Kansas child support guidelines
Kansas uses an income-shares guideline under K.S.A. 23-3001 — support is based on both parents’ incomes. This page explains the rules and links the official Kansas courts worksheet; it doesn’t compute your amount.
How the Kansas formula works
The Kansas Child Support Guidelines (current edition adopted May 1, 2025) work in steps:
- Combine both parents’ gross incomes and make the guideline adjustments;
- Find the basic obligation on the schedule for that income and the number of children;
- Allocate it proportionally by each parent’s income share;
- Add health insurance, childcare, and parenting-time adjustments.
Every Kansas support order must have an approved Child Support Worksheet filed with the court.
Equal parenting time, the low-income floor, and modification
For roughly equal parenting time, Kansas offers two approaches beyond the standard worksheet: the Equal Parenting Time (EPT) formula — one parent pays the child’s direct expenses while the other’s obligation is adjusted — and the Shared Expense formula, where parents track and split the child’s direct costs. A low earner is protected by an Ability-to-Pay calculation that subtracts the single-person federal poverty guideline from support income, and a court can impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed. Support runs to 18 (or 19 if still in high school), and a modification is allowed when a material change produces a 10% or greater change in the calculated amount.
Use the official worksheet
The Kansas Judicial Branch (Supreme Court) publishes the official Child Support Guidelines and worksheet (linked above). Use them for an estimate; this page only explains the model. The court has final authority over the amount.
For a real case
The guideline amount is presumed correct but can be adjusted when it would be unjust. For advice on your situation, consult a Kansas family-law attorney.
Reviewed by Aqil Abbas Khan, Founder & Editor of ToolsNexus
This page is general information, not legal advice. Child support in Kansas is set by Kansas’s official guidelines, and the amount in any real case is determined by the court or the state child-support agency using the official worksheet — not by this page. Guideline figures, schedules, and adjustments change over time and depend on facts specific to your situation (each parent’s income, parenting time, health-insurance and childcare costs, and other factors a court may consider). Use the official Kansas calculator for an actual estimate, and consult a licensed family-law attorney in Kansas for advice about your circumstances. ToolsNexus is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation.
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Frequently asked questions
- How is child support calculated in Kansas?
- Kansas uses an income-shares model under K.S.A. 23-3001 and the Kansas Child Support Guidelines (the current edition was adopted May 1, 2025). The official Child Support Worksheet combines both parents' gross incomes, looks up the basic obligation on the guidelines schedule for the number of children, and allocates it by each parent's share of the combined income.
- How is equal or shared parenting time handled?
- For roughly equal time, Kansas offers two options beyond the standard worksheet: the Equal Parenting Time (EPT) formula, where one parent pays the child’s direct expenses while the other’s obligation is adjusted; and the Shared Expense formula, where the parents keep records and split the child’s direct costs. Which is used depends on the parenting plan.
- Is there a low-income floor in Kansas?
- Yes — an Ability-to-Pay calculation protects a low earner by subtracting the federal poverty guideline for one person from the parent's support income, so an obligation doesn't push a parent below basic subsistence. Income can also be imputed to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed, underemployed, or won't provide proof of income.
- Until what age is support paid, and when can it change?
- Support is generally owed until the child turns 18, or up to 19 if still attending high school (it can be extended through the school year the child turns 19 in limited circumstances). Kansas allows a modification when a material change produces a 10% or greater change in the calculated amount.
- Where do I get an official estimate?
- Use the Kansas Child Support Guidelines and worksheet linked on this page, published by the Kansas Supreme Court. This page explains the model but does not compute an amount, and it is not legal advice.