Worked example: Alimony Child Support in Washington

Example inputs

Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Alimony Child Support calculator.

This worked example shows how DocketMath (calculator: alimony-child-support) can help you model a Washington (US-WA) scenario for combined alimony/spousal support and child support using jurisdiction-aware rules.

Scope note (important): The brief focuses on the statute-limited time window concept using the jurisdiction data you provided. For Washington, the general/default limitation period is 5 years, citing RCW 9A.04.080. No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in your jurisdiction dataset, so we treat 5 years as the general baseline rather than a special carve-out.

Scenario (numbers you can change)

Use these example facts to run the model:

Additional toggles (conceptual)

Depending on how DocketMath is configured for your run, you may see optional settings such as:

• Whether to include both child support and spousal support in the combined total
• Whether to compute totals by month (common) or by a single summarized period amount
• Whether the time horizon is fixed by user-provided dates or calculated from the limitation period

Example run

Below is a “do-this-click-that” style walkthrough of a typical DocketMath run for Washington.

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: Open the calculator

Go to the primary CTA:

• /tools/alimony-child-support

Step 2: Enter the example inputs

In DocketMath’s alimony-child-support calculator, set:

1. Jurisdiction: US-WA
2. Limitation / evaluation window: either

   • Use default: 5 years, or
   • Enter dates that correspond to the 5-year baseline
3. Spousal support (monthly): $2,200
4. Child support (monthly): $1,650
5. Start date: 2025-01-15
6. Confirm both components included (spousal + child)

Step 3: Understand the Washington time window basis

The jurisdiction data you provided states:

• General SOL period: 5 years
• General statute: RCW 9A.04.080

Because your note says no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, DocketMath should treat 5 years as the general/default period (not a special shorter/longer period for a specific category).

Step 4: What the calculator typically computes

Even without changing the legal framing, the calculator can produce practical outputs such as:

• Monthly total obligation = spousal + child

  • $2,200 + $1,650 = $3,850 per month
• Modeled time horizon = 5 years from the start date
• Total modeled obligation over the window = monthly total × number of months in the horizon

For a 5-year horizon, the rough month count is typically 60 months (depending on date alignment rules). Using the example amounts:

• Modeled total over 60 months = $3,850 × 60 = $231,000

Example output (illustrative structure)

When you view results, you’ll commonly see outputs in a structure like:

• Monthly totals
• Totals for the evaluation window
• Breakout by component (spousal vs. child), if enabled

A clear way to interpret the numbers is:

Quick cross-check using internal tools

If you want to sanity-check your date window logic, you can also compare with other DocketMath computations. For instance, open /tools/alimony-child-support and adjust the dates while keeping monthly amounts constant—your totals should scale proportionally.

Sensitivity check

Running the same scenario with small changes helps you see what drives the result. Below are targeted tweaks that usually matter most in combined alimony/child-support modeling: monthly amounts and time horizon alignment.

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.

1) Change spousal support by ±10%

Keep child support fixed at $1,650 and keep the 5-year horizon fixed.

Takeaway: A 10% swing in spousal support produces an approximately 10% swing in the spousal portion, and the combined total changes proportionally depending on how much child support offsets the change.

2) Change child support by ±10%

Now keep spousal fixed and adjust child support.

Takeaway: The combined result is sensitive to both inputs, because the total changes linearly with monthly amounts.

3) Change the window alignment (date nuance)

Because the example uses a start date of 2025-01-15 and a modeled 5-year period, slight changes in how the tool counts months can cause off-by-one effects (e.g., 59 vs. 60 months depending on exact date rounding rules).

Try this in DocketMath:

• Keep monthly amounts the same:

  • Spousal: $2,200
  • Child: $1,650
• Modify the start date by 1–2 weeks and observe whether the tool recomputes the window length.

Expected pattern:

• If month count stays 60, the total stays near $231,000
• If month count becomes 59, the total drops by approximately one monthly payment:

  • $231,000 − $3,850 = $227,150

4) Confirm the “general/default only” rule-set assumption

Your jurisdiction dataset explicitly states:

• General SOL period: 5 years
• General statute: RCW 9A.04.080
• No claim-type-specific sub-rule found

So in the tool model, you should see the time-window logic reflect 5 years as the general baseline, not an alternate period by category.

Related reading

• Alimony & Child Support Estimator Guide for Alabama
• Alimony & Child Support Estimator Guide for Arizona
• Alimony & Child Support Estimator Guide for Colorado