Pennsylvania’s child support guidelines run on the Income Shares Model, built around a schedule that estimates what intact families actually spend on their kids at different income levels.
Pennsylvania’s Income Shares Model
Set out in Pa. Rules of Civil Procedure 1910.16-1 through 1910.16-4, the guidelines combine both parents’ net monthly incomes, match that combined figure to the Basic Child Support Schedule, and divide the resulting obligation between the parents based on their share of the combined income.
Step 1: Net Monthly Income
Starting from wages, salaries, bonuses, commissions, and self-employment income, the court subtracts federal, state, and local taxes, mandatory union dues, and existing support obligations to arrive at each parent’s net monthly income under Rule 1910.16-2.
Step 2: The Basic Child Support Schedule
The schedule in Rule 1910.16-3 covers combined monthly net incomes from $1,300 to $30,000 and one to six children — find the row for your combined income and the column for your number of children to get the basic obligation. Above $30,000 combined per month, Rule 1910.16-3.1 switches to a formula: a flat dollar amount plus a percentage of the income above $30,000, with no absolute cap.
Step 3: Each Parent’s Share
The obligor’s percentage of the combined net income — the income-shares formula in Rule 1910.16-4 — sets their share of the basic obligation. If the paying parent has at least 40% of the annual overnights, a shared-custody adjustment reduces that share further.
Built-In Protections and Add-Ons
- Self-support reserve — protects a portion of a lower-income obligor’s income before support is calculated ($1,255 a month as of the January 2026 update).
- Add-on expenses — childcare costs, health insurance premiums, and unreimbursed medical expenses are added to the basic obligation and split based on each parent’s income share.
Estimate Your Pennsylvania Child Support
The Child Support Calculator can apply Pennsylvania’s income-shares approach to your numbers for a starting estimate before you or your attorney runs the official schedule.
Official Resources
- Pennsylvania Bureau of Child Support Enforcement (Dept. of Human Services)
- Pa. Rule of Civil Procedure 1910.16-4 (Guideline Formula)
- Child Support Calculator (childpaycalc.com)
This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. Formulas, percentages, and dollar caps change over time and courts can deviate from the guideline result — confirm current figures with the official resources above or a family law attorney before relying on any number.