

• Interest rate: 12% per annum (1% per month)
• Compounding: Simple interest (not compounding)
• Good cause relief: Court may relieve obligor of interest for good cause
• Retroactive reduction prohibited: Past-due amounts generally cannot be reduced

Income Imputation

When a parent is underemployed or unemployed:

• Avoid automatic imputation: Guidelines require determining actual circumstances when possible
• Incarceration: Cannot be treated as voluntary unemployment
• Court discretion: May impute income based on earning capacity, education, and work history

Common Calculation Mistakes

• Not rounding up: Combined income must round up to next $50 increment
• Subtracting SSR separately: The $1,333 self-support reserve is already built into schedule—don't subtract it
• Using net child care without tax credit: Must subtract federal dependent care credit from actual costs
• Using old schedule: Ensure you're using the 2023 schedule, not outdated 2017/2018 versions
• Ignoring shared placement rules: Must run two worksheets and offset when each parent has ≥49% time
• Forgetting weekly conversion: Divide monthly amount by 4.3333 for weekly orders

Key Takeaways

• Income Shares model: Both parents' incomes determine support
• $40,000 combined cap: Court discretion above this threshold
• $1,333 SSR: Built into schedule (don't subtract separately)
• $50 minimum order: Lowest schedule value
• 49% shared threshold: Triggers offset calculation under AO 2018-01
• 5% medical cap: Health insurance at reasonable cost
• 3-year review: No change in circumstances required
• 12% simple interest: On arrearages annually
• Age 18-19: Support ends at 18 or high school graduation (max 19)

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