Child Support in Colorado
Colorado calculates child support with statewide guidelines built on an income-shares model — both parents' combined incomes and the number of overnights with each parent factor in to produce a presumptive amount. The guideline result is a rebuttable presumption, parties file a child support worksheet, and orders can be modified when there's a substantial and continuing change in circumstances.
By Find Local Law Editorial Team · Last reviewed: May 24, 2026
Researched and drafted with AI assistance and verified against primary sources (statutes, Judicial Council forms, and official court websites). This is general information, not legal advice.
Colorado sets child support using statewide statutory guidelines rather than leaving the amount to guesswork. The guidelines are built on an income-shares model — the idea that a child should get the same share of the parents’ income they’d have received if the parents lived together.
How the calculation works
The guideline starts from the combined adjusted gross income of both parents — “estimated to have been allocated to the child if the parents and children were living in an intact household” — and then apportions the obligation between them (C.R.S. 14-10-115).
Two inputs drive the result:
- Both parents’ incomes, combined and then divided proportionally.
- Overnights — the number of nights the child spends with each parent. When each parent has the child more than 92 overnights per year, a “shared physical care” adjustment applies.
A presumptive (rebuttable) amount
The guideline and the basic child support schedule are used as a rebuttable presumption for setting or modifying support (C.R.S. 14-10-115(8)(e)). A court can deviate only by making specific findings that applying the guideline would be inequitable, unjust, or inappropriate.
Worksheets
Parties must complete and file a child support worksheet from the Judicial Branch — Worksheet A (JDF 1820M) for sole physical care, or Worksheet B (JDF 1821M) for shared physical care.
Changing an order
Support can be modified on a showing of changed circumstances that are substantial and continuing (C.R.S. 14-10-122). A recalculation that produces less than a 10% change in the monthly amount is deemed not substantial — so a qualifying change generally has to reach 10% or more. For help running the numbers or seeking a modification, connect with a lawyer.
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Start your free intakeFrequently asked questions
- How is child support calculated in Colorado?
- Under statewide guidelines using an income-shares model: the court combines both parents' adjusted gross incomes, applies the statutory schedule, and adjusts for the number of overnights each parent has (C.R.S. 14-10-115).
- Do overnights with each parent affect the amount?
- Yes. The number of overnights is part of the calculation, and when each parent has the child more than 92 overnights a year, a 'shared physical care' adjustment applies (C.R.S. 14-10-115).
- Is the guideline amount mandatory?
- It's a rebuttable presumption. Courts generally follow it but may deviate if they make specific findings that the guideline result would be inequitable, unjust, or inappropriate (C.R.S. 14-10-115(8)(e)).
- When can a child support order be changed?
- When there's a substantial and continuing change in circumstances. A recalculation showing less than a 10% change in the monthly amount is treated as not substantial, so a qualifying change generally needs to reach 10% or more (C.R.S. 14-10-122).
Sources
Related guides
- Child Custody in Colorado (Allocation of Parental Responsibilities) Colorado no longer uses the word 'custody.' Instead it allocates parental responsibilities (APR), which splits into parenting time (when the child is with each parent) and decision-making responsibility (major decisions about education, health, and religion). Courts decide based on the best interests of the child, with paramount consideration to the child's safety, and there's no presumption favoring either parent.
- Colorado Divorce (Dissolution of Marriage) Colorado is a no-fault state and calls divorce a 'dissolution of marriage' — the only ground is that the marriage is irretrievably broken. At least one spouse must have lived in Colorado for 91 days, and a decree can't enter until 91 days after the court gets jurisdiction over the other spouse. Marital property is divided equitably (not necessarily equally), and spousal maintenance follows an advisory statutory guideline.