How Child Support Payments Are Calculated in Wisconsin

If you’re going through a divorce or separation, child support is going to come up.

How much will I have to pay? How much should I receive? How child support payments are calculated in Wisconsin?

Unfortunately, there is no one answer that applies to every Wisconsin family. Child support is calculated using Wisconsin’s Child Support Standard. There are several factors that can affect the final amount.

The Child Support Standard

Wisconsin courts use the state’s Child Support Standard for child support. There are several factors taken into consideration, such as:

• Each parent’s income
• How much time the child spends with each parent
• Whether a parent has other children they are legally supporting

Wisconsin does not use a percentage-of-income calculation in every case. The shared-placement calculation is now the main method when both parents have court-ordered placement of at least 25% of the time, or 92 days per year.

That means your child’s placement schedule can be an important factor when deciding child support.

What Income Is Used to Calculate Child Support?

The courts look at more than paychecks. Wisconsin considers gross income. This can include:

• Wages, salaries, and tips
• Commissions and bonuses
• Interest and capital gains
• Unemployment benefits
• Certain disability payments
• Military allowances
• Other forms of income

The court may also consider a parent’s ability to earn income. This is important if someone’s current income doesn’t accurately reflect their earning capacity.

In these cases, quitting a job or voluntarily reducing income does not necessarily mean child support automatically drops.

How Many Children Do You Have?

The basic percentage standards increase as the number of children increases. When the percentage-of-income standard applies, Wisconsin’s guidelines provide for:

• 17% of income for one child
• 25% for two children
• 29% for three children
• 31% for four children
• 34% for five or more children

However, do not take those percentages and think you can multiply them by a paycheck to see your final support obligation. There are other factors that may apply, especially when parents have shared placement.

What Happens When Parents Share Placement?

For child support purposes, shared placement means each parent has court-ordered placement of the child at least 25% of the time, or at least 92 days per year.

When shared placement occurs, Wisconsin’s calculation considers both parents’ incomes and the amount of time each parent has with the child. That means having the children half the time does not automatically mean neither parent pays child support.

The calculation is designed to make sure both households are contributing to the children’s basic expenses.

What About Child Care, Tuition and Other Expenses?

Basic child support is not the end of the financial discussion. Wisconsin also recognizes variable costs. 

These can include child care, tuition and certain special needs. The costs may be assigned between the parents separately from the basic support calculation.

Health insurance and medical support can also be addressed as part of a child support order.

Can Child Support Be Changed Later?

Yes, child support is not always permanent. A parent may lose a job, experience a change in income, have a different placement schedule, or face other issues that affect the existing support order.

But a court order remains a court order until it is properly changed.

Wisconsin has procedures for modifying child support when the requirements are met. However, you should not assume that a change in circumstances automatically changes the amount you owe. Always reach out to an experienced child support lawyer to discuss your options. 

What Should You Do If You’re Trying to Figure Out Child Support?

Now that you know how child support payments are calculated in Wisconsin, you can take action. The state has calculators and worksheets that can help estimate support, but only the court can establish or modify a child support order.

If you’re facing divorce, separation, a placement dispute or a change in your financial circumstances, the Law Offices of Mark S. Knutson, S.C can help. We can review your income and placement schedule and explain what the numbers mean. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.