Simulation

Lifetime Support Paid

At $5,000 monthly income with two children in Texas (25%, or $1,250 per month), total support over an 18-year window is about $270,000. The same income in Mississippi (14%, $700 per month) totals about $151,000 over the same period - a $119,000 difference driven purely by state law. Longer obligation windows or more children raise the total accordingly.

Results

Visualization

ChildSupportFig provides simplified estimates for educational purposes only. Child support is set by state courts under each state's guidelines and can deviate from any formula; these tools cover only the six Percentage-of-Income states (Alaska, Mississippi, Nevada, North Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin). Income definitions differ by state (Texas uses net resources, Mississippi adjusted gross, others generally gross), and many states add health insurance and childcare on top. This is not legal advice. Confirm the exact amount and current rules with your state child support agency or a family law attorney before relying on any number.

How It Works

Monthly support is income times the state percentage. We multiply by 12 for the annual amount and by the obligation window (commonly 18 years, though it ends at emancipation which varies by state and child) for the lifetime total. The chart accumulates the payments year by year.

What Should You Do?

The 18-year window is a simplification - support usually ends at age 18 or high-school graduation, and longer for disabled children, and children of different ages age out at different times, so a multi-child order's total is lower than this simple product suggests. Health insurance and childcare add to the real total. Use this for scale, not a final figure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does support really last 18 years?

Typically until the child turns 18 or graduates high school, whichever is later; some states extend to 19-23 for school, and indefinitely for disabled children. The 18-year window here is a planning simplification.

Why is the state difference so large over time?

Because the monthly gap compounds over hundreds of payments. A few hundred dollars a month difference becomes six figures over 18 years.

Are there caps?

Texas caps the percentage at 40% for five or more children and applies a net-resource cap above a threshold; this tool uses the standard percentage without the high-income cap.