Oklahoma calculates child support using the Child Support Computation form. The state also offers an excel calculator to help parents estimate their expected contribution. To use the Oklahoma child support calculator, you will need to download the excel file to your computer and enter your family’s financial information into each cell of the spreadsheet.
Each parent will need to provide their gross monthly income, as well as any self-employment income and SSA Title II benefits or veterans disability benefits they receive. If either parent was ordered to pay alimony, they should include the amount they paid on the child support calculator, and each parent may need to share relevant information about their home life (i.e., information about other children who live in their home).
Parents will also need to know their monthly childcare expenses and how much they pay for their child or children’s health insurance premiums. If either parent pays ongoing medical costs, they should note this, too.
Keep in mind that the Oklahoma child support calculator is only one tool to help you estimate your contribution. You may also like our blog, “Estimating Child Support Payments Based on Your Gross Income.”
Example: George and Teresa Use the Oklahoma Child Support Calculator
Teresa and George divorce, and due to George’s demanding work schedule, Teresa is awarded full custody of their son, Zach. As the noncustodial parent, George will need to pay child support.
He and Teresa use the Oklahoma child support calculator to estimate his contribution.
First, George enters the number of children in the case – one child (Zach). Then, George enters his monthly income. As a top-earning business owner, George makes $92,172 per year and $7,681 per month, so he puts $7,681 in the ‘Father’ column of Cell 5.
Teresa was a stay-at-home mother during the marriage and now works as a waitress, bringing in about $2,343 per month. She enters this figure into the ‘Mother’ column of Cell 5. For years, Teresa has owned a small Etsy shop, which brings in an extra $500 per month. As such, she enters this figure into Cell 6 under the ‘Mother’ column. Because George included all his relevant income in Cell 5, he leaves Cell 6 blank.
Neither George nor Teresa gets Social Security benefits or veterans disability benefits, so they both leave Cell 9 blank. After they divorced, George paid Teresa about $2,000 in alimony, so he enters this figure into Cell 10. As the recipient of alimony, Teresa leaves Cell 10 blank.
Neither parent has other children at home, so George and Teresa also skip Cell 13. Because George only has a few overnights each year, George and Teresa can skip Cell 19, as well.
During their marriage, George and Teresa spent about $715 per month caring for Zach. Zach lives with Teresa, so Teresa claims the $715 of childcare expenses in Cell 27. Zach is on George’s health insurance plan, so George enters Zach’s portion of his monthly premium ($59) in Cell 30. Fortunately, no one in the family has ongoing medical costs, so George and Teresa skip Cell 33.
When George spends time with Zach, he always picks him up from Teresa’s house, which means he spends about $30 per month on gas for visitation transportation costs. He enters this figure in Cell 36.
Now, George and Teresa have finished inputting their information into the Oklahoma Child Support Calculator.
The calculator estimates that George will owe Teresa $1,123.92 in child support each month.
Like many co-parents, George and Teresa are not sure they filled out the spreadsheet correctly. They also know that this number is only an estimate.
To get help with understanding George’s monthly contribution and handling their child support case in court, George and Teresa each contact their own attorney.
Need Help Calculating Your Child Support?
Like George and Teresa, you can call an attorney to get help calculating your child support obligation – or the amount of child support you should be receiving.
At Nichols Dixon, we have experience on all sides of the law and a reputation as reliable and effective lawyers within our community.
Whether you want to contest the result you get from the child support calculator or just double-check your work, so you know what to expect in court, you can get in touch to get the results you need.
To get help from a legal team with honesty and integrity and attorneys who genuinely care, please call us at (405) 294-1511">(405) 294-1511 or send us a message online.
