How is Child Support Calculated in California?

The California Family Code sets forth a Statewide Uniform Guideline for Child Support. This Guideline is applied in divorces and parentage cases involving a minor child or a dependent adult child. California courts in each county use software that calculates support based on the criteria set forth in the Guideline. Relevant criteria include the amount of time a child spends with each parent and each parent's income. A child support amount may deviate from the Guideline calculations only if there is a good reason for doing so, such as one parent with such a large amount of income that it would result in an unreasonable amount of child support.