Virginia Child Support Guidelines and Calculation (2025 Update)

The 2025 Guidelines Update

Virginia updated its child support guidelines effective July 1, 2025, with the most significant change being an increase to the presumptive combined gross monthly income cap. The cap rose from $35,000 to $42,500 per month, meaning the statutory guidelines table now covers families with combined annual gross income up to $510,000.

For families above the cap, child support is calculated in two steps: first, the base guideline amount at the $42,500 threshold, then a scaled percentage of the excess income. The percentage varies by number of children — 2.6% for one child, 3.4% for two children, scaling up to a maximum of 5% for six children. Courts also retain discretion to deviate from this formula based on the child's actual needs and the parents' ability to pay.

How the Basic Calculation Works

Virginia uses an income-shares model under Code § 20-108.2. The calculation starts with both parents' combined gross monthly income and produces a presumptive support amount based on the guidelines table. The steps:

Step 1 — Calculate each parent's gross monthly income. Gross income includes wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, self-employment net income, dividends, interest, rental income, Social Security benefits, veterans' benefits, unemployment compensation, and spousal support received from a prior marriage. It does not include means-tested public assistance (TANF, SNAP, SSI) or child support received for other children.

Step 2 — Add both incomes together. The combined gross monthly income determines the row on the guidelines table.

Step 3 — Find the presumptive support amount. The guidelines table specifies the total support obligation based on combined income and number of children. For example, with combined income of $10,000/month and two children, the table produces a specific dollar amount that represents the total child support obligation.

Step 4 — Allocate proportionally. Each parent's share of the total obligation is proportional to their share of combined income. If Parent A earns 60% of combined income and Parent B earns 40%, Parent A is responsible for 60% of the total support amount.

Step 5 — Adjust for custody time. The non-custodial parent's share becomes the child support payment. If custody is shared (a parent has the child for more than 90 days per year), the calculation uses a shared-custody formula that credits each parent for the support they provide during their parenting time.

Imputed Income: When a Parent Is Voluntarily Underemployed

Virginia courts can impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed — meaning they are capable of earning more but choose not to. The court looks at the parent's work history, education, skills, job market conditions in their area, and any health limitations.

Imputed income is calculated based on what the parent could reasonably earn, not what they are currently earning. A parent who quits a $90,000 job to take a $40,000 job without good reason may have support calculated as if they still earn $90,000. However, a parent who left the workforce to care for a child with special needs, or who was laid off and is actively seeking work, generally will not have income imputed.

Adjustments to the Presumptive Amount

Several expenses are accounted for in the calculation:

• Health insurance premiums paid by either parent for the child's coverage
• Work-related childcare costs (daycare, after-school care) necessary for the custodial parent's employment
• Unreimbursed medical and dental expenses — reasonable and necessary expenses allocated between the parents in proportion to their gross incomes, separately from the guideline amount
• Support obligations for other children — court-ordered child support paid for children from a prior relationship

These adjustments can significantly change the final number. A parent paying $800/month in daycare gets that amount factored into the calculation, which may change the non-custodial parent's payment.

When Courts Deviate from the Guidelines

The guidelines produce a presumptive amount, but either parent can request a deviation — upward or downward — based on specific factors in § 20-108.1. Common deviation grounds include:

• The child's actual needs differ substantially from what the guidelines assume (special education costs, competitive athletics, medical conditions requiring ongoing treatment)
• The non-custodial parent has travel expenses for long-distance visitation
• A child has independent income (trusts, employment, Social Security benefits in their own right)
• The guidelines amount would leave the paying parent below a self-support reserve

The requesting parent bears the burden of proving that the deviation is justified. Courts do not deviate simply because a parent finds the presumptive amount inconvenient — there must be a documented, child-centered reason.

Child Support vs. Property Division

Child support and property division are separate calculations in Virginia, but they interact. Spousal support payments reduce the payor's available income for child support and increase the recipient's income, which shifts the child support calculation. If you are negotiating both spousal support and child support simultaneously, run the child support calculation with and without spousal support to see the downstream effect.

Our Virginia Divorce Financial Split & Asset Division Guide covers the financial disclosure process and income documentation that feeds into both child support and spousal support calculations. Having your income, expenses, and deductions organized before you run the guidelines worksheet saves time and prevents errors that could result in an inaccurate support amount.

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