Inputs you need for Alimony Child Support in South Dakota

Inputs you will need

DocketMath’s Alimony Child Support calculator for South Dakota (US-SD) turns a handful of family-law inputs into an organized estimate. Before you run it, gather the items below so you don’t have to guess mid-calculation.

Checklist (gather these first)

Quick constraint check: time and documentation

South Dakota’s general statute of limitations is 3 years under SDCL 22-14-1. In other words, if you’re assembling records to support or challenge figures for a past period, a 3-year lookback is the default baseline described by the general/default period. (No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found beyond this general rule.)

Where to find each input

Use this section as a “source map” for your documents. The goal is to locate each number fast and make it consistent across both parties.

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 inputs

• Pay stubs and W-2s (most recent years):

  • Typical places to pull gross monthly income.
  • If your income is variable (commission/bonus), use a method you can document (e.g., average over the year).
• Tax returns (most recent year):

  • Helpful if pay stubs don’t fully capture the pattern of earnings.
• Employer verification or year-to-date summaries:

  • If you’re between stubs or have gaps.

Child-related inputs

• Parenting arrangement notes (even if informal):

  • If DocketMath asks about the “baseline arrangement,” pull from any existing schedule you have.
• Children’s details:

  • DocketMath generally needs the number of children first; additional structure may appear later in the calculator flow.

Alimony modeling inputs

• Expense summaries / budgets:

  • DocketMath may ask for inputs that mirror a financial snapshot. Use a spreadsheet you’ve already built.
• Debt or obligations records:

  • Only include obligations if DocketMath’s input questions invite them and you can document them.

Dates & timing assumptions

• Calendar month/year of the period you’re modeling:

  • Put simply: choose a “start month” that matches the numbers you’re using.
• Any written agreement or court order dates you’re referencing:

  • If you’re comparing “before vs. after,” keep the relevant dates in one place.

Run it

Ready to compute? Use DocketMath’s calculator and enter your collected inputs using the jurisdiction-aware flow for US-SD.

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

Open the calculator

• Go to: **DocketMath Alimony Child Support

Enter inputs in this order (to reduce rework)

1. Choose the calculation mode you’re testing (child support only vs. alimony only vs. both).
2. Enter each party’s gross monthly income using the same documentation type for both parties (e.g., pay stubs for both).
3. Input child-related values (start with the number of children).
4. Add any adjustment/deduction fields if DocketMath requests them.
5. Confirm the start timing for your modeled estimate.

Understand how outputs change (what to test)

Run quick scenarios rather than chasing a single “perfect” number on the first try.

• If income inputs change:

  • Expect child support and alimony outputs to move in response to the relative income levels.
• If the number of children changes:

  • Child support components will typically scale with the child count.
• If you switch from “support only” to “both”:

  • You’ll see separate line items rather than a single blended output, which is useful for budgeting comparisons.

Document your run

After each run, write down:

• Which scenario you modeled (e.g., “average income last year” vs. “current monthly income”)
• Key numbers entered (income and children count at minimum)
• The resulting totals you want to compare

This makes it much easier to explain your own modeling choices to someone else later—whether that’s a family member, a mediator, or (if you choose) an attorney.

Related reading

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