Help on Child Support Calculators

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Fields in EsquireEmpire Child Support Calculator

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• Case Type. Select whether the matter is a divorce or a paternity case. Although, this distinction does not affect the amount of the child support, it changes how the style of the case appears on the form.
• Name of County. Type on the county court that the matter is filed in.
• Case Number. Enter the case number for the divorce or paternity action (e.g. FD-2009-2003).
• DHS Number. If one of the parties to the action or the child(ren) involved are receiving benefits from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHD), then DHS may be an interested party which must sign off on a child support order. If DHS's case number is entered into this field, then a signature line for DHS will be added to the form.
• Judge. Enter the name of the judge who will be entering the child support order.
• Number of Children. Select the number of children.
• Primary Custodian. Select whether the Petitioner or the Respondent is the custodian (or primary custodian if the parties have joint custody).
• Full Name. Type in the full name of each party.
• Gross Monthly Income. Enter the total gross (before tax) income for each party. For rules determining one's gross income see | Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 118B. If an abled bodied person is making less than minimum wage, Oklahoma Courts will usually impute that person to at least minimum wage for the purpose of calculating child support, which is why the default number on EsquireEmpire's child support calculator is $1135.33 (the current federal minimum wage).
• Fringe Benefits. If either party is receiving benefits from his or her employment in addition to wages, the value of those benefits may need to be added to the person's income for child support computation purposes (e.g. company car). See | Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 118B (F).
• Social Security Benefits. If one or more of the minor children involved are receiving Title II Social Security benefits, the parent through whom the benefits is received has the amount of the benefit added to his or her income for child support purposes and the amount of the benefit counts as a credit on the child support to be paid. See | Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 118B (G). Not all Social Security benefits are Title II benefits. Title II benefits (the only kind to which this provision applies) are benefits paid to a worker and his family if he or she becomes disabled or retires. The amount of Title II benefits paid each month to the children should be entered in the Social Security Benefits field under the parernt through whom it is recieved.
• Monthly Child Support. If a parent has been ordered to pay child support on another, prior born child, and that parent has actually made those child support payments, the amount of those payments should be entered for that parent in this field. It will then reduce that parents income by that amount. See | Okla. Stat. tit. 43, §118C (D)(1).
• Monthly Spousal Support. If a parent has previously been ordered to pay spousal support (alimony) to a person not involved in this case, the court may allow that parties' income to be reduced by the amount of the spousal support payment. See | Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 118B (A)(2)(f).
• Other Income Adjustment. This field is available if the court orders other charges to a parents income, for the purposes of determining child support under the Oklahoma guidelines.
• Other Children. If a parent has primary custody of one or more other children, who were born prior to the child(ren) in this matter, enter the number those qualifying children here. This will reduce that parent's income for child support purposes, pursuant to | Okla. Stat. tit. 43, §118C (D)(2).
• Custodial Night per Year. Enter the number of overnights (at least 12 hours pursuant to | Okla. Stat. tit. 43, §118A (9)) the non-custodial parent (or secondary custodian if the parties have shared parenting) has each year. If it is over 120 nights, it will reduce the child support obligation pursuant to | Okla. Stat. tit. 43, §118E.
• Health Insurance Premium. For the parent providing health insurance coverage for the child(ren), enter the monthly cost of the health insurance premium attributable to the child(ren). This cost will be divided between the parties in the child support form, based on the parties income.
• Monthly Day Care Expense. Enter the amount that each parent incurs monthly for the child(ren)'s day care, due to the parties' employment or active employment search.
• Attorney Name. If a parent does not have an attorney, leave this field as "No Attorney" and the form will indicate that this parent is pro se (representing him or her self).
• Attorney Street Address.
• Attorney City, State, Zip.
• Attorney Telephone.
• Attorney Facsimile.