How to lower child support in California

The California test, in plain words

Threshold: No statutory numeric threshold — see below. (Cal. Fam. Code §§3651, 3653)

The agency screen is not a court standard. California law sets no numeric threshold for a court modification — the court route is a change of circumstances under Fam. Code §§3651, 3653. The 20% or $50, whichever is less, figure is the local agency's review screen (22 CCR §115535), and it is labeled that way everywhere on this site. Either parent may file in court at any time regardless of the screen.

Agency route: Local Child Support Agency (LCSA) / DCSS — Review and adjustment. Court route: Superior Court — Parties may file their own motion at any time regardless of the agency test

One trap to know: A stipulated below-guideline order needs no change of circumstances at all to be raised to guideline (Cal. Fam. Code §4065(d); 22 CCR §115535(a)(1)(B))

Exactness: ESTIMATE only — permanently. California is never labeled exact on this site.

Run the California checker

Your stateTexasCaliforniaFloridaNew YorkIllinoisOhioAnother state

What you pay now ($ / month)

Children in this case123456

Months since the order was made or last changed

Texas

Your monthly net resources ($)Net resources as Texas defines them (Tex. Fam. Code §154.062). The $11,700 monthly cap is applied for you.

Children you support in other households01234567Uses the §154.129 multiple-family adjusted percentages.

California — ESTIMATE only, permanently

Your monthly net disposable income ($)

Other parent's monthly net disposable income ($)

Your timeshare (%)

California's formula (Fam. Code §4055) turns on actual tax liability and approximate timeshare, so no California figure on this site is ever labeled exact.

Florida

Combined monthly net income, both parents ($)

Your monthly net income ($)

Your overnights per yearAt 73 or more overnights, the §61.30(11)(b) adjustment is mandatory and is applied.

New York

Combined parental income ($ / year)

Your gross income ($ / year)

Mandatory add-ons ($ / year: health insurance, unreimbursed medical, childcare)

Change in either parent's gross income since the order (%)

The basic obligation below the $193,000 combined cap is computed. The payable amount is always labeled ESTIMATE — add-ons and above-cap discretion sit on top.

Illinois

Your monthly gross income ($)Converted with the 2026 HFS gross-to-net table (effective 2026-03-20).

Other parent's monthly gross income ($)

Your overnights per yearAt 146 overnights each, the §505(a)(3.8) shared-care formula applies and is used.

Ohio

Combined gross income, both parents ($ / year)Run through the §3119.021 bracket formula.

Your gross income ($ / year)

Run my state's test

Track B — the evidence checklist (never scored)

• Change in circumstances (case law under §§3651, 3653)
• Evidence the change is reasonably expected to last >3 months (22 CCR §115535)
• Termination letter / unemployment filing / final pay stub for involuntary job loss
• Before/after pay stubs and employer letter for pay cut
• SSA determination / physician statement for disability
• Overnight log (12-month calendar) for timeshare change
• Health-insurance premium statements
• Dated job-search log answering involuntary + diligent attempts

Sources

• CA guideline formula and K brackets — Cal. Fam. Code §4055(a), (b)(3), effective 2024-09-01 (SB 343)
• CA net disposable income — Cal. Fam. Code §4059
• CA agency screen — 22 CCR §115535; childsupport.ca.gov
• CA deviation / add-ons / hardship — Cal. Fam. Code §§4057(b), 4062, 4071, 4058(b)

Rules checked October 2026.