New Hampshire child support guidelines
New Hampshire uses an income-shares guideline built on combined net income. This page explains it and links the official DHHS calculator; it doesn’t compute your amount.
How the New Hampshire formula works
The guideline works in steps:
- Combine both parents’ monthly net incomes — gross minus taxes and other allowed deductions;
- Apply the Child Support Guideline Table — a guideline percentage of the combined net income tied to the number of children;
- Split it proportionally by each parent’s share of the income;
- Add health insurance and childcare.
New Hampshire requires the official NHJB-2101-FP worksheet, and offers an online calculator that applies the same table.
Shared parenting, the self-support reserve, and modification
New Hampshire (RSA 458-C) uses two parenting-time thresholds: a “substantially shared” schedule is more than 35% of the year for each parent, and an “approximately equal” schedule is more than 40% each. In those cases the guideline obligation is multiplied by 1.5 to reflect two households, and a parenting-time credit is subtracted to reach the adjusted amount. A self-support reserve of 130% of the federal poverty guideline protects a low-earning obligor. Support runs to 18, or through high-school graduation if under 19, a recalculation 20% or more off the current order supports modification, and either parent has an automatic right to review every three years.
Use the official calculator
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services publishes the official Guideline Calculator (linked above). Use it 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 the law allows. For advice on your situation, consult a New Hampshire family-law attorney.
Reviewed by Aqil Abbas Khan, Founder & Editor of ToolsNexus
This page is general information, not legal advice. Child support in New Hampshire is set by New Hampshire’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 New Hampshire calculator for an actual estimate, and consult a licensed family-law attorney in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire?
- New Hampshire uses an income-shares approach built on combined net income. The Child Support Guideline Table sets the obligation from the parents' combined monthly net income and a guideline percentage tied to the number of children, and each parent contributes in proportion to their share of the income.
- What goes into the New Hampshire formula?
- Both parents' net incomes (gross minus allowed deductions such as taxes and mandatory retirement), the number of children, health insurance and childcare costs, and parenting-time adjustments. New Hampshire requires official form NHJB-2101-FP, the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet.
- How does shared or equal parenting change support?
- Under RSA 458-C, a "substantially shared" schedule is where each parent has more than 35% of the year, and an "approximately equal" schedule is more than 40% each. In those cases New Hampshire multiplies the guideline obligation by 1.5 to reflect two households and applies a parenting-time credit, which is subtracted to reach the adjusted obligation.
- Is there a self-support reserve, and until what age is support paid?
- Yes. The self-support reserve is 130% of the federal poverty guideline; if paying full support would drop the obligor below it, the order is limited to the difference between their income and the reserve. Support generally runs to age 18, or through high-school graduation if the child is under 19. A recalculation 20% or more off the current order supports modification, and there is an automatic right to review every three years.
- Where do I get an official estimate?
- Use the New Hampshire DHHS Child Support Guideline Calculator linked on this page. This page explains the model but does not compute an amount, and it is not legal advice.