Ohio Child Support Calculator (2026)

How Ohio calculates child support

Ohio uses an income-shares model under Revised Code Sections 3119.021 and 3119.022. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services publishes the Basic Child Support Schedule as JFS 07767. The schedule pairs the parents’ combined annual income with the number of children, and the result is an annual support amount. The monthly obligation is the annual amount divided by 12.

Each parent is assigned a share of the basic obligation in proportion to their income. The worksheet then uses the lower of that share or the schedule amount at the parent’s own income, with a $960 annual floor. The parent who is not the residential parent pays that amount to the residential parent. The other parent’s share is treated as the contribution they make by providing day-to-day care. The guideline is presumptive, but the court can deviate for the factors in the statute.

The calculator asks for annual gross income because that is the input the schedule expects. If you enter monthly take-home pay, the result will be wrong. The page also does not apply the shared-parenting worksheet, the parenting-time credit, or the cash medical support calculation.

Income, deductions, and the annual schedule

Ohio income includes wages, salaries, overtime, bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, unemployment benefits, disability and retirement benefits, and other recurring resources. The worksheet then applies adjustments for prior support orders, maintenance, and other obligations. The basic schedule starts at $8,400 of combined annual income and runs to $336,000 in $600 brackets.

The schedule is not a flat percentage. The obligation rises with income but at a declining rate, and the amount for five or more children can plateau at the top of the table. That is why the calculator uses the published schedule rather than a single multiplier. Above the top of the schedule, the court has discretion to determine an appropriate amount.

The first band produces a minimum obligation. If the parents’ combined income is below $8,400, the calculator uses the first row, but the court may perform a self-sufficiency analysis and set a different amount. A minimum order is not automatic in every case.

Shared parenting and the parenting-time credit

Ohio has a separate shared-parenting worksheet and a parenting-time credit. That credit depends on overnights and income; it is not a simple “50/50 means no support” rule. The worksheet also handles split parenting and the allocation of add-ons.

The calculator stops at basic support. For this estimate, Parent A is the noncustodial parent and has no overnights. If each parent has significant time with the children, the official Ohio calculator or the JFS worksheet is the right tool. The basic figure can overstate the transfer when parenting time is shared.

Add-ons: childcare, health insurance, and cash medical

Basic support does not include work-related childcare, the children’s health insurance premium, or cash medical support. Ohio handles those as separate lines on the worksheet. The court can order a parent to provide health insurance, allocate the premium, and add childcare costs to the obligation.

The calculator does not add those amounts. If childcare or health insurance is a significant part of your budget, the final order can be materially higher than the basic estimate. The official calculator shows the add-on lines and the shared-parenting credit in one worksheet.

An Ohio example at $96,000 combined

With Parent A at $60,000 and Parent B at $36,000 in annual income, combined income is $96,000. The schedule gives an annual basic obligation of $11,697, or $975 per month. At a 62.5% income share, Parent A owes $609 per month.

The number leaves out shared parenting, childcare, the health insurance add-on, and any deviation. A different income figure or a parenting-time credit can move it substantially.

What the Ohio estimate leaves out

• The shared-parenting worksheet and parenting-time credit.
• Work-related childcare and after-school care.
• The children’s health insurance premium and cash medical support.
• Uninsured medical, dental, and prescription costs.
• Split-parenting allocations for children who live with different parents.
• A deviation for special needs, extraordinary expenses, or another statutory factor.
• Overdue support, interest, and credits for benefits paid to the child.

The estimate is also limited by the annual income figures you enter. If either parent is self-employed, receives irregular bonuses, or is voluntarily underemployed, the court can average or impute income before applying the schedule. That income change can outweigh the schedule.

When Ohio’s official calculator is the better choice

Ohio’s official child support calculator walks through the annual income, the worksheet adjustments, the shared-parenting credit, and the add-ons. It produces a worksheet that courts and child support enforcement agencies recognize. Use it if you need a filing-ready calculation or if the parents share parenting time.

An Ohio family law attorney is the right next step if the parents disagree about annual income, overnights, or add-ons. The JFS worksheet is the starting point; the court’s order is what controls.

Frequently asked questions