Free Tool — Nevada Family Law

Nevada Child Support Calculator

Estimate your monthly child support using Nevada's current guidelines under NAC 425. This calculator handles both primary and joint physical custody, and shows you exactly how the number is reached — so you can see the math, not just the result.

Your situation

All figures are gross monthly income — before taxes.

Custody arrangement

One parent has the child more than 60% of the time. The other parent pays support.

Salary, wages, overtime, tips, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income after business expenses, rental income and pensions all count.

Nothing you type here leaves your browser. The calculation runs entirely on your own device — no income figures are sent to PRO LAW GROUP, saved, or stored anywhere.

Enter an income to see an estimate.

Please read this before relying on the number

This calculator produces an estimate of the base child support obligation under NAC 425.140. It is general information, not legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney–client relationship. It is not a court order, not a binding calculation, and not a quote for legal fees.

A Nevada judge is not bound by this figure. The guideline amount is presumptive, and courts routinely adjust it under NAC 425.150 for medical and childcare costs, special educational or medical needs, travel for visitation, a parent’s legal responsibility to support other children, and the relative circumstances of both households. The calculator also does not apply the low-income schedule under NAC 425.145, does not account for imputed income where a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, and reflects the guidelines as published at the time of writing — rules and schedules change. Your actual order may differ, in either direction.

For an assessment of your own circumstances, speak with a Nevada family law attorney. PRO LAW GROUP offers a free, no-obligation consultation at (702) 474-0500. Attorney advertising — Donn W. Prokopius, Esq., Nevada Bar No. 6460, 6655 W. Sahara Ave, Suite D220, Las Vegas, NV 89146, is responsible for the content of this page. Licensed in Nevada only. See our full disclaimer.

The Formula

How Nevada Calculates Child Support

Nevada changed its approach in 2020. The old flat-percentage statute was replaced by the guidelines now in NAC Chapter 425, administered through the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services. The current method applies tiered percentages to the paying parent’s gross monthly income, so the rate steps down as income rises.

The base obligation under NAC 425.140 works like tax brackets. Each portion of income is charged at its own rate, and the results are added together:

Nevada base child support rates by number of children and income bracket
ChildrenFirst $6,000$6,000–$10,000Above $10,000
1 child16%8%4%
2 children22%11%6%
3 children26%13%6%
4 children28%14%7%
Each additional+2%+1%+0.5%

There is no upper income cap in Nevada. A parent earning $25,000 a month still pays 4% on everything above $10,000 for one child — the rate simply gets smaller, it does not stop.

Joint custody is calculated differently

This is the part most people get wrong. Sharing custody equally does not mean nobody pays. Under NAC 425.115, the court calculates each parent’s obligation separately, then offsets the two — and the parent with the higher obligation pays the other the difference.

So if one parent earns $8,000 a month and the other earns $4,000, with one child in joint custody, the higher earner still owes the difference between the two calculated amounts. Only when both parents earn the same does the obligation net to zero.

What counts as gross income

Gross means before taxes and deductions — not your take-home pay. Nevada defines it broadly, and it catches more than most people expect:

Included in gross monthly income

Salary and wages · overtime · tips · commissions and bonuses · self-employment income after ordinary business expenses · rental income · pensions and retirement distributions · interest and dividends · workers’ compensation and disability benefits · unemployment benefits

If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, a Nevada court can impute income — meaning it calculates support based on what that parent could reasonably earn rather than what they actually report. Quitting a job does not reduce a support obligation.

Why Your Order May Differ

The Guideline Is a Starting Point, Not a Ceiling

The calculated figure is presumptive — the judge starts there, but NAC 425.150 lets the court adjust it. These are the factors that most often move the number in Clark County:

Medical and childcare costs

Health insurance premiums for the child, unreimbursed medical expenses, and work-related childcare are commonly added on top of the base obligation.

Special educational or medical needs

A child requiring therapy, specialised schooling, or ongoing treatment can justify an upward adjustment.

Cost of visitation travel

Where parents live far apart, the expense of transporting the child for visitation can be factored in.

Support obligations to other children

A parent legally responsible for supporting other children may have their obligation adjusted.

The relative income of both households

The court can consider the overall financial circumstances on both sides, not just the paying parent’s income in isolation.

Support also does not adjust itself. If your income changes materially, you must file a motion to modify — a change of 20% or more in the paying parent’s gross monthly income is treated as a change of circumstances, and orders can generally be reviewed every three years. Until the court changes the order, the existing amount stands and arrears keep accruing.

Common Questions

Nevada Child Support FAQs

Nevada uses the NAC 425.140 schedule, applying tiered percentages to the paying parent's gross monthly income. For one child: 16% of the first $6,000, 8% of income between $6,000 and $10,000, and 4% above $10,000. The percentages rise with the number of children, and there is no upper income cap.
On the first $6,000 of gross monthly income: 16% for one child, 22% for two, 26% for three, 28% for four, plus 2% for each additional child. Lower rates apply above $6,000 and again above $10,000, so the effective percentage falls as income rises.
No. Under NAC 425.115 the court calculates each parent's obligation, then offsets them — the higher earner pays the difference. Joint custody reduces the amount but only eliminates it entirely when both parents earn roughly the same.
Income before taxes and deductions, defined broadly: salary, wages, overtime, tips, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income after ordinary business expenses, rental income, pensions, interest and dividends, and certain benefits. It is not your take-home pay.
Yes. The guideline figure is presumptive, not mandatory. NAC 425.150 permits adjustment for special educational or medical needs, visitation travel costs, responsibility to support other children, the relative income of both households, and other necessary expenses for the child.
Where a parent's circumstances limit their ability to pay, NAC 425.145 directs the court to apply a low-income schedule based on the federal poverty guidelines, published annually by the Nevada Administrative Office of the Courts. Below the lowest level of that schedule, the court sets an amount balancing self-support against the duty to support the child.
File a motion to modify. A change of 20% or more in the paying parent's gross monthly income counts as a change of circumstances, and orders can generally be reviewed every three years. Support never adjusts automatically — until the court changes it, the existing amount stands and arrears accrue.
Talk to a Las Vegas Family Law Attorney

A Number Is Not a Strategy

Whether you are establishing support, responding to a request, or trying to modify an order that no longer fits your circumstances, the guideline figure is only the beginning. Donn W. Prokopius has handled Clark County family law matters since 2000 — at a flat fee quoted before the work starts.

Free Consultation (702) 474-0500

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