Guideline child support usually does not include daycare or uncovered medical bills. Those are add-ons under Family Code section 4062, shared by both parents on top of base support.

A plain-English guide to child support hearings at the Lamoreaux Justice Center in Orange, from filing the FL-300 and FL-150 to the guideline calculation, DCSS cases, and the wage assignment.

Child support in California can be reduced after a job loss, but the court cannot go back further than the date you file. Here is how the modification process works and what judges look at.

A plain-English guide to child support hearings at the Long Beach courthouse in Los Angeles County: the forms, the guideline formula, timing, and what to bring.

When a parent is unemployed or underemployed, California courts can calculate child support on earning capacity instead of actual income. Here is how imputed income works and how to prove or defend against it.

How to file contempt for unpaid child support in California: FL-410 and FL-411, personal service, the elements, jail and fines under CCP 1218, and defenses.

California judges cannot erase back child support that has already come due, but there are real ways to reduce what you owe, stop interest from piling up, and settle arrears owed to the state or the other parent.

Equal custody does not cancel child support in California. Learn how the guideline formula treats a 50/50 timeshare, why the higher earner still pays, what add-ons apply, and how to get an accurate number before your hearing.

Meta Description: Understand how California calculates child support. Learn the formula, what judges actually consider, and how mediation helps you negotiate fair support before court imposes it --- INTRODUCTION You're facing child support—either paying it or receiving it. And you want to understand: How much? How is it calculated? What if my income changes? Can I negotiate a different amount? These questions terrify parents. Child support feels abstract and unfair. T

Life changes, and so do the financial needs of children and their parents. If you’re paying or receiving child support in California and something significant in your situation has changed—such as job loss, income increase, or a change in custodial time—you may be eligible to modify your child support order. In this 2025 California-focused guide, we explain when and how to seek a child support modification, what courts require, and how to avoid common pitfalls in the process.