Kentucky Child Support Calculator

Kentucky uses the Income Shares model. Kentucky's shared-parenting-time credit (KRS 403.2122, revised 2024) applies once a parent has at least 88 days of parenting time a year (a "day" being 12+ consecutive hours), on a graduated scale from a 15% credit at 88 days up to a full 50% credit at equal (182.5-day) timesharing. The obligor pays the lowest of three calculations: schedule-based, self-support-reserve-based, or shared-credit-based.

Kentucky's guideline runs on gross. That distinction matters: entering gross income into a formula built on net income (or the reverse) produces a materially wrong figure. Most states count income from essentially any regular source -- wages, self-employment, bonuses, commissions, rental and investment income, and many benefits -- not just salary.

Not necessarily. In Kentucky: kentucky's shared-parenting-time credit (KRS 403.2122, revised 2024) applies once a parent has at least 88 days of parenting time a year (a "day" being 12+ consecutive hours), on a graduated scale from a 15% credit at 88 days up to a full 50% credit at equal (182.5-day) timesharing. Because the guideline also weighs each parent's share of income, a significantly higher earner can still owe support at an even time split.

Yes. The figure produced by Kentucky's Income Shares guideline is presumptive, not mandatory: a court can order a different amount when applying the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate for the specific case, and generally must state its reason on the record. Common grounds include extraordinary medical or educational expenses, a child's special needs, or costs the formula does not capture.

You have to file for a modification -- a change in your circumstances does not change what you owe on its own. Kentucky, like most states, requires a substantial change in circumstances: a significant involuntary income change, a change in the parenting schedule, or a material change in the child's needs. Until a court or the state child support agency issues a new order, the existing amount stays fully enforceable and arrears keep accruing, and a modification is generally not applied retroactively before the date you filed -- so filing promptly matters. In Kentucky, modifications are handled through KY Dept. of Child Support Services — Office of the Attorney General.

Kentucky publishes it directly: "Kentucky Child Support Interactive". This site's calculator is a fast estimate built on the same published guideline, not a replacement for the official form -- a court filing generally requires the state's own worksheet. The link is in the Kentucky Resources section on this page.