Worked example: Alimony Child Support in Delaware
6 min read
Published April 15, 2026 • By DocketMath Team
Example inputs
Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Alimony Child Support calculator.
This worked example shows how DocketMath calculates alimony and child support outputs for Delaware (US-DE) using its jurisdiction-aware rules. It’s written to help you understand the mechanics of the calculator—not to provide legal advice.
If you want to run the same calculator yourself, start here: /tools/alimony-child-support.
Scenario (monthly amounts)
Assume the following facts for one support calculation cycle:
| Input | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Payor’s monthly gross income | $6,500 | Income available to calculate support capacity |
| Payee’s monthly gross income | $3,200 | Used for relative-income impact where applicable |
| Number of children | 2 | Child support is typically computed within a child-count framework |
| Children’s ages | 6 and 9 | Used if the model applies age-based weighting |
| Parenting time (overnights) | 90 / 275 | Affects how support considerations apply (tool-dependent) |
| Payor requested/claimed alimony | $0 | We’ll compute an output rather than “agree” on an amount |
| Health insurance premium (monthly) | $125 | Included if the tool’s inputs support it |
| Childcare expenses (monthly) | $150 | Included if the tool’s inputs support it |
| Employed full-time? | Yes | Used to interpret income-stability rules in the model |
How to think about the Delaware jurisdiction layer
Delaware jurisdiction facts in this worked example include the general statute of limitations (SOL) information used by the tool’s ruleset logic for enforcement-timing scenarios:
- General SOL Period: 2 years
- General Statute: Title 11, § 205(b)(3)
Important clarity point: In the jurisdiction data available for this example, no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for SOL timing. That means this example uses the general/default 2-year period rather than a special shorter/longer period tied to a particular claim type.
Note: This example uses general/default Delaware SOL logic because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified in the provided jurisdiction data. Any enforcement-timing outputs shown by the tool should reflect that default.
Example run
Below is a “single run” walkthrough as if you entered the scenario into DocketMath → alimony-child-support for Delaware (US-DE).
Run the Alimony Child Support calculator using the example inputs above. Review the breakdown for intermediate steps (segments, adjustments, or rate changes) so you can see how each input moves the output. Save the result for reference and compare it to your actual scenario.
Step 1: Feed DocketMath the inputs
In DocketMath, you would set:
- Jurisdiction: US-DE
- Payor gross income: $6,500 / month
- Payee gross income: $3,200 / month
- Children: 2 (ages 6 and 9)
- Parenting time: 90 / 275 overnights
- Health insurance: $125 / month
- Childcare: $150 / month
Step 2: Understand what the tool outputs
DocketMath commonly provides multiple figures, such as:
- Child support estimate (monthly)
- Alimony estimate (monthly) where applicable in the tool’s model
- Possibly a combined/total figure (if the calculator is designed to display totals)
Because the exact internal formula structure can vary by tool version, treat this section as a pattern for interpreting results rather than a guarantee of exact dollar outputs.
Example outputs (illustrative)
Suppose the run returns values like:
- Estimated child support: $1,050 / month
- Estimated alimony: $400 / month
- Estimated total: $1,450 / month
Even if your exact numbers differ, the key is the cause-and-effect:
- Higher payor income generally increases both child support and alimony components.
- Higher payee income generally reduces the overall support gap.
- More payor parenting time can reduce child support, depending on how the tool applies parenting-time credit.
- Health insurance and childcare often increase the child-support-related portion when included as inputs.
Step 3: Delaware enforcement-timing layer (SOL note)
If the DocketMath workflow includes an enforcement or timing indicator, it would be anchored to Delaware’s general SOL default:
- 2-year general SOL period under **11 Del. C. § 205(b)(3)
And again, because the jurisdiction data did not identify a claim-type-specific SOL sub-rule:
- the tool should use the general two-year period rather than a different period for a specific claim category.
Warning: Statute of limitations analysis can be claim- and fact-specific in real-world practice. This worked example uses Delaware’s general/default two-year period because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in the provided jurisdiction data—not because every scenario automatically has the same limitation outcome.
Sensitivity check
A sensitivity check shows which inputs meaningfully change outputs. Keep the Delaware run and change one variable at a time.
To test sensitivity, change one high-impact input (like the rate, start date, or cap) and rerun the calculation. Compare the outputs side by side so you can see how small input shifts affect the result.
Change A: Parenting time increases
Change parenting time from 90 / 275 overnights to 130 / 235 overnights.
Expected directional impact:
- Child support estimate: typically decreases (often meaningfully)
- Alimony estimate: may change, but usually less predictably than child support because alimony can depend on broader factors in the tool model
Plausible illustrative pattern:
- Child support: $1,050 → $900 / month
- Alimony: $400 → $380 / month
- Total: $1,450 → $1,280 / month
Change B: Payee income increases
Increase payee gross income from $3,200 → $4,000 / month.
Expected directional impact:
- Child support estimate: likely decreases
- Alimony estimate: likely decreases (often the support gap narrows)
Plausible illustrative pattern:
- Child support: $1,050 → $920 / month
- Alimony: $400 → $250 / month
- Total: $1,450 → $1,170 / month
Change C: Add/raise health insurance premium
Increase the health insurance premium input from $125 → $225 / month.
Expected directional impact:
- Child support estimate: generally increases
- Alimony estimate: may stay the same or rise slightly depending on whether the tool allocates insurance primarily as a child-related adjustment
Plausible illustrative pattern:
- Child support: $1,050 → $1,120 / month
- Alimony: $400 → $400 / month
- Total: $1,450 → $1,520 / month
Change D: Increase childcare expenses
Increase childcare from $150 → $400 / month.
Expected directional impact:
- Child support estimate: typically increases
- Alimony estimate: often unchanged unless the model shifts expenses into the alimony-relevant portion
Plausible illustrative pattern:
- Child support: $1,050 → $1,240 / month
- Alimony: $400 → $400 / month
- Total: $1,450 → $1,640 / month
Practical takeaway
Use this as a quick checklist for where model outputs often move the most:
- Parenting time/overnights
- Payee gross income
- Childcare expenses
- Health insurance premiums
Pitfall to avoid: Treating child support and alimony as one blended number can hide what’s driving the result. Sensitivity checks help you separate whether changes are mostly due to income, parenting-time adjustments, or expense add-ons.