How to run Alimony Child Support in DocketMath for Washington

Step-by-step

Here’s a practical, jurisdiction-aware walkthrough for running Alimony + Child Support in DocketMath for Washington (US-WA) using the alimony-child-support calculator. This guide explains how to use the tool with Washington-specific standards, not legal advice.

1) Start the right tool (Washington + calculator)

1. Open DocketMath’s calculator: /tools/alimony-child-support
2. Confirm the calculator is set to Washington (US-WA).
3. Locate the inputs split (or tabs/sections) for:

   • Child support (based on RCW 26.19.020 / RCW 26.19.071)
   • Maintenance (alimony) (based on RCW 26.09.090)

If DocketMath has a jurisdiction selector, choose US-WA before entering numbers.

2) Enter monthly net income figures for the child support worksheet

Washington child support obligations start with the parents’ combined monthly net income and then use the number and ages of children to determine the basic obligation under RCW 26.19.020. In DocketMath, you will typically provide:

• Parent A monthly net income
• Parent B monthly net income
• Any additional inputs the tool uses to arrive at the combined net income figure and apply the schedule/worksheet logic required by Washington’s framework.

How outputs change:

• Higher combined monthly net income generally increases the base schedule obligation under RCW 26.19.020.
• Different children’s ages can change which parts of the Washington schedule apply, even if income stays the same.

3) Add the children and confirm ages (age matters under Washington law)

RCW 26.19.020 ties the obligation to “the number and ages of the children.” Enter:

• Number of children
• Each child’s age (or select age ranges if the calculator uses brackets)

Output impact:

• Same incomes, different ages can produce different schedule values and therefore different results.

4) Apply Washington worksheet/standards (RCW 26.19.071)

Washington uses worksheet/standards under RCW 26.19.071 after starting from the schedule framework. In DocketMath, this often appears as additional settings or toggles that affect how the worksheet is computed.

Examples of what to watch for in the tool:

• Any income-related assumptions the calculator prompts for
• Any parenting-time or related inputs that the worksheet needs (if the UI requests them)

Warning: Don’t skip tool prompts that relate to Washington worksheet inputs. The difference between a “baseline schedule” number and a “final worksheet” number is often driven by these settings.

5) Use deviations only if you have a reason that fits (RCW 26.19.075)

Washington allows adjustments away from the basic child support calculation through deviations under RCW 26.19.075. In DocketMath, deviations are commonly controlled by:

• A deviation toggle/checkbox
• One or more deviation reasons
• Additional cost or factor inputs

Output impact:

• If deviations are not selected, the calculator should reflect the schedule/worksheet result.
• If deviations are enabled (and properly supported by the inputs you select), the child support output should change relative to the baseline.

6) Enter maintenance (alimony) factors under RCW 26.09.090

Maintenance is governed separately by RCW 26.09.090. In DocketMath, the maintenance section typically asks for inputs such as:

• Which party is treated as the payer vs. the recipient
• Income-related inputs relevant to maintenance
• Any tool-specific maintenance structure fields (like duration or other supported assumptions)

How outputs change:

• Maintenance can change materially depending on which party’s inputs you assign and any maintenance-duration/structure settings the tool supports.
• Because maintenance is under RCW 26.09.090 and child support is under RCW 26.19.020 / RCW 26.19.071, the two outputs can “move” differently when you change the same underlying income numbers.

7) Confirm the period logic used by the calculator

Washington’s child support framework is statutory, but the calculator may organize its computation using an internal “period” approach.

If DocketMath indicates it is using a general/default period, treat that as the tool’s default behavior for the inputs you select.

Required clarity for this jurisdiction setup:

• DocketMath is running a general/default period for the applicable inputs.
• No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for a separate claim-type period override in this jurisdiction setup.

So if your case needs a different period treatment, look for a period/claim-type option in the UI (if available) and set it deliberately—don’t assume a different period is automatically applied.

8) Review results in two buckets (don’t blend them)

After you run the calculator, review the outputs separately:

• Child support: driven by RCW 26.19.020 (schedule) + RCW 26.19.071 (worksheet/standards), plus RCW 26.19.075 if deviations are enabled
• Maintenance (alimony): driven by RCW 26.09.090

A practical workflow:

1. Validate child support inputs first (net incomes + ages + worksheet prompts).
2. Then validate maintenance inputs.
3. Finally, check whether any deviation inputs were enabled and reflect that when interpreting the child support result.

9) Run “what changed” scenarios to understand the output

DocketMath is most helpful when you test variations. Use controlled changes so you can explain what drove the result:

• Change combined net income by a fixed amount (e.g., +$500) and compare the child support result.
• Change the number of children or a child’s age bracket and re-run.
• If you have a valid deviation basis and the calculator supports it, compare:

  • baseline (no deviations)
  • deviation-enabled scenario (with the deviation factors you intended)

Checklist:

• Washington (US-WA) selected
• Parent net income values entered correctly
• Children’s ages entered (not just the count)
• All worksheet/standard prompts completed as requested
• Deviations enabled only if the deviation inputs fit RCW 26.19.075
• Maintenance inputs entered under RCW 26.09.090 logic
• Period logic confirmed as the calculator’s general/default period (no claim-type-specific sub-rule detected)

Common pitfalls

1. Using gross income instead of net income

• Washington child support under RCW 26.19.020 is based on combined monthly net income.
• If the tool expects net income and you enter gross (or vice versa), the result will be off from the start.

1. Wrong child ages (or missing age inputs)

• RCW 26.19.020 depends on number and ages of children.
• Even a small age entry error can shift the schedule bracket.

1. Leaving worksheet/standard prompts blank

• RCW 26.19.071 worksheet/standards can require additional inputs.
• If you skip prompts, the tool may compute using defaults you didn’t intend.

1. Turning on deviations “just to see”

• Deviations are governed by RCW 26.19.075.
• If deviations are enabled without facts that fit, you’re no longer comparing like-for-like with the baseline schedule/worksheet result.

1. Assuming maintenance and child support are computed the same way

• Child support: RCW 26.19.020 / RCW 26.19.071 (and deviations under RCW 26.19.075)
• Maintenance: RCW 26.09.090
• Even if both are fed similar income numbers, the statutes and methods differ.

1. Expecting a different period rule than what the calculator runs

• This setup uses a general/default period in the tool.
• No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found here for a separate period override—so double-check any UI options related to period logic.

Try it

Open DocketMath and run a first Washington scenario:

1. Go to /tools/alimony-child-support
2. Enter:

   • Monthly net income for both parents
   • Number of children and each child’s age
   • All worksheet/standard fields DocketMath requests (for Washington’s RCW 26.19.071 framework)
3. Enter maintenance inputs in the maintenance section (for RCW 26.09.090 logic).
4. Run the calculation and review:

   • Child support (schedule + worksheet, and deviations if enabled)
   • Maintenance (alimony) (maintenance section outputs)

Fast validation loop:

• Scenario A: baseline with no deviations
• Scenario B: change one variable (income or one child’s age) and compare the change
• Scenario C: if you truly have a deviation basis, enable deviations (per the tool’s deviation fields aligned to RCW 26.19.075) and compare again

Related reading

• How Alimony Child Support rules vary in New York — What varies by jurisdiction
• [How to calculate Alimony Child Support in Philippines](/blog/alimony-child-support-phil