New Jersey Child Support
Estimate for New Jersey
New Jersey uses the Income Shares model.
Official schedule: New Jersey Child Support Guidelines, Appendix IX-F (revised eff 2025-09-01) (2025)
View calculation breakdown
| Combined parental income | $9,000 |
|---|---|
| Total basic obligation (schedule) | $2,123 |
| Obligor income share | 55.6% |
| Obligor basic obligation | $1,179 |
| Estimated monthly support | $1,179 |
How the basic obligation splits between parents
Estimated monthly support by number of children
§ How New Jersey calculates support
New Jersey uses the Income Shares model under Court Rule 5:6A and Appendix IX on both parents' NET income. Each parent's gross income is first converted to a standardized net figure using IRS withholding tables (federal/state taxes, FICA, Medicare), then combined and looked up in the guideline schedule; the obligation is split by income share. Two worksheets apply: Sole Parenting (Appendix IX-C, when the alternate-residence parent has fewer than 104 overnights/year) and Shared Parenting (Appendix IX-D, 104+ overnights). The result is a rebuttable presumption; a self-support reserve (about 150% of the federal poverty level) protects low-income payors.
Content verified against official sources on 2026-08-09.
✦ How to open or modify a case in New Jersey
- Establish parentage if needed, then open a case through the county Board of Social Services, the Family Division of Superior Court, or NJ Child Support Services (a one-time $6 fee, waived for public-assistance recipients).
- Both parents report gross weekly income and allowed deductions (taxes, FICA, mandatory retirement, union dues, prior support) to reach net income; the Shared vs. Sole Parenting worksheet is chosen by overnights.
- Combine net incomes and use the guideline schedule (Appendix IX-F) to find the basic obligation; add the marginal cost of the child's health insurance and work-related childcare (for a child under 15 or with a disability).
- The court applies the worksheet amount, which is presumptive. A judge may deviate only with written findings (e.g., special needs, extraordinary costs, or an agreement).
- Support is paid through income withholding (deducted from the paycheck) and monitored by the Probation Division's Child Support Enforcement unit.
- To modify: file a motion in the Family Division showing substantial changed circumstances (Lepis v. Lepis); modifications are effective from the filing date.
◈ Illustrative examples
Scenario: Parent A (payor) gross $6,000/month; Parent B (recipient) gross $3,000/month. One child. Parent A has fewer than 104 overnights/year.
Walk-through: Each gross income is converted to standardized net using IRS withholding tables. The combined net income is looked up in the Appendix IX-F schedule for one child to get the basic obligation. Parent A (about 67% of combined gross) pays their income-share of that base plus their share of the child's health-insurance marginal cost and work-related childcare. (Exact base from the official schedule; the proportional split is New Jersey's Income Shares method.)
Takeaway: New Jersey converts gross to standardized net before applying the schedule; the higher earner pays their income-share of the total obligation.
Scenario: The alternate-residence parent has 104 or more overnights per year (about 28%+).
Walk-through: Appendix IX-D (Shared Parenting) applies an adjustment for duplicated fixed costs (housing/utilities) during the paying parent's time, generally producing a lower cash obligation than the Sole Parenting worksheet.
Takeaway: Reaching the 104-overnight threshold shifts the case to the Shared Parenting worksheet and typically lowers the payment.
? Frequently asked questions
↗ Official policy & agency links
Sources verified: https://njchildsupport.org/ · https://www.njcourts.gov/ · https://observed.org/child-support-guidelines-in-new-jersey · https://legalclarity.org/new-jersey-sole-parenting-worksheet-how-it-works