Understanding Child Support in Indiana: How It Is Calculated and What Parents Need to Know

Indiana uses a specific formula to calculate child support obligations. Here is how the process works and what factors the court considers.

Child support is a legal obligation that ensures children receive financial support from both parents when those parents do not live together. In Indiana, child support may be ordered in connection with a divorce or a paternity action. Child support may also be modified after a divorce has been finalized or paternity has been established. The duty to support a child in Indiana generally continues until the child reaches the age of nineteen, although it may extend under certain circumstances, such as when the child is still in high school beyond age nineteen or is incapacitated.

Indiana calculates child support using a method called the Income Shares Model. The concept behind this model is that children should receive the same proportion of parental income they would have received if the family had remained intact. Under this model, the court determines each parent’s weekly gross income, combines those figures, and then refers to the Indiana Child Support Guidelines schedule to determine the total basic child support obligation based on the combined income and the number of children the parents share. Each parent’s share of the total obligation is then calculated in proportion to their share of the combined income and the number of overnights the child spends with each parent.

Several additional costs are factored into the child support calculation. These include the cost of health insurance for the child, work-related childcare expenses, whether a parent supports another child or ex-spouse, and, in some cases, extraordinary educational or medical expenses. The noncustodial parent typically makes a payment to the custodial parent. When parents share parenting time more equally, the calculation is adjusted to reflect the time each parent spends directly supporting the child.

It is important to understand what counts as income for purposes of the child support calculation. Indiana law defines gross income broadly to include wages, salaries, bonuses, commissions, capital gains, social security benefits, unemployment insurance, self-employment income, rental income, and certain other sources of revenue. If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court may impute income to that parent, meaning the court may calculate support based on what that parent could reasonably be expected to earn.

Child support orders are not permanent and may be modified if there has been a change in circumstances, such as a significant change to a parent’s income, the child support calculation, or parenting time. Either parent may petition the court for a review of the existing support order if they feel circumstances have changed to reflect a need for modification.

If you have questions about child support in Indiana, whether you are seeking an initial order, responding to a support petition, or requesting a modification, the family law attorneys at McNeelyLaw can help. Contact us today to discuss your situation.

This McNeelyLaw LLP publication should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion of any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own lawyer on any specific legal questions you may have concerning your situation.