McLean, Virginia · Child Support
McLean families often earn well past where the old child support chart stopped. As of 2025, Virginia extended the table and set a clear formula for income above it. Let me walk you through how the number works when the paychecks are large.
By Alisa Chunephisal, Esq. · Founding Partner, NOVA Legal Professionals
This article is one part of our larger child support guide. For the full picture, start with our cornerstone, Child Support in Virginia. Here, I will focus on high-income cases and what happens above the cap.
The income cap moved up in 2025
For years the Virginia guideline table stopped at $35,000 in combined monthly income, and anything above that was left to a judge’s discretion. As of July 1, 2025, Senate Bill 805 raised the cap to $42,500 and increased the guideline amounts across the board, the first change since 2014. For a lot of McLean families, that means the formula now reaches income it used to ignore.
What happens above $42,500
Even past the new cap, there is now a set method instead of guesswork. The court starts with the base support amount at $42,500, then adds a percentage of the income above that line, set by the number of children. As an example, one child at $50,000 in combined monthly income means the base amount plus 2.6 percent of the extra $7,500. More children means a higher percentage.
The New Numbers Are Not Automatic
Senate Bill 805 raised support amounts, but it does not change orders signed before July 2025 on its own. If your order predates the change and it looks low, the new figures do not apply until you act. You have to file a modification and show a material change in circumstances to bring the order current.
Earning above the old chart?
If your income runs past where the guideline used to stop, I will run the current numbers and tell you what the new law means for your order. No pressure, no commitment.
Deviation still matters at the top
Large incomes are exactly where the standard guideline can stop fitting the family. Above the guideline, the court can deviate for real factors: private school tuition, extraordinary travel, a child’s special needs, or the standard of living the children are used to. Those arguments need evidence, not adjectives. You can read how that works on our deviation from guidelines page.
Where a McLean case is heard
McLean is part of Fairfax County, so support is handled in the Fairfax Juvenile and Domestic Relations court, or administratively through the state. High earner cases often turn on variable pay, equity, and investment income, so the documentation work matters as much as the legal argument. Get the income picture right and the rest follows.
“The 2025 change took a lot of guesswork out of high earner cases. But nothing updates by itself. You still have to file.”
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq. · Founding Partner
Alisa’s Practical Advice
For a high-income McLean case, four things protect you. Document all of the income, including bonuses, equity, and investment returns, not just salary. Know that the post-July 2025 amounts apply now. File promptly if your old order sits below the new numbers, because waiting only builds arrears or leaves money uncollected. And bring real evidence for any deviation you want.
In a big-income case, the early decisions are the expensive ones. Get them right first.
Authoritative References
Sources
- Code of Virginia, § 20-108.2. The child support guideline, the expanded income table, and the formula for income above the cap. law.lis.virginia.gov
- Senate Bill 805 (2025). Raised the combined monthly income cap from $35,000 to $42,500 and increased guideline amounts, effective July 1, 2025. Existing orders are not updated automatically.
- Code of Virginia, § 20-108.1. The presumption that the guideline amount is correct, and the factors a court weighs to deviate.
- Fairfax County and Virginia DCSE. High-income support is handled in the Fairfax Juvenile and Domestic Relations court and administratively through the Division of Child Support Enforcement.
Statutory authority verified against current Virginia law as of June 2026. Every child support case turns on its own facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the income cap for Virginia child support?
As of July 1, 2025, the guideline table covers combined monthly income up to $42,500, raised from $35,000. Senate Bill 805 also increased the support amounts across the table.
How is support figured above the cap?
The court starts with the base support amount at $42,500, then adds a set percentage of the income above it, based on the number of children. For one child at $50,000 combined, that is the base plus 2.6 percent of the extra $7,500.
Does the new law raise my old order?
No. The change does not update existing orders on its own. If your order predates July 2025, you must file a modification and show a material change to use the new numbers.
Can the court go above the guideline?
Yes. In high-income cases the court can deviate for real factors like private school, extraordinary travel, or special needs, when you back the request with evidence.
When You Are Ready
Let’s protect your numbers in McLean.
Tell me about the income, the schedule, and the order you have now, and I will run the current guideline and tell you whether a change is worth it. The first call is a conversation, not a commitment.