Wyoming child support guidelines
Wyoming uses an income-shares guideline under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-304 — support is based on both parents’ net incomes. This page explains it and links the official state calculator; it doesn’t compute your amount.
How the Wyoming formula works
The guideline works in steps:
- Combine both parents’ net incomes;
- Find the total obligation from the presumptive support tables for the number of children;
- Divide it proportionally by each parent’s income share;
- Apply one of three methods — basic, shared custody (overnight credit over 25%), or split custody.
The result is called presumptive support — the amount a judge must use unless statutory deviation factors apply.
The 25% overnight line, and modification
Wyoming’s main swing factor is the shared-custody method: it applies when each parent has at least 92 overnights a year (25%+). At that point the base obligation is multiplied by 1.5 to reflect two households, divided by income share and time share, and offset — so crossing 92 overnights can change the number materially. Under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-311, a recalculation 20% or more off the current order counts as a change of circumstances supporting modification. Support runs to 18, or up to 20 for a full-time high-school student (longer for a child unable to support themselves).
Use the official calculator
The Wyoming Department of Family Services publishes the official Child Support 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 presumptive amount can be adjusted when the statutory deviation factors apply. For advice on your situation, consult a Wyoming family-law attorney.
Reviewed by Aqil Abbas Khan, Founder & Editor of ToolsNexus
This page is general information, not legal advice. Child support in Wyoming is set by Wyoming’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 Wyoming calculator for an actual estimate, and consult a licensed family-law attorney in Wyoming for advice about your circumstances. ToolsNexus is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation.
Sources
Last updated:
Frequently asked questions
- How is child support calculated in Wyoming?
- Wyoming uses an income-shares model under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-304. It combines both parents' net incomes to find the total support obligation from the presumptive support tables, then divides it proportionally by each parent's share of the combined income.
- What is presumptive child support?
- The amount produced by the Wyoming guidelines is called "presumptive" child support — the amount presumed correct for the situation. Judges must follow it unless the deviation factors in Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-307 justify a different amount.
- What goes into the Wyoming formula?
- Both parents' net incomes, the number of children, and the custody arrangement. The statute sets three methods: basic (no overnight credit), shared custody (a credit when court-ordered overnights exceed 25% of the year), and split custody (each parent has one or more children).
- How does shared custody change the amount, and when can it change?
- Shared custody applies when each parent has at least 92 overnights a year (25%+). Wyoming then multiplies the base obligation by 1.5 to reflect two households, divides by income share and time share, and offsets. Under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-311, a recalculation 20% or more off the current order is a change of circumstances that supports modification. Support runs to 18, or up to 20 for a full-time high-school student.
- Where do I get an official estimate?
- Use the Wyoming Child Support Calculator linked on this page, published by the Department of Family Services. This page explains the model but does not compute an amount, and it is not legal advice.