Inputs you need for Alimony Child Support in Colorado

Inputs you will need

Below is a practical checklist of what DocketMath’s alimony-child-support calculator typically requires for Colorado (US-CO), so you can build a worksheet-style calculation using jurisdiction-aware inputs. The calculator is designed to turn your facts into numbers for child support and the income-based inputs that often drive maintenance (alimony).

A. Child support inputs (core)

B. Alimony / maintenance inputs (often driven by income and the marriage timeline)

C. Shared formatting inputs (to keep results consistent)

Where to find each input

Use this section as a sourcing map—find the numbers once, then enter them into DocketMath in the format the tool requests.

Most inputs live in the case file, contracts, or docket entries. Dates usually come from the triggering event notice; rates and caps come from governing documents or statute; and amounts come from the ledger or judgment. Record the source for each value so the run is reproducible.

Income (both parties)

• Pay stubs and payroll summaries

  • Look for:

    • Year-to-date (YTD) totals
    • Typical pay frequency
    • Regular overtime/bonus amounts (if paid consistently)
• Last 2–3 months of bank deposits

  • Useful to validate whether pay stubs match what is actually received, especially when hours fluctuate
• Tax documents for self-employment

  • Common starting points:

    • Prior-year tax return
    • Schedule C-style income summaries
    • Any documentation showing recurring business income
• Employer documentation for commissions/variable pay

  • For commissions, bonuses, or recurring allowances, use the plan documents or statements that show how amounts are typically calculated

Health insurance premiums

• Insurance declarations / payroll deductions

  • Find the monthly premium amount for coverage of the children
• **COBRA statements (if applicable)

  • These often list the monthly premium cost you can model

Childcare costs

• Invoices / receipts

  • Daycare, after-school care, and recurring babysitting
• Provider billing statements

  • If the provider lists weekly rates, convert to monthly using a consistent method (and keep that method the same between runs)

Number of children + parent-time input

• Case-related custody/parenting schedule

  • Use the schedule you and the other parent follow today (or the arrangement you want to model)
• Calendar breakdown

  • If the tool uses a time-share method, count time consistently over the tool’s expected cycle (for example, repeating weeks or another repeating period)

Marriage length (maintenance modeling)

• Marriage date

  • Compute years and months from the marriage date to the relevant end date you’re modeling in the scenario
• **Filing / separation dates (if the tool requests them)

  • Use case paperwork to pull the correct dates

Run it

Once your inputs are collected and formatted consistently, you can run the alimony-child-support calculator in DocketMath.

Enter the inputs in DocketMath and run the Alimony Child Support calculation to generate a clean breakdown: Run the calculator.

Step-by-step workflow

1. Open DocketMath’s calculator:

   • Primary CTA: /tools/alimony-child-support
2. Enter child support inputs first, including:

   • Income (both parties), childcare, health insurance for children, number of children, and parent-time
3. Add maintenance / alimony inputs next, including:

   • Marriage length and the income variables the tool uses (plus any additional fields it prompts)
4. Review the outputs:

   • Pay attention to which inputs the results appear most sensitive to (this helps you spot the biggest “accuracy levers” first)

How outputs typically change with inputs (what to watch)

Use this as a quick guide for what tends to move the numbers when you rerun scenarios:

Scenario practice (simple but effective)

Try two runs:

• Run A (baseline): enter your best current monthly averages
• Run B (adjusted): change only one major variable (e.g., childcare cost or averaged overtime), then compare

This “one change at a time” approach makes it easier to see which facts have the biggest impact—and where you may need more precise documentation.

Quick input verification checklist

Related reading

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