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Gross Income
Both parents' income before taxes, from nearly every source. Getting the full picture matters more than anything else.
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Child Support / Sole Custody Calculation
Sole Custody Calculation · Virginia
The standard formula, when one home is the main home.
When one parent has the child most of the year, Virginia uses its standard guideline formula. The math looks simple, but the inputs decide everything. Getting them right is the whole game.
First call is a conversation, not a commitment.
The Short Answer
The sole custody calculation is Virginia's standard child support formula, used when the non-custodial parent has the child fewer than 91 days a year. It runs on both parents' gross monthly incomes, then adds the cost of the child's health insurance and work-related childcare. The non-custodial parent usually pays their income share of that total to the custodial parent, under Virginia Code § 20-108.2.
How The Math Works
Three numbers, then the add-ons.
People expect child support to be complicated. The core of the sole custody formula is actually straightforward. It is the inputs feeding the formula, and the arguments over them, that decide what you pay or receive. Here is the shape of it.
Step one: combine the incomes
Virginia starts with both parents' gross monthly income. Gross means before taxes, and it is defined broadly. The two incomes are added together to get a combined monthly income, which is the basis for everything that follows.
Step two: find the basic obligation
The combined income is matched against a schedule built into Virginia Code § 20-108.2. That schedule gives a basic monthly child support amount for that income level and the number of children. This is the baseline the state says it costs to raise the children, before extras.
Step three: split it by income share
Each parent is responsible for a share of that basic obligation equal to their share of the combined income. If one parent earns 60 percent of the combined income, they are responsible for 60 percent of the obligation. The non-custodial parent pays their share to the custodial parent, who is presumed to spend their own share directly on the child.
Then the add-ons
Two costs are added straight into the calculation: the cost of the child's health insurance, and work-related childcare like daycare or after-school care. These are split by the same income shares. Small changes here can move the final number a lot, which is why we check every figure.
The formula is presumed correct, but it is a starting point. If the guideline number is unfair for a specific reason, a court can deviate. We make sure the inputs are right first, because most support fights are won or lost on the inputs.
Applies whenThe non-custodial parent has the child fewer than 91 days a year.
Runs onBoth parents' gross monthly incomes, combined and split by share.
Add-onsThe child's health insurance premium and work-related childcare.
Who paysUsually the non-custodial parent pays their income share to the custodial parent.
SourceVirginia Code § 20-108.2, the guideline statute.
The Number Is Presumed Correct
The guideline figure is presumed to be the right amount of support. A court can order a different number, but only by explaining in writing why the guideline would be unjust in your case.
Source: Virginia Code § 20-108.2 and § 20-108.1
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insight
A few honest things about the sole custody number.
"The formula is the easy part. The fight is almost always over what counts as income and what counts as a childcare cost."
Parents come in worried about the formula. The formula is fixed. What we actually spend our time on is the inputs: building the full income picture, documenting the real childcare and insurance costs, and confirming the day count. A small error on any one of those can move your monthly number for years, so we check each one before anyone signs.
Questions Parents Ask
Plain answers about the sole custody calculation.
These are the questions parents ask most about the standard formula. If yours is not here, we are happy to run through your numbers.
Have a specific question?
Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
How is sole custody child support calculated in Virginia?
Virginia combines both parents' gross monthly incomes, finds the basic support obligation for that income and number of children from the schedule in Virginia Code § 20-108.2, then splits it by each parent's income share.
The child's health insurance and work-related childcare are added in and split the same way, and the non-custodial parent usually pays their share to the custodial parent.
When does the sole custody formula apply?
The sole custody formula applies when the non-custodial parent has the child fewer than 91 days a year. Once each parent reaches 91 or more days, the shared custody formula in Virginia Code § 20-108.2(G) takes over instead, which usually changes the number.
What counts as income in the calculation?
Virginia defines income broadly. It includes salary, wages, bonuses, commissions, severance, dividends, pensions, disability and social security benefits, spousal support received, and other income from almost any source. Building the full income picture is the most important part of getting the number right.
Can a court order a different number than the formula?
Yes. The guideline figure is presumed correct, but a court can deviate from it when one of the statutory factors makes the guideline amount unjust. The court has to explain in writing why it deviated. Common reasons include special needs, large travel costs for visitation, and tax effects.
When You Are Ready
Want to know your actual number?
Tell us about both incomes, the schedule, and the costs. We will run the guideline math, check every input, and explain what to expect. Three offices across Northern Virginia, one phone number.