How it works · official guideline
How child support is calculated in Kentucky
Kentucky’s child support guidelines are written into statute (KRS 403.212): the parents' combined monthly adjusted gross income and the number of children give an amount from the statutory table, which is divided between the parents in proportion to their incomes, with a self-support reserve for low-income payers and a shared parenting time credit under KRS 403.2122.[1]
Key facts: child support in Kentucky
| Guideline model | Income shares[1] |
|---|---|
| Income counted | Gross income (actual or potential), less prior maintenance and support paid[1] |
| Low income | Self-support reserve: payer's own income alone if at or below $1,100 (1 child) … $1,600 (6+)[1] |
| Minimum order | $60 per month[1] |
| Guideline last checked | October 26, 2026 |
Kentucky’s model
Income shares
Income shares: combined monthly adjusted parental gross income, then statutory table (KRS 403.212(9)), divided in proportion to income.
No official calculator confirmed yet
Read the guideline: KRS 403.212 (Kentucky General Assembly), effective July 1, 2025The state child support agency or your court clerk can run the official numbers.
Why no calculator here? We publish a calculator only after it reproduces the state’s official numbers exactly. We haven’t matched Kentucky’s yet.
From the official text
The rules behind Kentucky’s numbers
The guideline is KRS 403.212 (Kentucky General Assembly), effective July 1, 2025. Open each rule to read the exact words.
- Income counted
Gross income (actual or potential), less prior maintenance and support paid
Income is each parent’s actual gross income, or potential income if unemployed or underemployed; the combined figure subtracts prior maintenance and prior child support actually paid.[1]
Official text · KRS 403.212(3)(a), (3)(i)
“"Income" means actual gross income of the parent if employed to full capacity or potential income if unemployed or underemployed;”
- Low income
Self-support reserve: payer’s own income alone if at or below $1,100 (1 child) … $1,600 (6+)
If the paying parent’s monthly adjusted gross income is at or below $1,100 (one child), $1,300 (two), $1,400 (three), $1,500 (four or five) or $1,600 (six or more), support is computed from that parent’s income alone, and the lesser amount applies.[1]
Official text · KRS 403.212(5)(b)
“One thousand one hundred dollars ($1,100) with one (1) child; 2. One thousand three hundred dollars ($1,300) with two (2) children; 3. One thousand four hundred dollars ($1,400) with three (3) children;”
- Minimum order
$60 per month
The minimum child support amount is $60 a month, except under the shared parenting credit statute.[1]
Official text · KRS 403.212(6)
“The minimum amount of child support shall be sixty dollars ($60) per month, except as provided in KRS 403.2122(3).”
- Top of the guidelines
Table runs to $30,000 combined monthly; above it, judicial discretion
The statutory table ends at $30,000 of combined monthly adjusted parental gross income; above its top, the court uses its discretion.[1]
Official text · KRS 403.212(7), (9)
“The court may use its judicial discretion in determining child support in circumstances where combined adjusted parental gross income exceeds the uppermost levels of the guideline table.”
Guideline: KRS 403.212 (Kentucky General Assembly), effective July 1, 2025, 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 state child support agency or your court (sources checked October 26, 2026). See also divorce laws in Kentucky and child support in every state.
Sources
Kentucky’s child support guideline, rules and official tools, read on the official sites, with the date we checked each.