How Vermont Calculates Child Support
Vermont uses the Income Shares model for child support. The governing law is Vermont Statutes Annotated Title 15, Section 659, along with the Vermont Guidelines for Child Support Orders. Vermont uses gross income as the basis for its calculation and combines both parents' incomes to determine the total obligation. Each parent then contributes their proportional share.
Vermont's approach follows the same core principle used by 41 states: children should receive support that reflects both parents' combined financial capacity, allocated proportionally to their incomes.
The Vermont Child Support Formula
Vermont's calculation follows four steps.
Step one is determining each parent's monthly gross income. Step two is combining both gross incomes to produce the combined monthly gross income. Step three is finding the Basic Child Support Obligation in Vermont's schedule using the combined income and number of children. Step four is calculating each parent's income share percentage and applying it to the obligation.
A practical example: Parent A earns $5,500 per month. Parent B earns $2,500 per month. Combined income is $8,000. Parent A's income share is 68.75 percent. If Vermont's schedule sets the Basic Child Support Obligation at $1,400 for two children at $8,000 combined income, Parent A's base obligation is $963 per month before parenting time adjustments and add-ons.
Vermont's schedule covers a range of combined income levels. At combined incomes above the schedule maximum, courts have discretion to set support based on the children's demonstrated needs and each parent's financial resources.
What Counts as Income in Vermont
Vermont uses a comprehensive income definition. Courts include wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, overtime, self-employment income, rental income, pension and retirement distributions, Social Security benefits, SSDI payments, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, and income from any other regular source.
Courts can impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed based on work history, education, skills, and local employment conditions. A parent who reduces their income to avoid child support can expect the court to use a higher imputed figure.
Vermont allows deductions from gross income before combining incomes: court-ordered child support currently being paid for children from other relationships and court-ordered spousal maintenance from prior orders. These deductions prevent compounding obligations from becoming unworkable.
Vermont excludes needs-based public assistance and child support received for children from other relationships from the income calculation.
Step-by-Step: How to Use This Calculator
Step 1. Get your gross monthly income. Include all income sources. Gross means before Vermont state income taxes (which range from 3.35 percent to 8.75 percent depending on income), federal taxes, and before any other deductions.
Step 2. Subtract existing court-ordered obligations (child support or spousal maintenance from prior orders) from your gross income.
Step 3. Estimate the other parent's adjusted gross monthly income using the same method.
Step 4. Enter the number of children covered by this order.
Step 5. Enter your parenting time percentage. Count actual overnights per year and divide by 365. Vermont applies a credit when the paying parent has significant overnight time with the children, scaling as overnights increase toward 50 percent.
Step 6. Add healthcare costs. Enter the monthly premium for the children's health insurance.
Step 7. Add childcare costs. Enter monthly work-related childcare expenses.
Step 8. Review the full breakdown before accepting the result.
Parenting Time Adjustments in Vermont
Vermont applies a parenting time credit when the paying parent has significant overnight time with the children. The credit reflects the direct costs that parent bears during their parenting time and scales upward as overnights increase.
At standard visitation levels, the credit is modest. As parenting time approaches 50 percent, the credit grows. At near-equal parenting time, Vermont considers both parents' obligations and the higher earner pays the net difference.
Vermont courts also recognize that equal parenting time does not eliminate child support when one parent earns significantly more than the other. The income difference drives a net payment even when time is shared equally.
Vermont courts can also address transportation costs for parenting time in long-distance arrangements, allocating those costs between the parents or factoring them into a deviation from the guideline.
Add-On Expenses in Vermont
Vermont adds healthcare premiums and work-related childcare costs to the base obligation, allocated proportionally by income share. Courts may also address extraordinary medical expenses and educational costs on a case-by-case basis.
Vermont is one of the states that can address post-secondary education expenses in appropriate cases. This requires a specific court finding separate from the standard guideline calculation.
Reading Your Results
The results display shows each parent's adjusted gross income, combined gross income, the Basic Child Support Obligation from Vermont's schedule, income share percentages, the parenting time credit if applicable, add-on costs, and the final monthly obligation.
If you applied deductions for prior support obligations, confirm those appear correctly in the adjusted gross income line before accepting the result.
After You Get Your Estimate
Vermont courts follow the Title 15 guidelines in all standard cases. Deviation is allowed when the guideline amount would be inequitable. Courts consider both parents' financial resources, the child's specific needs, and any special circumstances.
Modification in Vermont requires a substantial change in circumstances. A 10 percent or more change in the calculated obligation is a commonly applied threshold. Income changes, parenting time shifts, and changes in the children's needs are the most common grounds.
A licensed Vermont family law attorney can review your calculation and advise on modifications. Many offer a free initial consultation.