AG Child Support Calculator
Use this premium calculator to estimate a presumptive child support amount using a Texas Attorney General style guideline approach. Enter monthly net resources, the number of children before the court, any other children you support, and monthly medical or dental support to see an estimated obligation and chart visualization.
Calculator Inputs
Enter monthly net resources after taxes and allowable deductions.
This cap can change over time. Confirm the current figure for your case year.
Notes are not used in the math. They can help you remember assumptions behind the estimate.
Estimated Results
Enter your values and click Calculate Support to generate an estimate.
Expert Guide to Using an AG Child Support Calculator
An AG child support calculator is usually used by parents, lawyers, and financial planners who want a fast estimate of a guideline child support amount before they review a case in detail. In Texas, many people use the phrase “AG calculator” to refer to a child support estimate based on the guideline framework commonly associated with the Office of the Attorney General. The calculator on this page follows that style of estimate: it starts with monthly net resources, applies a presumptive percentage tied to the number of children before the court, and then adjusts the percentage when the paying parent supports other children in different households.
This matters because child support cases are rarely just about one number. The same gross paycheck can lead to different support estimates depending on taxes, union dues, health insurance expenses, self-employment deductions, and whether the parent has legal support obligations for other children. A polished calculator helps you model the situation quickly, but it should never be mistaken for legal advice, a court order, or a binding opinion. Judges can deviate from the standard guideline amount, and state formulas can change over time. That is why this page pairs a live calculator with a detailed explainer so you can understand both the math and the limits of the estimate.
What this calculator is designed to estimate
This tool is best used for a preliminary estimate of presumptive monthly guideline child support. It is particularly useful when you want to answer questions like:
- What is the approximate support amount if the paying parent has one child before the court?
- How does the amount change if that parent also supports children from another relationship?
- What happens when medical and dental support are added on top of the base amount?
- How much of the parent’s monthly net resources remain after the estimated payment?
For a typical Texas style estimate, the first major question is not gross pay but net resources. In many cases, net resources are lower than gross wages because taxes and certain allowable deductions come off the top before the support percentage is applied. The result can be very different from a casual estimate based only on take-home pay or salary.
How a Texas style AG child support estimate generally works
Although every case turns on its facts, a guideline estimate usually follows a sequence like this:
- Determine the paying parent’s monthly net resources.
- Check whether a statutory guideline cap should apply.
- Identify how many children are before the court in the current case.
- Identify whether the parent has a duty to support other children not before the court.
- Apply the relevant percentage from the guideline schedule or multiple-family adjustment table.
- Add any separate medical support and dental support amounts, if required.
For a basic single-family scenario, common guideline percentages are widely recognized: 20% for one child, 25% for two, 30% for three, 35% for four, and 40% for five. If there are six or more children before the court, the law generally provides not less than 40%. However, once other children are also being supported, the guideline percentage can shift downward. That is why the calculator asks for “other children supported” and not just the number of children in the present case.
Understanding each input on the calculator
Monthly net resources: This is the most important figure because the percentage is usually applied to this number, not to gross salary. Depending on the case, net resources may account for federal taxes, Social Security taxes, Medicare taxes, union dues, and the cost of health insurance or cash medical support for the child. For self-employed parents, the analysis can be more complicated because business income and business expenses must be reviewed carefully.
Children before the court: This means the children involved in the current support order being estimated. If there is one child in the current case, the base percentage often starts at 20% before any multiple-family adjustment.
Other children supported: This refers to children outside the current case whom the parent also has a legal duty to support. In a multiple-family situation, the percentage may be reduced compared with the standard single-household percentage.
Medical support and dental support: In many cases, these are treated separately from the base guideline percentage. A parent may pay cash medical support, provide health insurance, or contribute a monthly amount toward uninsured costs. Because these obligations can materially change the monthly total, a complete estimate should show them clearly rather than burying them inside the base support figure.
Guideline cap: Some jurisdictions and case years use a cap on monthly net resources for the presumptive guideline amount. The purpose of the cap is to define the resource level to which the standard percentage automatically applies. Courts may consider additional support above the cap in appropriate cases, but a simple calculator often starts by applying the cap and then calculating the presumptive amount from there.
Comparison table: common Texas style guideline percentages
| Children before the court | Presumptive percentage of monthly net resources | Illustrative base support on $5,000 net resources |
|---|---|---|
| 1 child | 20% | $1,000 |
| 2 children | 25% | $1,250 |
| 3 children | 30% | $1,500 |
| 4 children | 35% | $1,750 |
| 5 children | 40% | $2,000 |
| 6 or more children | Not less than 40% | $2,000 or more depending on the facts |
The table above shows a plain guideline example before any multiple-family adjustment. In practice, if the paying parent also supports other children, the effective percentage may be lower. That is one of the biggest reasons online calculators differ from one another. Some tools only handle the simplest case. Better tools, including this one, account for other children supported so the estimate is more realistic for blended families.
