Federal Intent for State Child Support Guidelines: Income Shares, Cost Shares, and the Realities of Shared Parenting

Abstract

Presumptive guidelines for the determination of child support orders have been in effect in every state since 1990. Child support guidelines are as complicated and varied as the families to which they apply. The purpose of this article is to compare the extent to which existing income shares guidelines and proposed cost shares guidelines comply with such intent as expressed in relevant federal regulations. The article argues that income shares guidelines are much more likely than cost shares guidelines to advance federal intent for state child support guidelines. Part II outlines federal intent for state child support guidelines. Part III describes the calculation of support under income shares and cost shares guidelines. Part IV evaluates the relationship of each model to the principal components of federal intent. Part V discusses the growing impact of shared parenting arrangements on child support guidelines. Part VI summarizes our principal conclusions and offers recommendations to the states.

Keywords: Child support guidelines, income shares guidelines, cost shares guidelines, federal intent, presumptive guidelines