Inputs you need for Alimony Child Support in California
4 min read
Published April 15, 2026 • By DocketMath Team
Inputs you will need
Run this scenario in DocketMath using the Alimony Child Support calculator.
Before you run DocketMath’s alimony-child-support calculator in California (US-CA), gather the inputs that drive the results. The calculator depends on financial and household details—plus key timelines and documentation—because those are the same kinds of facts courts typically consider when allocating support.
Use this checklist to collect everything in one pass:
Note: This page is focused on inputs and how they affect results. It is not legal advice and does not replace a court order.
Where to find each input
To keep your workflow efficient, map each input to the most likely document or place you can pull it from:
| Input | Most common source | What to collect |
|---|---|---|
| Gross monthly income | Pay stubs + employer earnings statements | Regular earnings; compute an average if your pay varies |
| Bonuses/commissions | Pay history (stubs/earnings statements) | Average over a consistent time window (often 12 months) |
| Self-employment net income | Tax returns + bookkeeping records | A monthly average derived from tax-reported income |
| Pre-tax deductions | Pay stubs | Retirement contributions and mandatory deductions (documented) |
| Health insurance premiums | Employer benefits page or statement | Monthly premium; amount attributable to child coverage |
| Child care costs | Receipts/invoices | Monthly total reflecting ongoing need |
| Parent time schedule | Parenting plan / calendar | Weekly days and holiday/extended time pattern |
| Length of marriage | Marriage date + separation timeline | Years/months to characterize duration |
Two practical reminders to keep calculations accurate:
- Income consistency matters. If earnings swing (seasonal work, commission-heavy roles), using an average reduces the chance that a single unusual month drives the output.
- Insurance and child care can change totals. Even if incomes stay the same, adding documented child-related costs can shift the outcome in expected directions.
Timing sanity-check (SOL reference)
If you’re also thinking about timing for enforcement or related steps, note the general California statute of limitations (SOL) reference provided in this workflow:
- General SOL period: 2 years
- General statute: CCP §335.1
Important: No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in the provided jurisdiction data, so treat this as a general/default period. It may not match timing rules for every family-law-related issue.
- General/default warning: The “2-year” SOL described under CCP §335.1 is a general/default period and may not match timing rules for every specific family-law-related claim. Use it only as a timing sanity-check, not as definitive legal guidance.
Run it
Once your inputs are collected, run DocketMath using the alimony-child-support calculator here:
- /tools/alimony-child-support
As you enter data, expect outputs to move in predictable ways:
- Higher income for a parent → higher support share. Child support (and spousal support analysis, if included) generally tracks relative ability to pay.
- More documented child care costs → higher totals (to the extent the calculator allocates costs based on the schedule and need).
- More parenting time → may reduce the other parent’s payment (often through parenting-time adjustments reflected in the calculator logic).
- Health insurance premiums attributed to the child(ren) → can change the result, since coverage is typically treated as a recurring child-related expense.
If you’re comparing scenarios
It’s common to run multiple versions (for settlement planning or to estimate a future projection). To keep results understandable:
- Run Scenario A using current incomes and the current schedule.
- Run Scenario B after changing only one area, such as:
This prevents “mystery variance,” where several numbers shift at once and make it harder to see what caused the change.
Practical tip: If income is uncertain, start with the best-supported average (for example, a trailing 12-month average) rather than a single-month estimate. The calculator can only be as consistent as the figures you provide.