Why the multiple-family adjustment is so important
Parents often underestimate how much the “other children supported” factor can change the result. If a parent has one child before the court and also supports one other child elsewhere, the percentage may be reduced from the standard 20% to a lower adjusted rate. That lower rate reflects the idea that the parent’s support obligations extend across more than one household. It does not erase the current child’s rights, but it does affect the presumptive calculation.
This is especially relevant in mediation and pretrial planning. A parent may come to the table with an expectation based on a simple 20% calculation, only to discover that the multiple-family table produces a different figure. By modeling that issue early, you can avoid unrealistic settlement assumptions and focus more quickly on the parts of the case that actually matter, such as income proof, health insurance costs, daycare, and the child’s special needs.
National child support statistics that add context
Even though child support is usually discussed case by case, national data shows why accurate calculations matter. The U.S. Census Bureau has reported millions of custodial parents living with children while the other parent lives elsewhere. The size of this population means that even small calculation errors can affect family budgets at scale.
| U.S. Census child support snapshot | Reported statistic | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Custodial parents in the United States | 12.9 million | Shows how many households are potentially affected by support policy and enforcement. |
| Custodial mothers | 79.9% | Illustrates that mothers remain the majority of custodial parents nationwide. |
| Custodial fathers | 20.1% | Confirms that child support planning is equally important for fathers with primary custody. |
| Total child support due in one Census reporting cycle | $30.0 billion | Highlights the national financial significance of support orders. |
| Total child support received | $20.1 billion | Shows a substantial gap between ordered and collected support. |
| Payment outcome among custodial parents owed support | Percentage | Practical takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Received full amount due | 43.5% | Less than half received everything they were owed. |
| Received partial amount | 25.8% | Partial payment is common and can create budgeting uncertainty. |
| Received no payment | 30.7% | A significant share of families received nothing despite an order or agreement. |
These figures underscore why a careful estimate is useful. Support orders influence cash flow, housing stability, health coverage, and the daily practical realities of parenting. A reliable child support estimate is not just a legal convenience. It is part of responsible family financial planning.
When this calculator can be very helpful
- Before filing: It helps set realistic expectations before a petition or modification is filed.
- During negotiation: It creates a quick neutral reference point in settlement discussions.
- For modification review: It helps test whether a new income level could justify a changed amount.
- For budgeting: It lets both households model likely monthly obligations and remaining cash flow.
Common mistakes people make with child support estimates
- Using gross income instead of net resources. This is probably the most common error and can lead to inflated assumptions.
- Ignoring the multiple-family adjustment. Support obligations to other children can materially change the percentage.
- Forgetting separate medical and dental support. The total monthly obligation can be much higher than the base percentage alone.
- Using an outdated resource cap. Statutory figures may change, so old online examples can become misleading.
- Assuming the guideline amount is guaranteed. Courts may deviate when evidence supports a different outcome.
What a court may look at beyond the calculator
A calculator can only estimate the presumptive amount. Courts and lawyers often look at many additional factors, such as the child’s age and needs, daycare costs, travel costs for possession or parenting time, educational expenses, extraordinary medical needs, the parent’s actual earning capacity, and whether income is irregular or intentionally reduced. In higher-income cases, the court may also consider whether the child’s proven needs justify support beyond the presumptive guideline amount.
That is why the wisest way to use an AG child support calculator is as a first-pass planning tool. It gives you a disciplined starting point. Then you compare the result with pay stubs, tax records, insurance premiums, and the specific facts of your case. If the estimate and the evidence line up, you have a strong baseline. If they do not, you know exactly where to investigate further.
Authoritative resources for deeper research
If you need official guidance, these sources are excellent places to continue:
- Texas Office of the Attorney General child support resources
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Support Services
- Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute overview of child support
Final takeaway
An AG child support calculator is most valuable when it combines transparent math with realistic assumptions. That means identifying monthly net resources carefully, applying the correct percentage, considering whether other children are supported, and keeping medical or dental support separate from the base amount. The calculator above is designed to do exactly that in a clean, understandable format. Use it to estimate, compare scenarios, and prepare better questions for your lawyer, mediator, or court hearing.
Important: This calculator provides an educational estimate and not legal advice. Statutes, administrative guidance, resource caps, and case-specific deviations can change the actual result. Always confirm current law and local court practice before relying on any online child support number.