Child Support Calculations in Wyoming

Wyoming uses an Income Shares model codified in Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-304, calculating child support based on both parents' combined net monthly income. Whether you're navigating an uncontested or contested divorce, understanding the statutory schedule, self-support reserve, and shared custody calculations is essential for protecting your family's financial future.

Wyoming's Income Shares Model

Under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-304, Wyoming determines the total child support obligation by combining both parents' net monthly income, then looking up the basic support amount in a statutory table based on income level and number of children.

• Combined income approach: Both parents' net incomes are added together to determine the joint basic child support obligation
• Statutory schedule: Income breakpoints at $1,000, $2,000, $3,200, $4,000, $4,500, $8,000, and $15,000 combined net monthly income
• No hard cap: Above $15,000/month, apply the stated marginal percentage to income exceeding that threshold
• Proportional allocation: The obligation is divided between parents based on their share of combined net income

Basic Child Support Calculation Steps

The Wyoming child support calculation follows these steps:

1. Calculate net income for each parent using § 20-2-303 deductions
2. Add both net incomes to get combined net monthly income
3. Look up the basic obligation in the statutory schedule for your child count and income bracket
4. Calculate each parent's share based on their percentage of combined income
5. Apply custody adjustments if shared or split custody applies
6. Apply self-support reserve if the obligor's income is near poverty level

What Counts as Income

Under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-303, income includes virtually all sources:

• Wages and salary: Including commissions and independent contractor compensation
• Bonuses: Included unless clearly nonrecurring
• Overtime: Excluded unless expected to continue based on the prior 24 months
• Self-employment: Net of reasonable business expenses
• Benefits: Unemployment, workers' compensation, disability, retirement, annuities
• Potential income: If voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, courts may impute earning capacity

Excluded from Income

• Means-tested benefits: SSI, SNAP, TANF/POWER cash aid, Pell grants
• Arrears payments: Payments toward past-due support do not reduce net income

Net Income Deductions

Wyoming allows specific deductions to arrive at net income:

• Personal income taxes
• Social Security (FICA) deductions
• Dependent health care coverage costs for all dependent children
• Actual payments under preexisting child support orders
• Other court-ordered support currently paid
• Mandatory pension deductions

See how Wyoming's Income Shares formula and net-income deductions translate to real dollars for your family:

Now let's look at how custody arrangements change the calculation.

Custody Types and Adjustments

Standard Custody (Less than 25% Overnights)

When the noncustodial parent has the children overnight for 25% or fewer nights per year (91 or fewer overnights):

• Use the basic formula without parenting-time adjustments
• The noncustodial parent's proportional share is the transfer payment
• No credit for time spent with the children

Shared Responsibility (More than 25% Each)

When each parent has the children overnight for more than 25% of the year (more than 91 nights each), Wyoming applies a special shared-responsibility formula:

1. Calculate the basic child support obligation from the statutory table
2. Multiply by 150% to get the shared-responsibility total
3. Divide by income shares: each parent's share = their income percentage × shared total
4. Multiply each share by the percentage of time children spend with the other parent
5. Offset the amounts: The parent with the higher theoretical obligation pays the difference

Example: With combined net income of $7,000/month and two children, the basic obligation is $1,879. For shared custody: $1,879 × 150% = $2,819 shared total. If Parent A earns 57% and has 60% of overnights, while Parent B earns 43% and has 40%, the offset calculation typically results in a smaller transfer payment than standard custody.

Split Custody (Each Parent Has Primary Custody of at Least One Child)

When children are divided between households (e.g., Child 1 lives primarily with Parent A, Child 2 with Parent B):

1. Compute the shared-responsibility amount for all children combined
2. Divide by the number of children to get a per-child amount
3. Allocate to each parent based on how many children reside primarily with them
4. Multiply each parent's sum by the other parent's income share
5. Offset the results; the parent with the larger obligation pays the difference

Self-Support Reserve (SSR)

Wyoming protects low-income obligors through a self-support reserve:

• SSR amount: Equal to the HHS federal poverty guideline for one person (approximately $1,304/month in 2025)
• Application: If the obligor's net income minus the SSR is less than their calculated support share, support is reduced to the difference between net income and SSR
• Floor: Support may be set to zero if net income falls below the SSR

Need a Deeper Analysis?

