Nevada “Child Support Calculator” – How It Works

The Nevada child support calculator generally requires multiplying the parent’s gross monthly income by a percentage based on the number of children. When the parent’s gross monthly income (GMI) is $1,700 to $6,000, those percentages are:

• 16% for one child
• 22% for two children
• 26% for three children
• add 2% for each additional child

However, there are several other considerations that Family Court takes into account when calculating child support obligations, including child custody arrangements in Nevada and the child’s special needs.

In this article, our Las Vegas family law attorneys explain how Nevada’s child support calculator works:

• Step 1 – GMI
• Step 2 – Number of children
• Step 3 – Obligation of support
• Step 4 – Other factors

Step 1 – Determine your gross monthly income in Nevada

Calculate what your “gross monthly income” (GMI) is. GMI is the total amount of income received each month from any source but without deduction for:

• personal income taxes,
• contributions for retirement benefits,
• contributions to a pension, or
• any other personal expenses

If you are self-employed, you may deduct all legitimate business expenses.

Note that GMI should include not just base salary but also any bonuses and tips.¹

Step 2 – Ascertain the number of children you need to support in Nevada

Under Nevada child support law, the only children you may be obligated to support financially are those:

• under 18 years old (minor);
• currently 18 years old and still enrolled in high school;
• under a legal disability (such as having a severe mental impairment); or
• not declared emancipated in Nevada

It makes no difference if the child is by blood or is adopted in Nevada. In general, people are not required to pay child support for step-children or if their parental rights were terminated.²

Step 3 – Calculate your “obligation of support” in Nevada

“Obligation of support” is the amount of money a parent may have to pay in child support.

Courts calculate the amount of child support by taking a percentage of the parent’s GMI. This percentage is determined by the number of children the parent has to support.

The more children a parent needs to support, the higher the percentage. If your GMI is $1,700 to $6,000, use the table below to determine your percentage:

Number of children	Percentage of GMI that may go to child support
1	16%
2	22%
3	26%
4	28%
For each additional child, add 2%.

To calculate your “obligation of support”, follow this formula: Multiply your GMI by the applicable percentage number, and then divide by 100. You can check your results by using an online percentage calculator.

This number is not necessarily what the court will order you to pay. As discussed in the following sections, other factors may cause this number to fluctuate. For instance, if you share joint custody of the children, the support payments will probably be less.³

If your GMI is above $6,000, the math is more complicated. So go directly to Nevada Child Support Guidelines Calculator to determine what your child support payments will likely be.

And if your income is below $1,700, refer to this table:

Learn more at the Nevada Family Law Self Help Center’s Child Support Worksheet.

Step 4 – Consider other child support factors in Nevada

The previous sections discuss the formula for calculating child custody payments. But Nevada’s child support calculator is subject to the court factoring in other considerations, including:

1. the cost of health insurance;
2. the cost of child care;
3. any special educational needs of the child;
4. the age of the child;
5. the legal responsibility of the parents for the support of others;
6. the value of services contributed by either parent;
7. any public assistance paid to support the child;
8. any expenses reasonably related to the mother’s pregnancy and confinement;
9. the cost of transportation of the child to and from visitation if the custodial parent moved with the child from the jurisdiction of the court which ordered the support and the noncustodial parent remained;
10. the amount of time the child spends with each parent;
11. any other necessary expenses for the benefit of the child; and
12. the relative income of both parents

Of all of these, one of the most important factors is number 10: The amount of time the child spends with each parent:

If one parent has primary physical custody (which means that parent is with the child more than 60% of the time), then the non-custodial parent is the only one who pays child support.

But if both parents have joint physical custody (which means each spends at least 40% of their time with the child), the court calculates what each parent would pay under the formula. Then the court orders the parent with the higher financial obligation to pay the difference.

Note that parents can agree on child support payments that deviate from what the court would order under the standard formula. But the judge may ask the parents to justify their decision before signing off on it.⁴

Also note that parents can ask the court to modify the child support order whenever the paying parent’s GMI changes by more than 20%.⁵