How it works · official guideline
How child support is calculated in Virginia
Virginia computes a basic child support obligation from a schedule in Va. Code § 20-108.2 using both parents' combined monthly gross income and the number of children, then divides it by each parent’s share of income; the schedule runs to $42,500 a month, with set percentages added above that. When a parent has the child more than 90 days a year, a shared-custody formula applies.[1]
Key facts: child support in Virginia
| Guideline model | Income shares[1] |
|---|---|
| Income counted | Gross income from all sources[1] |
| Top of the guidelines | Above $42,500/month: table amount at $42,500 plus 2.6% (1 child) to 5.0% (6 children) of the excess[1] |
| Minimum order | Schedule's first row: $68 (1 child) for combined income $0–350[1] |
| Guideline last checked | October 26, 2026 |
Virginia’s model
Income shares
Combined monthly gross income, then statutory schedule amount, split by income share.
No official calculator confirmed yet
Read the guideline: Va. Code § 20-108.2The 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 Virginia’s yet.
From the official text
The rules behind Virginia’s numbers
The guideline is Va. Code § 20-108.2. Open each rule to read the exact words.
- Income counted
Gross income from all sources
The guideline uses gross income from all sources, including wages, bonuses, investment income, benefits and spousal support received, with listed exclusions.[1]
Official text · Va. Code § 20-108.2(C)
“For purposes of this section, "gross income" means all income from all sources,”
- Top of the guidelines
Above $42,500/month: table amount at $42,500 plus 2.6% (1 child) to 5.0% (6 children) of the excess
For combined gross income over $42,500 a month, support is the schedule amount at $42,500 plus a percentage of the excess: 2.6%, 3.4%, 3.8%, 4.2%, 4.6% or 5.0% for one to six children.[1]
Official text · Va. Code § 20-108.2(B)
“For gross monthly incomes above $42,500, add the amount of child support for $42,500 to the following percentages of gross income above $42,500.”
- Minimum order
Schedule’s first row: $68 (1 child) for combined income $0–350
The schedule starts at $68 a month for one child (up to $169 for six) at combined monthly gross income of $0–$350, and a presumptive statutory minimum applies unless an exemption fits.[1]
Official text · Va. Code § 20-108.2(B) (schedule)
“0-350 68 104 126 141 155 169”
- Low income
Below-minimum orders possible at or under 150% of the federal poverty level
If the payer’s gross income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, the court may set support below the statutory minimum on evidence of inability to pay, as long as the custodial household’s basic needs are not seriously impaired.[1]
Official text · Va. Code § 20-108.2(B)
“If the gross income of the obligor is equal to or less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from time to time, then the court, upon hearing evidence that there is no ability to pay the presumptive statutory minimum, may set an obligation below the presumptive statutory minimum”
- Shared parenting time
Shared custody: more than 90 days a year
When a parent has custody or visitation more than 90 days a year, a shared-custody amount is calculated from income shares and custody shares; it applies unless the sole-custody amount is shown to be lower.[1]
Official text · Va. Code § 20-108.2(G)(3)(a)
“Where a party has custody or visitation of a child or children for more than 90 days of the year, as such days are defined in subdivision G 3 (c), a shared custody child support amount based on the ratio in which the parents share the custody and visitation of any child or children shall be calculated in accordance with this subdivision.”
- Shared parenting time
Shared support need = schedule amount × 1.4
In shared custody, the schedule amount for the combined income is multiplied by 1.4, then allocated by each parent’s custody share and income share and offset.[1]
Official text · Va. Code § 20-108.2(G)(3)(a)(iii)
“"Shared support need" means the presumptive guideline amount of needed support for the shared child or children calculated pursuant to subsection B of this section, for the combined gross income of the parties and the number of shared children, multiplied by 1.4.”
Guideline: Va. Code § 20-108.2 (Virginia Law, Legislative Information System), 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 Virginia and child support in every state.
Sources
Virginia’s child support guideline, rules and official tools, read on the official sites, with the date we checked each.