How is Child Support Calculated in Virginia?

Virginia calculates child support using the Income Shares Model — a method that starts with both parents' combined incomes, looks up the basic obligation on the state's schedule, and then splits it proportionally between them. It's a structured calculation with a clear starting point, which makes it more predictable than fully discretionary systems. But two details matter immediately: Virginia uses gross income, and the guidelines themselves were significantly updated in July 2025 for the first time in over a decade.

Step One: Determine Gross Monthly Income for Each Parent

Virginia's child support guidelines under Va. Code § 20-108.2 start with each parent's gross monthly income — income before taxes, deductions, or withholding. This is the opposite of states like New Jersey, which use net income. All sources of income count: wages, salary, self-employment income, bonuses, commissions, rental income, investment returns, unemployment benefits, disability payments, and pension or retirement income.

Courts may impute income — assume a parent earns more than they currently do — if a parent is voluntarily underemployed or unemployed without good cause. The relevant question isn't just what a parent is currently making; it's what they are reasonably capable of earning given their education, work history, and the local job market.

Step Two: Look Up the Basic Child Support Obligation

Once each parent's gross monthly income is established, the amounts are combined into a single figure and matched against Virginia's child support schedule — a table that reflects what families at similar income levels typically spend on children's core needs. The schedule covers combined gross monthly incomes up to $42,500 (updated July 2025) and family sizes of one to six children.

Virginia's schedule was substantially updated effective July 1, 2025 under Senate Bill 805. That update raised the income cap from $35,000 to $42,500 and increased support amounts across all income levels — the first increase since 2014. If your case was decided under the old guidelines, the current amounts may be higher than what was previously ordered.

Approximate figures based on the Virginia § 20-108.2 schedule updated July 2025 (SB 805). Actual amounts depend on the precise income level and the schedule in effect at the time of the order.

Step Three: Divide the Obligation Between Parents

Each parent's share of the basic obligation is calculated by dividing their individual gross monthly income by the combined gross monthly income. That percentage is their proportional share. Both parents' shares add up to 100%.

In a sole custody arrangement, the parent who has primary physical custody is presumed to spend their share directly on the child. The other parent — the non-custodial parent — makes a direct monthly payment of their proportional share to the primary parent.

Parenting Time Adjustment

Virginia's guidelines allow for a parenting time adjustment when the non-custodial parent has the children for a significant number of days per year. The adjustment reduces the non-custodial parent's obligation to reflect the direct costs they bear during their time with the children.

Virginia uses a sliding scale based on the number of days the non-custodial parent has the children. Courts generally apply the adjustment when a parent has 90 or more days of custody per year — roughly every other weekend plus some additional time. The more days the non-custodial parent has, the larger the credit against their base support obligation.

In true shared custody situations — where each parent has the children roughly half the time — the calculation differs significantly from sole custody cases, and courts apply a modified approach that accounts for each parent's direct spending during their time. The exact adjustment requires working through the full Virginia guidelines worksheet.

Add-Ons: Health Insurance and Childcare

Virginia adds three categories of expenses on top of the basic obligation: health insurance premiums for the child, work-related childcare costs, and extraordinary medical expenses.

Each of these is allocated proportionally — the same income percentages used for the basic obligation. If Parent A has 67% of combined income, Parent A pays 67% of the health insurance premium (the portion attributable to the child), 67% of childcare costs, and 67% of unreimbursed medical expenses above a reasonable threshold.

Health insurance is typically handled by designating which parent carries the child on their policy, with the other parent reimbursing their proportional share of the premium cost. Courts may also address tutoring, therapy, special education, and other recurring child-specific expenses on a case-by-case basis.

Above the Income Cap: $42,500 Combined Monthly Gross

When combined monthly gross income exceeds $42,500, Virginia's schedule no longer provides a direct lookup. Courts start with the obligation at the $42,500 level and then add a percentage of the income above that ceiling — the specific formula is set out in the statute. Judges also retain discretion to set support based on the child's demonstrated needs and lifestyle, not just the formula.

Above-cap cases often involve more contested negotiations around the child's actual expenses, each parent's lifestyle, and what the child would have experienced if the family had remained intact.

When Does Child Support End in Virginia?

Virginia child support generally ends when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school — whichever occurs later — but not beyond age 19. A child who turns 18 in the middle of the school year continues receiving support until graduation, capped at 19.

If the child has a physical or mental incapacity that prevents self-sufficiency, courts may order support to continue beyond 19. Virginia does not generally require parents to contribute to college expenses through the child support order — unlike New Jersey, which has a separate mechanism for college contribution. A parent wanting the other to contribute to college costs in Virginia typically must negotiate that as part of a separation agreement rather than through the support guidelines.