North Carolina Child Support Calculator

North Carolina uses the Income Shares model. North Carolina uses three worksheets depending on custody: Worksheet A for primary physical custody, Worksheet B for shared/equal custody once each parent has at least 123 overnights a year (obligation × 1.5 before splitting), and Worksheet C for split custody, where each parent has primary custody of at least one child.

North Carolina'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 North Carolina: North Carolina uses three worksheets depending on custody: Worksheet A for primary physical custody, Worksheet B for shared/equal custody once each parent has at least 123 overnights a year (obligation × 1.5 before splitting), and Worksheet C for split custody, where each parent has primary custody of at least one child. 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 North Carolina'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. North Carolina, 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 North Carolina, modifications are handled through NC DHHS Child Support Services.

North Carolina publishes it directly: "NC Child Support Guidelines & Worksheets A/B/C". 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 North Carolina Resources section on this page.