The calculator above gives a quick estimate, but your situation may involve shared custody adjustments, self-support reserve limits, or multiple-family offsets. Walk through the full wizard to model every scenario. For official calculations, use the Wyoming Child Support Program calculator or consult the Wyoming Judicial Branch for official worksheets.

Medical Support Requirements

Under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-401, every child support order must address medical support:

• Reasonable cost: No more than 5% of the providing parent's income
• Accessible coverage: Insurance must be available in the child's geographic area
• Cash medical support: Parents share uninsured medical expenses (deductibles, copays, uncovered treatments) proportionally
• Proof required: The providing parent must furnish insurance documentation within 60 days

When Courts May Deviate

Under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-307, courts may deviate from the presumptive amount if it would be unjust or inappropriate. Deviation factors include:

• Child's age and related expenses
• Necessary daycare costs for work-related childcare
• Special health or educational needs of the child
• Transportation costs for visitation (especially long-distance)
• Support for other children in either parent's household
• Value of services contributed by either parent
• Voluntary unemployment or underemployment (with potential income imputation)

Duration of Support

Under Wyo. Stat. § 14-1-101 and related statutes:

• Standard termination: Age 18 (majority)
• High school extension: Support continues if the child is a full-time high school student between ages 18-20
• Disabled adult child: Support may continue for children mentally or physically incapable of self-support
• Early termination: Child's death, legal emancipation, or parents remarrying each other

Modification Rules

Under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-311:

• 20% threshold: Applying current guidelines must result in a 20% or greater change from the existing order
• 6-month waiting period: Cannot petition for modification until at least 6 months after entry or last adjustment
• 3-year review: Either party may request recalculation after 3 years without showing material change
• Retroactivity: Modifications are not retroactive except by agreement; otherwise, effective from service date of the petition

Enforcement Tools

The Wyoming Child Support Program enforces orders using:

• Income withholding: Automatic and immediate in all cases under § 20-6-204
• Tax refund intercepts: Federal and state tax refunds
• License suspension: Driver's, professional, and recreational licenses (at $2,500+ arrears or 90 days without payment)
• Liens: On real and personal property, bank accounts
• Credit reporting: Arrears reported to credit bureaus
• Passport denial: At $2,500+ arrears
• Contempt of court: Potential incarceration for willful nonpayment

Arrears: Penalty vs. Interest

Wyoming has a unique system for unpaid child support:

• Operation-of-law judgments: Support installments paid through the clerk become judgments automatically when due
• No interest on automatic judgments: Under § 1-16-102, these do not accrue traditional interest
• 10% late-payment penalty: Instead, if unpaid for 32+ days, a 10% penalty applies under § 1-16-103
• Separate judgments: Arrears reduced to a separate court judgment may accrue 10% annual interest

Financial Affidavit Requirements

Under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-308, no child support order can be entered or modified without:

• A detailed financial affidavit on the Wyoming Supreme Court-approved form
• Pay stubs and employer statements documenting current earnings
• The most recent tax return
• Self-employment records (receipts, expenses) if applicable

Social Security and VA Benefits Credit

Wyoming provides credit for government benefits paid directly to children:

• If the obligor receives Social Security retirement or VA benefits, and a dependent benefit is paid directly to the custodian, the obligor receives credit
• Both the obligor's benefit and the dependent benefit count toward gross income
• The dependent benefit amount is then subtracted from the obligor's support share
• If the subtraction creates a negative number, support is set to zero

Key Takeaways

• Income Shares model: Based on combined parental net income under § 20-2-304
• $1,304 SSR: Self-support reserve based on federal poverty guideline
• 25% overnight threshold: Each parent must have >25% for shared-responsibility formula
• 150% multiplier: Basic support increased for shared custody arrangements
• 5% medical cap: Insurance cost cannot exceed 5% of providing parent's income
• 20% modification threshold: Recalculated support must differ by 20%+
• 3-year reviews: Available without showing material change
• 10% late-payment penalty: Applies after 32 days (not compound interest)
• High school extension: Support may continue to age 20 for enrolled students

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