Idaho Child Support Guidelines

Idaho's child support guidelines are intended to give specific guidance to courts conducting child support proceedings within the state. The idea is that the guidelines will produce an equitable and uniform approach to establishing child support obligations within the state.

There are four basic underlying principles that Idaho's child support guidelines are based on:

Both parents share legal responsibility for supporting their children, and that responsibility should be divided in proportion to the parents' income.
Child support is given priority over the needs of parents or creditors when allocating family resources.
Support obligations should be determined without regard to the gender of the custodial parent.
Rarely should a parent's child support obligation be set at zero; therefore, there is a rebuttable presumption that each parent should contribute at least $50 per month per child.

Code Section

The Idaho Child Support Guidelines

How is Child Support Calculated?

Child support obligations in Idaho are calculated using the Income Shares Model. The idea is to estimate the amount of support that the children would have received if the marriage hadn't failed. This support amount is then divided between the parents in proportion to their respective incomes. These calculations can be done using the forms listed below:

Definitions

Shared Physical Custody: If the child spends more than 25% of the overnights in a year with each parent.

Split Physical Custody: When a couple has more than one child and each parent has physical custody of at least one child.

Will a Court Ever Deviate From the Child Support Guidelines?

Child support obligations calculated using Idaho's child support guidelines are presumed to be appropriate and fair until evidence is presented showing that the award would be inappropriate or unjust.

Idaho's Child Support Services

Idaho's Child Support Services (CSS) is available to help you with a variety of child support related issued. For example, CSS can help to:

Locate your child's other parent
Establish paternity
Establish child support obligations
Make sure child support is paid
Make sure medical support is provided
Get a child support order changed

Additional Resources

State laws change frequently. For case specific information regarding Idaho's child support guidelines contact a local family law lawyer.