Denver, CO family law attorney Kristi Wells explains how the amount of child support is determined under Colorado law. She notes that in Colorado, the guideline calculation for child support is based on several factors: the incomes of both parents, the number of overnights each parent has with the children, and who is paying for things like health insurance, extraordinary medical expenses, or work- and school-related child care. All of these elements feed into a formula that corresponds to a table of child support amounts, which applies up to a combined gross income threshold—currently around $240,000.

If the parents’ combined income exceeds that threshold, the court may extrapolate beyond the table, taking into account things like private school tuition or extraordinary medical expenses not covered by insurance. These are generally handled under the statute and are often shared proportionally between the parents based on their income.

If one parent is unemployed or underemployed, the court can impute a reasonable income to that parent based on their experience, education, and ability to work. Exceptions exist, such as young parents caring for children at home or individuals engaged in an educational program reasonably expected to increase their future earning potential.