How Wyoming Calculates Child Support
Wyoming uses the Income Shares model for child support. The governing law is Wyoming Statutes Section 20-2-304, along with the Wyoming Child Support Guidelines. Wyoming uses net income as the basis for its calculation and combines both parents' incomes to determine the total obligation. Each parent then contributes their proportional share.
Wyoming has no state income tax. Workers in Wyoming pay only federal income taxes and FICA on wages, which means net income is higher relative to gross income than in most states. Because Wyoming's formula uses net income, this raises the formula input compared with a high-tax state, and it reflects the overall financial environment for Wyoming parents evaluating their budgets alongside their child support obligation.
The Wyoming Child Support Formula
Wyoming's calculation follows four steps.
Step one is determining each parent's monthly net income. Step two is combining both net incomes to produce the combined monthly net income. Step three is finding the Basic Child Support Obligation in Wyoming'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 $4,500 per month. Parent B earns $2,000 per month. Combined income is $6,500. Parent A's income share is 69.2 percent. If Wyoming's schedule sets the Basic Child Support Obligation at $1,100 for two children at $6,500 combined income, Parent A's base obligation is $761 per month before parenting time adjustments and add-ons.
Wyoming's schedule covers a range of combined income levels. When combined income exceeds the schedule maximum, courts have discretion to set support based on the children's demonstrated needs and both parents' financial capacity.
What Counts as Income in Wyoming
Wyoming 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. Wyoming courts evaluate the parent's work history, qualifications, and the local job market when setting an imputed income level.
Wyoming allows deductions from income before combining incomes: court-ordered child support currently being paid for children from other relationships and court-ordered spousal support from prior orders. These deductions reduce each parent's net income before the proportional shares are calculated.
Wyoming 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 net monthly income. Start with gross income from wages, self-employment, rentals and other regular sources, then subtract federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Wyoming has no state income tax to subtract.
Step 2. Subtract existing court-ordered obligations (child support or spousal support from prior orders) from your net income.
Step 3. Estimate the other parent's net 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. Wyoming applies a parenting time 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 Wyoming
Wyoming applies a parenting time credit when the paying parent has significant overnight parenting time. The credit reflects the direct costs that parent bears during their time with the children and grows as overnights increase.
At standard visitation levels, the credit is modest. As parenting time approaches 50 percent, the credit grows substantially. At near-equal parenting time, Wyoming evaluates both parents' obligations and the higher earner pays the net difference. Equal parenting time with meaningfully different incomes still produces a net payment. Equal time does not eliminate the obligation when a significant income gap exists.
Wyoming courts also recognize that parents in a state with significant distances between communities may face substantial transportation costs to exercise parenting time. Courts can address those costs through the deviation process or by allocating travel expenses between the parents.
Add-On Expenses in Wyoming
Wyoming 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.
Reading Your Results
The results display shows each parent's net income, combined net income, the Basic Child Support Obligation from Wyoming's schedule, income share percentages, the parenting time credit if applicable, add-on costs, and the final monthly obligation.
Wyoming's no-state-income-tax status means that if you are comparing results to a calculation from a high-tax state, Wyoming parents have higher net income at the same gross pay, and Wyoming's formula uses that net income.
After You Get Your Estimate
Wyoming courts follow the guidelines in all standard cases. Deviation is allowed when the guideline amount would be unjust or inappropriate based on written findings. Courts consider both parents' financial resources, the child's specific needs, travel costs for parenting time, and any special circumstances.
Modification in Wyoming requires a substantial change in circumstances. A 20 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 Wyoming family law attorney can review your calculation and advise on parenting time credits or modifications. Many offer a free initial consultation.