How to run Alimony Child Support in DocketMath for Colorado

Step-by-step

Below is a practical walkthrough for running Alimony + Child Support in DocketMath for Colorado (US-CO) using the Alimony Child Support calculator. This guide focuses on what to enter, what to expect back, and how Colorado-specific rules can change the results.

1) Open the right calculator

Start at the primary CTA: /tools/alimony-child-support.

Inside DocketMath, select or confirm:

• Jurisdiction: **US-CO (Colorado)

If you see jurisdiction toggles, choose Colorado before entering any numbers so the calculator uses Colorado-aware logic.

2) Gather the minimum inputs you’ll need

Have the following ready. DocketMath will use them to build obligations and estimate totals.

Common input categories include:

• Parties’ gross incomes (or other income fields required by the calculator)
• How income should be treated (for example, whether to include/exclude certain items, if the tool provides options)
• Parenting time / overnights (or the calculator’s equivalent schedule input)
• Number of children covered by the calculation
• Child-related inputs (such as health insurance cost and childcare cost, if included by the tool)

If DocketMath offers a quick setup, the flow is often: income → children → schedule → expenses.

3) Enter incomes carefully (this drives the whole model)

In the calculator:

• Input each parent’s gross income exactly as asked by DocketMath.
• If DocketMath includes toggles for assumptions (for example, “use default rules” vs “enter custom”), follow what the tool requests for Colorado.

How outputs change based on income:

• A larger income difference generally increases calculated child support.
• Income can also affect alimony-related estimates, if the alimony module uses income levels or presumptions in Colorado mode.

4) Specify the child-related baseline

Next, set the children inputs:

• Number of children
• Any fields for children’s expenses that the tool supports (often limited to items like health insurance and childcare)

Watch for fields that:

• Affect only child support
• Affect only alimony
• Affect both (less common, but some expense categories can influence shared assumptions)

5) Add parenting time / schedule details

Colorado calculations are sensitive to the custody/parenting-time setup. In DocketMath, enter the schedule using the structure it provides (commonly a parenting-time percentage or an overnights-style estimate).

If you change schedule inputs, you should see:

• Child support adjust as parenting time shifts.
• Total obligations shift accordingly (even if incomes stay constant).

6) Run the combined “Alimony + Child Support” calculation

Once all required fields are populated:

• Click Calculate (or the equivalent button in DocketMath)

DocketMath should produce results that separate:

• Estimated child support
• Estimated alimony (if the calculator supports/derives it in Colorado mode)
• A combined monthly total (often summarized)

7) Review result breakdowns, not just totals

Use the results section to check for:

• Any line items that look unusually large or small
• Whether the calculator used your intended parenting-time approach
• Whether expense items were incorporated

A helpful workflow:

• Compare child support only vs combined total
• Compare before/after changes you make to income or parenting time

8) Iterate with “what-if” adjustments

Don’t treat the first run as final. Instead, make controlled changes and watch the delta.

Try this order for clean comparisons:

• Change only parenting time
• Then change only income
• Then change only childcare/health costs (if your case includes them)

What you’re learning: which inputs have the biggest effect on the final number in DocketMath’s Colorado calculation model.

9) Export or capture the numbers (for review)

If DocketMath provides:

• a share link
• a downloadable summary
• a copy-to-clipboard breakdown

Save your results after you get a stable run. That way, you can compare alternatives later (for example, a different parenting-time assumption).

Common pitfalls

Most calculation issues come from a mismatch between real-world facts and the fields DocketMath expects. Here are the most frequent errors to avoid when using DocketMath for Colorado.

• Enter values after confirming US-CO mode.
• The model’s calculations assume specific income framing; mis-entered income can distort both child support and alimony estimates.
• Even if the schedule “looks right,” one inverted value can materially change the child support component.
• If DocketMath provides fields for health insurance or childcare and you leave them blank while you know they apply, results may understate totals.
• Always check the line-item breakdown—a surprising alimony figure is easier to diagnose when you can isolate which input drove it.
• Parenting-time and expense assumptions often shift. Use “what-if” iteration to understand sensitivity.

Try it

If you want a quick test drive, follow this mini checklist and run /tools/alimony-child-support in US-CO mode:

After your first run, try one controlled modification:

• Change only parenting time (for example, move a small amount of time from one parent to the other)
• Re-run and observe which component changes most

This feedback loop helps you validate that you’re entering inputs in the right places.

Related reading

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