How it works · official guideline
How child support is calculated in Arizona
Arizona courts must use the Supreme Court’s Child Support Guidelines, which follow the income shares model: both parents' incomes are combined, a basic obligation is read from the schedule, and each parent pays a proportionate share, adjusted for parenting time and other listed costs. The guideline amount is ordered unless the court finds in writing that it would be inappropriate or unjust.[1]
Key facts: child support in Arizona
| Guideline model | Income shares[1] |
|---|---|
| Income counted | Gross income ("Child Support Income") before deductions[2] |
| Top of the guidelines | Schedule tops out at $30,000/month combined income[2] |
| Low income | Self-support reserve = 80% of full-time state minimum wage[2] |
| Official calculator | 2022 Child Support Calculator (Superior Court in Maricopa County, for statewide use) |
| Guideline last checked | October 26, 2026 |
Arizona’s model
Income shares
Income shares: combined parental income, then Schedule of Basic Support Obligations, split by each parent’s share, with a parenting-time adjustment and self-support reserve test.
Official calculator · Arizona Judicial Branch / Superior Court in Maricopa County
2022 Child Support Calculator (Superior Court in Maricopa County, for statewide use)Link checked October 26, 2026
Why no calculator here? We publish a calculator only after it reproduces the state’s official numbers exactly. We haven’t matched Arizona’s yet, so use the official calculator for a number.
From the official text
The rules behind Arizona’s numbers
The guideline is A.R.S. § 25-320(D) (Arizona Legislature); Arizona Child Support Guidelines (eff. Jan. 1, 2022), adopted by Supreme Court Administrative Order 2021-56. Open each rule to read the exact words.
- Income counted
Gross income ("Child Support Income") before deductions
Child Support Income counts income from any source before deductions or withholdings; the effect of taxes is built into the schedule.[2]
Official text · Arizona Child Support Guidelines § II.A.1.b (2022)
“Child Support Income includes income from any source before any deductions or withholdings.”
- Top of the guidelines
Schedule tops out at $30,000/month combined income
When the parents' combined adjusted income is above $30,000 a month, the schedule amount at $30,000 applies unless a party asks for and proves a higher amount is in the child’s best interests.[2]
Official text · Arizona Child Support Guidelines § III.A (2022)
“If no party requests consideration of a higher amount, the amount for Combined Adjusted Child Support Income of $30,000 is the Basic Child Support Obligation;”
- Low income
Self-support reserve = 80% of full-time state minimum wage
A self-support reserve test checks that the paying parent can pay and still keep a minimum standard of living; the reserve is 80% of full-time monthly earnings at the state minimum wage.[2]
Official text · Arizona Child Support Guidelines § VIII.B (2022)
“The Self-Support Reserve is an amount equal to 80% of the monthly full-time earnings at the state minimum wage for the year for which child support is calculated (the Self-Support Reserve amount).”
- Review cycle
Reviewed at least every four years
State law requires the Supreme Court to review the guidelines at least once every four years.[1]
Official text · A.R.S. § 25-320(D)
“The supreme court shall review the guidelines at least once every four years to ensure that their application results in the determination of appropriate child support amounts.”
Guideline: A.R.S. § 25-320(D) (Arizona Legislature); Arizona Child Support Guidelines (eff. Jan. 1, 2022), adopted by Supreme Court Administrative Order 2021-56, checked October 26, 2026.
Estimate and general information only — not legal advice. MediationList is a directory, not a law firm, and doesn’t endorse any mediator. Guidelines change; confirm with the official calculator (sources checked October 26, 2026). See also divorce laws in Arizona and child support in every state.
Sources
Arizona’s child support guideline, rules and official tools, read on the official sites, with the date we checked each.
- A.R.S. § 25-320(D) (Arizona Legislature); Arizona Child Support Guidelines (eff. Jan. 1, 2022), adopted by Supreme Court Administrative Order 2021-56↩
- Arizona Child Support Guidelines § II.A.1.b (2022)↩
- 2022 Child Support Calculator (Superior Court in Maricopa County, for statewide use)
- Arizona Child Support Guidelines (Arizona Judicial Branch)