How it works · official guideline
How child support is calculated in Hawaii
Hawai‘i uses the Family Court’s 2024 Child Support Guidelines, which first protect each parent’s own poverty-level needs (a self-support reserve), then cover the children’s basic needs (base primary support plus child care and health insurance), and finally add a standard-of-living adjustment so children share in income above basic needs. All child support cases must follow them.[1]
Key facts: child support in Hawaii
| Guideline model | Melson formula[1] |
|---|---|
| Low income | Self-support reserve $1,693/month[1] |
| Percentages | Base primary support $455 per child; SOLA 10% per child, max 30%[1] |
| Income counted | Net income from the Table of Incomes (standardized single-filer taxes, minus reserve)[1] |
| Official worksheet | 2024 Child Support Guidelines Excel Worksheets (Hawai‘i Family Court) |
| Guideline last checked | October 26, 2026 |
Hawaii’s model
Melson formula
Melson-type: self-support reserve, base primary support, then standard-of-living adjustment (SOLA) on income above basic needs.
Official worksheet · Hawai‘i State Judiciary, Family Court
2024 Child Support Guidelines Excel Worksheets (Hawai‘i Family Court)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 Hawaii’s yet, so use the official worksheet for a number.
From the official text
The rules behind Hawaii’s numbers
The guideline is 2024 Hawai‘i Child Support Guidelines (Family Court, eff. April 1, 2024), Hawai‘i State Judiciary. Open each rule to read the exact words.
- Low income
Self-support reserve $1,693/month
Each parent’s net income is reduced by a $1,693 monthly self-support reserve (130% of the 2022 federal poverty guideline for one person).[1]
Official text · 2024 Hawai‘i Child Support Guidelines § V.U
“SELF-SUPPORT RESERVE is an additional amount of $1,693 deducted from a parent’s net income for after-tax poverty level self-support.”
- Percentages
Base primary support $455 per child; SOLA 10% per child, max 30%
Base primary support is $455 a month per child; the SOLA share of remaining income is 10% for each child up to a 30% maximum.[1]
Official text · 2024 Hawai‘i Child Support Guidelines § V.C and Worksheet Line 11
“Multiply the number of children by 10%, up to a 30% maximum. For example, 1 child = 10%; 2 children = 20%; 3 or more children = 30%”
- Income counted
Net income from the Table of Incomes (standardized single-filer taxes, minus reserve)
Net income is gross income minus standardized 2022 state and federal income and FICA taxes for a single filer with one exemption, and minus the self-support reserve; it is not actual take-home pay.[1]
Official text · 2024 Hawai‘i Child Support Guidelines § V
“NET INCOME is calculated by deducting from gross income (i) 2022 State and Federal taxes and 2022 FICA taxes, in effect on January 1, 2022, for a single taxpayer claiming one exemption, and (ii) the self-support reserve amount (see §V.U.).”
- Shared parenting time
Extensive: more than 143 but fewer than 183 overnights; equal: about 183 each
A separate worksheet applies when a parent has more than 143 overnights a year; equal time-sharing means about 183 overnights each.[1]
Official text · 2024 Hawai‘i Child Support Guidelines § V.H
“EXTENSIVE TIME-SHARING means that a parent has the children more than 143 overnights, but less than 183 overnights, per year.”
- Minimum order
$91 per month per child
The minimum child support is $91 a month per child, subject to exceptional circumstances and the equal time-sharing calculation.[1]
Official text · 2024 Hawai‘i Child Support Guidelines § V.M
“MINIMUM CHILD SUPPORT is $91 per month per child.”
Guideline: 2024 Hawai‘i Child Support Guidelines (Family Court, eff. April 1, 2024), Hawai‘i State Judiciary, 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 worksheet (sources checked October 26, 2026). See also divorce laws in Hawaii and child support in every state.
Sources
Hawaii’s child support guideline, rules and official tools, read on the official sites, with the date we checked each.