Reviewed for current 2026 law
Wisconsin Child Support Calculator 2026
Run Wisconsin percentage standards, the 150 percent shared-placement method, split placement, and progressive high-income tiers.
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
child support calculator
Estimated monthly child support: $1,000.00
The paying parent pays this amount to the receiving parent each month.
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Paying parent percentage-standard obligation25% designated percentage standard.Tools to Estimate Income and Support Amounts (Wisconsin Department of Children and Families) | $1,000.00 |
Assumptions
- Income is monthly gross income for child support under DCF 150, supplied after any serial-family adjustment that applies.
- The court may deviate after applying the statutory factors and assigns variable costs separately in shared-placement cases.
Continue with this income in the PayDecode take-home calculator
PayDecode is a separate site. The link may not carry your numbers over; if its form opens blank, enter the income there again.
Estimate only. The court or state agency calculation controls.
Wisconsin guidelines, effective 2025-03-01.
How Wisconsin calculates support
For primary placement, Wisconsin applies 17 percent for 1 child, 25 percent for 2, 29 percent for 3, 31 percent for 4, and 34 percent for 5 or more to the paying parent income for child support.
Shared placement starts at 92 days with each parent. Each parent percentage amount is multiplied by 150 percent and the share of time the child spends with the other parent. The smaller side is subtracted from the larger.
High-income support is progressive, with new rates above $7,000 and $12,500 a month. Low-income cases use an annually adjusted table. DCF still links the 2025 table, so low-income results carry a visible estimate warning.
Worked example: shared placement
- Parent A earns $2,000 and has 60 percent placement. Parent B earns $3,000 and has 40 percent.
- Parent A side is $2,000 x 25% x 150% x 40%, or $300.
- Parent B side is $3,000 x 25% x 150% x 60%, or $675. Parent B pays the $375 difference.
The steps above follow the calculation method described on our methodology page.
Choose the placement method first
Primary placement uses one income. Shared and split placement require both incomes and the actual placement division.
Variable costs are assigned separately in shared cases. Courts may also deviate from the percentage result.
What this estimate includes
- Standard, low-income, and high-income schedules
- Shared placement from 92 days
- Split-placement offset
What it leaves out
- A fresh 2026 low-income table not yet published by DCF
- Variable-cost allocation
- Serial-family adjustment math and deviations
Wisconsin child support calculator FAQs
What are the Wisconsin child support percentages?
They are 17, 25, 29, 31, and 34 percent for one through five or more children in the standard primary-placement calculation.
When is placement shared?
The shared-placement formula applies when each parent has court-ordered placement at least 25 percent of the time, or 92 days a year.
How does the 150 percent formula work?
Each parent percentage obligation is multiplied by 150 percent and the other parent placement share. The two results are offset.
How are high incomes handled?
The standard rate applies to the first $7,000 monthly, a lower middle rate to income from $7,000 through $12,500, and a third rate above $12,500.
Why is a low-income result marked estimate?
DCF still links its official 2025 threshold workbook. The percentages are official, but a 2026 threshold revision was not posted at the checked URL.
Does shared placement eliminate support?
No. Different incomes and placement shares can produce an offset even with substantial time in both homes.
Good to know in Wisconsin
- The official DCF page provides Excel worksheets for shared, split, serial-family, high-income, and low-income cases.
- The court assigns responsibility for variable costs in proportion to placement in shared cases.
Official sources
Official sources last verified: .
- Tools to Estimate Income and Support Amounts
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Last checked
- Wis. Admin. Code DCF 150 and Appendix C low-income schedule
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Last checked
- Official Low Income Payers Calculator, 2025 thresholds
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Last checked
Changelog: page reviewed . Material changes appear in the update log.