Vermont Child Support
Estimate for Vermont
Vermont uses the Income Shares model.
Vermont Child Support Worksheet — Planning Estimate
Paying parent income: $5,000.00/mo · Other parent: $4,000.00/mo · Overnights: 0/yr · Child care: $0.00/mo · Health ins.: $0.00/mo · Children: 2
This is an informal planning estimate, not a court worksheet and not legal advice. Confirm the current guideline with the state child-support agency or a licensed family-law attorney.
Official schedule: Vermont Agency of Human Services, Dept. for Children & Families, Office of Child Support — Table of Intact Family Expenditures on Children (Child Support Guidelines, 15 V.S.A. §654; combined MONTHLY AVAILABLE INCOME). Table last updated Jan 2, 2024. (2024)
View calculation breakdown
| Combined parental income | $9,000 |
|---|---|
| Total basic obligation (schedule) | $2,288 |
| Obligor income share | 55.6% |
| Obligor basic obligation | $1,271 |
| Estimated monthly support | $1,271 |
How the basic obligation splits between parents
Estimated monthly support by number of children
Typical amounts in Vermont
| Scenario | Obligor income/mo | Other parent | Est. monthly support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower earner | $2,500 | $4,000/mo | $477/mo |
| Typical case | $5,500 | $4,000/mo | $926/mo |
| Higher earner | $9,000 | $4,000/mo | $1,387/mo |
Vermont uses the income shares model on gross income. Your numbers will differ — run the calculator above with your own inputs. Estimates are educational, not a court order.
§ How Vermont calculates support
Vermont uses the Income Shares model under 15 V.S.A. §§ 650–670, based on each parent's AVAILABLE income (gross income minus federal/state income taxes, FICA, preexisting child/spousal support, and the child's health insurance premium, using standardized Tax Conversion Tables). The Table of Intact Family Expenditures sets the base by combined available income and children. Sole custody is one parent with >75% overnights; shared custody tiers add a 50% increase — at 25%–<30% overnights a shared-costs table applies, and at 30%+ overnights the obligation is increased by 50% and allocated by income and time. A self-support reserve ($1,596/month as of Feb. 2026) protects low-income obligors. Support ends at 18 or high school graduation.
Content verified against official sources on 2026-08-09.
✦ How to open or modify a case in Vermont
- Apply for services through the Vermont DCF Office of Child Support (OCS); services are free. Use the OCS online calculator or contact OCS.
- Establish parentage if unmarried (voluntary acknowledgment or court-ordered genetic testing).
- Both parents complete an Affidavit of Income and Assets (Form 813) and disclose income; OCS or the court converts gross to available income using the Tax Conversion Tables.
- Use the correct worksheet (sole, split, or shared custody) with the Guideline Table to compute the base, adding health insurance and childcare.
- Obtain an order from Family Court; the guideline amount is a rebuttable presumption and any deviation requires written findings under § 659.
- Request a modification on a substantial change in circumstances (commonly a 10%+ difference in the recalculated guideline amount).
◈ Illustrative examples
Scenario: Parents' combined available monthly income is $5,000 with one child. The NCP earns $3,000 (60%) and the CP earns $2,000 (40%). The CP has primary custody (>75% overnights).
Walk-through: From the Guideline Table, combined available income of $5,000 with one child is $782/month. The NCP pays 60% of the base: 0.60 × $782 = $469/month, plus 60% of add-ons (health insurance and childcare are added and split proportionally).
Takeaway: Vermont splits the guideline base by each parent's percentage of combined available income.
Scenario: Same $5,000 combined available income and one child, but each parent has at least 30% of overnights (shared custody).
Walk-through: Because each parent has 30%+ overnights, the total obligation is increased by 50%: $782 × 1.5 = $1,173, then allocated between the parents based on both income and the amount of time each has the child. A 25%–<30% range instead uses the shared-costs table (also with the 50% increase).
Takeaway: Shared custody raises the total (two homes) by 50%, then allocates it by income and parenting time.
? Frequently asked questions
↗ Official policy & agency links
Sources verified: https://dcf.vermont.gov/ocs/parents/calculator · https://outside.vermont.gov/dept/DCF/Shared%20Documents/OCS/Calculator/CS-Guidelines.pdf · https://legalclarity.org/how-vermont-child-support-is-calculated-and-enforced