St. Paul, MN family law attorney Thomas Tuft explains how the amount of child support is determined. He explains that, on the surface, calculating child support seems fairly straightforward. The state provides a calculator that simplifies the process, even though it is built on a complex series of mathematical formulas. Typically, his team inputs the parents’ income figures, expenses related to spousal maintenance, support of other children, any public benefits received, and the number of days each parent spends with the children. The calculator then produces a guideline support figure.

He emphasizes, however, that the real challenge lies in determining what numbers should be used for each line item. Wages, for instance, raise questions—should bonuses or overtime be included? For self-employed individuals, issues like depreciation and business expenses complicate the calculation further. While straightforward cases allow the numbers to be entered easily, in many situations, the real work comes in negotiating and determining which figures are appropriate to include before the calculator can generate an accurate child support amount.