Utah child support guidelines
Utah uses an income-shares guideline under Utah Code § 81-6-204 — support is based on both parents’ gross incomes. This page explains the rules and links the official ORS calculator; it doesn’t compute your amount.
How the Utah formula works
The guideline works in steps:
- Combine both parents’ gross monthly incomes;
- Look up the base obligation in the statutory table for that income and the number of children — the table covers combined income from $726 to $100,000/month;
- Allocate it proportionally by each parent’s income share;
- Adjust for custody — sole, joint, or split — and add health insurance and childcare.
The current guidelines (recodified into Title 81 effective September 1, 2024) took effect January 1, 2023.
The 111-overnight line, low-income table, and imputed income
Utah’s biggest swing factor is which custody worksheet applies. Joint physical custody starts at 111 overnights a year in each home — cross that line and the joint worksheet replaces the sole one, often changing the number materially. A Low Income Table (minimum order $30/month) protects a parent earning $1,050/month or less, though it doesn’t apply to joint-custody worksheets. If a parent isn’t working, a court can impute income — by default full-time federal minimum wage, about $1,257/month. Support runs until 18 or high-school completion, whichever is later.
Use the official calculator
The Utah Office of Recovery Services publishes the official Child Support Calculator, which also completes the worksheets (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 it would be unjust. For advice on your situation, consult a Utah family-law attorney.
Reviewed by Aqil Abbas Khan, Founder & Editor of ToolsNexus
This page is general information, not legal advice. Child support in Utah is set by Utah’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 Utah calculator for an actual estimate, and consult a licensed family-law attorney in Utah 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 Utah?
- Utah uses an income-shares model under Utah Code § 81-6-204 (recodified in 2024). It combines both parents' gross monthly incomes, looks up the base obligation in the statutory table for the number of children, and allocates it by each parent's share of the combined income, with adjustments for the custody arrangement.
- What counts as joint physical custody in Utah?
- Joint physical custody applies when the child stays at least 111 nights a year in each parent’s home; below that, the sole-custody worksheet is used. The three worksheets — sole, joint, and split custody — can produce very different results, so which one applies (driven by that 111-overnight line) matters a lot.
- Is there a low-income floor, and can income be imputed?
- Yes. The minimum order is $30 a month, and a Low Income Table applies when a parent’s adjusted gross income is $1,050 a month or less (though it does not apply to joint-physical-custody worksheets). If a parent is not working, a court can impute income — by default full-time federal minimum wage, about $1,257 a month gross.
- Until what age is support paid, and when can it change?
- Support continues until the child turns 18 or completes high school, whichever is later (longer for a child with a disability). An order can be modified on a substantial change in circumstances; Utah also allows a review after three years even without a large change.
- Where do I get an official estimate?
- Use the Utah Office of Recovery Services Child Support Calculator linked on this page. This page explains the model but does not compute an amount, and it is not legal advice.