Colorado Child Support Guidelines: How Support Is Calculated

Colorado's Income Shares Model: The Starting Point

If you are going through a divorce or separation in Colorado and children are involved, one of your first questions is almost certainly: how much child support will be ordered? Colorado uses what courts call the income shares model. Under this framework, both parents' monthly adjusted gross incomes are added together, the combined figure is matched to a state schedule of basic support obligations based on the number of children, and that total obligation is then split between the parents in proportion to each parent's share of the combined income.

The idea behind this model is that children should receive the same level of financial support they would have received if the family had stayed together — not a windfall, but not a reduction either. This framework is established in Colorado law under C.R.S. § 14-10-115.

What Counts as Income in Colorado

The calculation starts with what each parent earns — but "income" under Colorado's guidelines is defined broadly. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-115(5), gross income includes:

• Wages and salaries
• Commissions and bonuses
• Self-employment income
• Unemployment insurance benefits
• Disability benefits
• Pension and Social Security payments
• Investment income

If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or working fewer hours than their qualifications would allow, the court may impute income — meaning it assigns an income figure based on what that parent could reasonably earn — rather than using their actual earnings. This rule exists to prevent a parent from reducing their reported income to lower a support obligation. If you believe the other parent is underreporting earnings or has voluntarily left a job, documenting employment history, past pay stubs, and tax returns will matter when you present your case.

Two Worksheets: Which One Applies to You?

Once income is established, the next major variable is parenting time — specifically, how many overnights each year each parent has with the children. Colorado uses two separate calculation worksheets, and which one applies depends entirely on that overnight count.

• Worksheet A (JDF 1820) applies when one parent has 92 overnights or fewer per year. This is the standard calculation used in most cases where one parent is the primary residential parent.
• Worksheet B (JDF 1821) applies when each parent has the children for more than 92 overnights per year. Colorado law calls this arrangement shared physical care.

The 92-overnight threshold is significant. If you are close to that line, even a small difference in the parenting schedule can shift which worksheet applies — and can meaningfully change the support amount. The shared-care rules are governed by C.R.S. § 14-10-115(8). Both worksheets are available through the Colorado Judicial Branch website if you want to run preliminary numbers before going to court.

Low-Income Protections Built Into the Guidelines

Colorado's guidelines include specific protections for parents with limited incomes. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-115, when a paying parent's monthly adjusted gross income is $650 or less, the minimum order is $10 per month regardless of the number of children. For parents earning more than that threshold but still in a low-income range, graduated minimums apply.

There is also a self-support reserve built into the guidelines. This reserve is designed to prevent the child support order from leaving the paying parent below a basic subsistence level. The underlying logic is practical: a parent who cannot meet their own basic living expenses will struggle to pay support consistently over time, and inconsistency ultimately harms children more than a slightly lower but reliable payment.

Major Changes Coming August 12, 2026

Time-sensitive — check whether this applies to your case: If your child support order will be entered on or after August 12, 2026, Colorado's calculation will work differently in important respects. House Bill 25-1159, passed in the 2025 legislative session, revises the state's child support guideline in two significant ways:

1. The existing parenting-time credit is being replaced with a new formula that credits each parent for all overnights they have with the children, rather than only through the current credit structure.
2. A new cap will apply in shared-care cases: the amount owed by the higher-earning parent cannot exceed what that parent would owe if they had no overnights at all. This prevents a shared-care arrangement from producing a paradoxically higher payment than a primary-custody arrangement would.

If your order is entered before August 12, 2026, it is calculated under the current rules. New legislation does not automatically recalculate existing orders — if you want to benefit from the new formula after it takes effect, you would need to petition for a modification and still meet the legal standard for modification described below. Source: HB25-1159 (2025 session).

Modifying an Existing Child Support Order

Life changes — and Colorado law allows child support orders to be revisited, but not easily. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-122, you must show that the changed circumstances are both substantial and continuing — not a temporary setback. Colorado courts apply a rebuttable presumption that this standard is met if running the numbers under the current guidelines would change the support amount by at least 10%.

One critical rule: modification is not retroactive. If you stop paying or pay less while waiting for the court to approve a reduction, you will still owe the full original amount for those months. Any change in the order takes effect only from the date you filed for modification and served the other party — not earlier. Federal law reinforces this: the Bradley Amendment, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(9)(C), prohibits any court from retroactively reducing child support that has already accrued. Colorado courts cannot undo past-due support even if both parents agree to it.

How Colorado Enforces Child Support

If a parent falls behind on payments, multiple enforcement tools are available without necessarily going back to court yourself. Colorado Child Support Services — the state's Title IV-D agency under the Department of Human Services — can open a case and pursue enforcement through an administrative process that carries the same legal force as a court order, under C.R.S. § 26-13.5-101 et seq. and C.R.S. § 26-13-101 et seq.

Federal law under 42 U.S.C. § 666 requires states to maintain a set of enforcement tools, including:

• Income withholding — support is deducted automatically from the paying parent's paycheck
• Federal tax refund offsets — refunds can be intercepted to cover unpaid support under 42 U.S.C. § 664
• License suspension — driver's, professional, and recreational licenses may be suspended for non-payment
• Liens — placed on property or financial assets
• Paternity establishment — required before a support order can issue when parentage is in dispute

Child support also survives bankruptcy. Under 11 U.S.C. §§ 507 and 523, a child support obligation is classified as a "domestic support obligation" that cannot be discharged — it survives the bankruptcy case and remains fully owed. It is also paid first among unsecured creditors if the paying parent files.

If the other parent lives in a different state, 28 U.S.C. § 1738B — the Full Faith and Credit for Child Support Orders Act — requires that state to enforce Colorado's order and bars modification except in narrow circumstances. Colorado has also adopted the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), which provides the procedural mechanism for working with courts in other states.

What You Can Do in Colorado

1. Run preliminary numbers using the official worksheets. JDF 1820 (Worksheet A) and JDF 1821 (Worksheet B) are available through the Colorado Judicial Branch website. Knowing both parents' gross incomes and counting the overnights in your proposed parenting plan will give you a realistic range before your first court appearance.
2. Contact Colorado Child Support Services if you need help establishing or enforcing an order. The agency can open a case at no cost and has significant enforcement authority without requiring you to hire an attorney. Contact your county Department of Human Services or the Colorado Judicial Branch family law page to get started.
3. Document income carefully. If you believe the other parent is underreporting income or voluntarily reduced their work hours, gather pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, and employment history. A court can impute income, but you generally need evidence in front of it.
4. File for modification promptly if your circumstances genuinely change. Because any change in the order takes effect only from the date of filing and service — never earlier — waiting costs you money. If your income has dropped substantially or the parenting schedule has shifted materially, do not delay.
5. If your order predates August 12, 2026, understand that HB25-1159 does not automatically update it. You would need to petition for a modification under C.R.S. § 14-10-122 and demonstrate that the changed-circumstances standard is met. Check with your Colorado court or an attorney about whether a recalculation under the new formula would benefit you.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Child support calculations are fact-specific. Confirm all details and procedures with a Colorado family law attorney or your local court.