South Carolina Child Support
Estimate for South Carolina
South Carolina uses the Income Shares model.
Official schedule: South Carolina Child Support Guidelines Booklet, Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations (FORM 2819, UPDATED 1/2024). Income basis = Monthly Combined Gross Income. (2024)
View calculation breakdown
| Combined parental income | $9,000 |
|---|---|
| Total basic obligation (schedule) | $1,619 |
| Obligor income share | 55.6% |
| Obligor basic obligation | $899 |
| Estimated monthly support | $899 |
How the basic obligation splits between parents
Estimated monthly support by number of children
§ How South Carolina calculates support
South Carolina uses the Income Shares model under S.C. Code § 63-17-470 and the SC DSS Child Support Guidelines (2024 Edition, effective Jan. 1, 2024), based on each parent's GROSS monthly income. The Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations covers combined gross income up to $40,000/month ($480,000/year); below $750/month the court sets at least $100, and above the cap it decides case-by-case. Three worksheets apply: A (sole/primary), B (split custody), and C (shared custody, each parent ≥109 overnights, which multiplies the base by 1.5). Health insurance and work-related childcare are added and split proportionally. Statute: 15 V.S.A. §§ 650-670.
Content verified against official sources on 2026-08-09.
✦ How to open or modify a case in South Carolina
- Apply for Child Support Services through the SC Department of Social Services (DSS) — online at dss.sc.gov, by phone, or at a local DSS office.
- Establish paternity if unmarried (voluntary Declaration of Paternity or court-ordered DNA testing).
- Both parents disclose income; DSS or the court determines gross monthly income and imputes income if a parent is voluntarily unemployed/underemployed.
- Choose the correct worksheet (A, B, or C) by custody arrangement and compute the base obligation from the schedule, adding health insurance and childcare.
- Obtain a support order from Family Court; the guideline amount is a rebuttable presumption and deviations require specific written findings.
- Request a review/modification when the new guidelines or a material change would alter the amount by roughly 20% or more.
◈ Illustrative examples
Scenario: Parents' combined gross monthly income is $5,000 with two children. Parent A earns $3,500 (70%) and Parent B earns $1,500 (30%). Parent A pays the child's health insurance ($200/month) and Parent B pays work-related childcare ($400/month).
Walk-through: From the 2024 schedule, $5,000 combined with two children = $1,226 base. Add $200 insurance + $400 childcare = $1,826 total. Parent A's 70% share = $1,278, less the $200 insurance credit = $1,078 paid to Parent B. Parent B's 30% share = $548, less the $400 childcare credit = $148.
Takeaway: The base is split by income percentage, and each parent is credited for child-related costs they pay directly.
Scenario: The same two parents, but each has at least 109 overnights per year with the children (shared custody).
Walk-through: At 109+ overnights the case moves from Worksheet A to Worksheet C, which multiplies the basic obligation by 1.5 to reflect two households' duplicate costs, then allocates by income. Crossing the 108/109-overnight line changes the worksheet and the math.
Takeaway: The 109-overnight threshold is a sharp line: at or above it, the shared-custody worksheet applies.
? Frequently asked questions
↗ Official policy & agency links
Sources verified: https://dss.sc.gov/ · https://dss.sc.gov/resource-library/forms_brochures/files/1-csg.pdf · https://regulations.justia.com/states/south-carolina/chapter-114/article-47/section-114-4710/