Every year, tens of thousands of families across the state rely on North Carolina child support to help provide stability, security, and care for their children. Whether it’s the minimum $50 per month for low-income parents or significantly higher amounts for high-earning families, child support is one of the key systems in place to protect a child’s well-being after parents separate.
Where do these numbers come from?
The answer lies in the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines, a standardized system the courts use to decide how much each parent should contribute. These guidelines shape outcomes for real families, often during some of the hardest moments they’ll face.
If you’re dealing with a divorce, custody dispute, or support issue, understanding how the guidelines work can make all the difference. In this post, we’ll walk you through how child support is calculated, what’s changed in recent years, and what happens when one parent isn’t contributing fairly.
What Are the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines?
Even when parents no longer live together, they both have a responsibility to support their child. In North Carolina, the court uses a specific set of guidelines to make sure that responsibility is divided fairly.
The North Carolina Child Support Guidelines apply to most legal situations involving child support, whether it’s part of a custody agreement, divorce, or a case to establish paternity.
These guidelines help determine:
- How much financial support does a child need
- How much each parent should contribute
- When exceptions or adjustments are appropriate
The court usually follows these guidelines, but can adjust them if they would be unfair in a particular case.
How Is North Carolina Child Support Calculated?
North Carolina child support is calculated using a formula that takes into account:
- How much time the child spends with each parent
- Each parent’s ability to contribute financially
- Certain necessary expenses, like health insurance or childcare
The court uses different worksheets based on the custody arrangement:
- Worksheet A – One parent has primary physical custody
- Worksheet B – Custody is shared (each parent has the child at least 123 nights per year)
- Worksheet C – Custody is split between multiple children
These worksheets help determine a fair monthly support amount by combining custody time, each parent’s financial picture, and specific costs related to raising the child.
What Counts as Income?
To calculate North Carolina child support, the court looks at more than just your paycheck. It considers a wide range of income sources to get a clear picture of each parent’s financial situation.
The court may consider:
- Wages and salaries
- Self-employment income
- Rental income
- Bonuses and commissions
- Social Security, disability, or unemployment benefits
- Retirement income and capital gains
Next, the court subtracts certain expenses, like health and vision insurance, childcare costs, and other extraordinary expenses. The court uses the resulting adjusted gross income in the final worksheet calculation.
What If One Parent Isn’t Working?
A parent can’t avoid child support by refusing to work or taking a lower-paying job without justification. If the court finds that a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed in bad faith, it can assign that parent an income based on what they could be earning. This is called imputing income.
In practice, that means the court may look at:
- The parents’ past earnings
- Their education, training, and work history
- Local job opportunities
- Full-time minimum wage (used as a baseline if no prior job history exists)
As of 2023, North Carolina child support guidelines make it clear that income can be imputed even to a custodial parent of a young child, as long as there is evidence of bad faith. The focus is on protecting the child’s financial support, not shielding a parent who avoids contributing.
Recent Changes to the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines
Every four years, North Carolina reviews and updates its child support guidelines to keep up with changes in the economy. The latest update took effect on January 1, 2023, and it brought several changes that could affect how support is calculated today.
One major update raised the combined income limit for using the standard guidelines. That limit went from $30,000 per month to $40,000 per month. If parents earn more than that together, the court may decide child support based on the child’s needs and the family’s lifestyle, instead of using the regular worksheet.
The update also included changes to help lower-income parents. The self-support reserve, which protects a parent’s ability to cover basic living costs, was adjusted based on newer poverty level data. The court continues to set the minimum child support amount at $50 per month, unless it finds a reason to make an exception.
Another change added vision insurance and out-of-pocket vision costs to the list of medical expenses that count in support calculations.
Finally, the worksheets in the updated North Carolina Child Support Guidelines reflect changes in tax rates, inflation, and the overall cost of living, so that support amounts better match what it costs to raise a child today.
Can You Change a North Carolina Child Support Order?
Child support orders aren’t set in stone. Over time, circumstances can change, and when they do, the original support amount may no longer be fair or appropriate.
In North Carolina, you can request a change to a child support order if there has been a substantial change in circumstances. This might include a job loss, a raise, a change in the custody schedule, or new medical or educational needs for your child.
The North Carolina Child Support Guidelines also include a specific rule. If your current order is more than three years old, and a new calculation using today’s guidelines would change the amount by 15% or more, that alone may be enough to request a modification.
If you’re unsure whether your situation qualifies, speaking with a family law attorney can help you understand your options before taking the next step.
When the Numbers Don’t Add Up, Get a Legal Advocate Who Will
North Carolina child support may be based on a formula, but the numbers don’t always reflect the full picture. If income is misreported, if deductions are missed, or if the wrong worksheet is used, you could end up paying more than you should, or receiving less than your child needs.
That’s why it’s important to have a lawyer who understands the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines and how to apply them correctly. A strong legal strategy can make a real difference whether you’re requesting support, responding to a claim, or trying to change an outdated order.
If you’re facing a child support issue, don’t leave the outcome to chance. Contact Kurtz & Blum to speak with a family law attorney who will help you protect your child’s needs and your financial future.
