California calculator
California: how it works and FAQ
How the California calculator works
California uses the statewide uniform guideline in Cal. Family Code §4055, as amended by SB 343 (operative September 1, 2024): both parents' net disposable incomes and the custody timeshare go into one formula. CleanCalc implements the post-SB 343 K-factor table. SB 343 replaced the income brackets and values in that table, so a calculator built to the pre-September 2024 table gives a different answer.
Net disposable income is computed under §4059: federal income tax (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, tax year 2026), California income tax (FTB 2025 schedules; as of October 2026, FTB has not published 2026 brackets), and FICA (2026 Social Security wage base $184,500), plus the deductions you enter.
The result shows BOTH the bare-formula number AND the post-Low-Income-Adjustment number. The §4055(b)(7) LIA is a rebuttable presumption: the court computes both and rules.
CleanCalc also estimates temporary (pendente lite) spousal support using the Santa Clara, Alameda, or Marin county guideline you choose.
How we check it
We compare against the California Department of Child Support Services' own calculator on a fixed set of fixtures spanning single-earner, two-earner, new-spouse, self-employed, multi-child, low-income (LIA), hardship, and reversed-direction cases. In our parity report of October 9, 2026, given the same net incomes, CleanCalc's child support matches DCSS within $1/month on all 60 child support fixtures (49 to the dollar), and its county temporary spousal support matches DCSS within $1/month on all 27 Santa Clara and Alameda fixtures. For Marin, CleanCalc follows the text of Marin's local rule where it differs from DCSS, and says so on the result.
The worked example embedded in §4055(b)(3) itself (K = 0.21 for the statute's canonical inputs) is one of our test fixtures.
What it doesn't do
It is not legal advice, and it is not a Judicial Council–certified calculator (Cal. Fam. Code §3830 + Cal. Rule of Court 5.275). Under §3830(a), a court may not use computer software to help determine child support unless the software conforms to the Judicial Council's rules. As of October 2026, the certified calculators are Cal Support, the DCSS California Child Support Guideline Calculator, Family Law Software, FamilySoft SupportCalc, and Xspouse.
It does not generate Form FL-342 itself, the order form that you (or your attorney) fill out. It does generate a worksheet PDF showing the guideline calculation step by step, plus the mandatory FL-192 Notice of Rights attachment, plus (when you declare §4057 deviation grounds) a blank FL-342(A) Non-Guideline Findings form.
It does not compute permanent (post-judgment) spousal support. Marriage of Schulze (1997) 60 Cal.App.4th 519 reversed a permanent award pegged to a temporary-support guideline figure; permanent support has to be built from the 14 discretionary factors in §4320, not a formula. CleanCalc displays the §4320 checklist instead.
Frequently asked questions
Will the California calculator work for me?
Yes if you're a California parent (or about to be). It handles: W-2, 1099 / self-employment, RSUs, Social Security (including SSDI), pensions / annuities / IRA distributions, unemployment and Paid Family Leave, and other non-taxable income; one-earner or two-earner households (including new-spouse income); custody by overnights or by hours; pre-filing, mediation prep, or post-judgment modification; and optional temporary spousal support. It doesn't handle the FL-342 order form itself (you fill that) or permanent (post-judgment) spousal support (see the §4320 question below).
How accurate is the California estimate?
In our parity report of October 9, 2026, given the same net incomes, CleanCalc matches the California Department of Child Support Services' calculator within $1/month on all 60 child support fixture cases, 49 of them to the dollar. Practical accuracy depends on what you enter: with only gross income you get a tax-only ballpark; if you also fill in the "Refine with §4059 deductions" panel (mandatory retirement, health insurance, hardship, etc.), the number tightens significantly. The math card on the result page shows the exact computation so you can compare line-by-line to an attorney's worksheet.
Why is this number different from what my attorney or the court said?
Most likely one of: (1) §4059 deductions or §4062 add-ons you entered differ from what the court captured, (2) our timeshare value differs from the court's annualized figure, (3) the court applied (or rebutted) the §4055(b)(7) Low-Income Adjustment differently than we did, or (4) the court accepted a §4057(b) deviation or §4058(b) imputation. The math card on your result page shows our exact computation. Compare it line by line to your attorney's worksheet to find the source of the gap.
What is the Low-Income Adjustment (LIA)?
Under §4055(b)(7), if the obligor's net monthly disposable income is below a threshold tied to California minimum wage (about $2,929/month in 2026), the court is presumed to reduce support by up to a statutory maximum. The presumption is rebuttable: the court can decline to reduce based on §4053 principles (e.g., extraordinary assets, voluntary underemployment). Our result page shows BOTH the pre-LIA bare-formula number and the post-LIA presumed number plus the discretionary range so you can see what's at stake.
What's §4059 and why does it matter?
Cal. Family Code §4059 defines "net monthly disposable income": the figure plugged into the §4055 formula. It allows seven categories of deductions from gross: state + federal income tax (a), FICA (b), mandatory union dues + retirement that are conditions of employment (c), health insurance premiums + state disability (d), child or spousal support actually paid in other cases (e), court-allowed job-related expenses (f), and hardship per §§4070–4073 (g). Our free estimate computes (a) and (b) automatically. The other categories (c–g) are captured in the "Refine with §4059 deductions" panel on the result page. Enter what applies, and the engine recomputes the §4055 guideline against your true net.
Can I use this number in court?
Not as the court's own calculation. Under Cal. Fam. Code §3830(a), a court may not use computer software to help determine child support unless the software conforms to the Judicial Council's rules, and CleanCalc is not certified under §3830 and Cal. Rule of Court 5.275. The worksheet shows the guideline math step by step, so you, a mediator, or an attorney can check a figure against it. Form FL-342 Item 1 refers to "a printout of a computer calculation and findings is attached and incorporated in this order"; whether a CleanCalc printout is accepted in that role is for the court. CleanCalc is not a substitute for the advice of a California-licensed family-law attorney. The court applies §4055 as a rebuttable presumption under §4057 and may deviate based on the facts.
What court forms does CleanCalc provide alongside the worksheet?
After purchase, the result page offers three downloads: (1) the worksheet PDF itself; (2) FL-192 Notice of Rights and Responsibilities Regarding Child Support, the mandatory boilerplate attachment under FL-342 Item 12.a; and (3) FL-342(A) Non-Guideline Child Support Findings, available only when you declare §4057 deviation grounds (since FL-342(A) is required only for non-guideline orders). The FL-192 and FL-342(A) downloads are CleanCalc's local mirror of the courts.ca.gov 2024-11 originals, pinned by sha256 so you can verify integrity. CleanCalc does not generate the FL-342 order form itself; that's yours to fill.
What about childcare and uninsured medical costs?
Those are §4062 add-ons, computed ON TOP of the guideline number. We allocate them between parents in proportion to net incomes per §4061(a), as adjusted by §4061(c) and (d): the child support payor's net is reduced by the basic support it pays before the split, and temporary spousal support moves from payor to payee. The "Refine" panel on the result page captures both §4062(a) mandatory add-ons (work-related childcare, uninsured medical) and §4062(b) discretionary add-ons (educational / special-needs, visitation travel). Enter monthly totals and the result panel + PDF show each parent's share. Childcare a parent pays can also lower that parent's income taxes through the federal and California child and dependent care credits (IRC §21; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §17052.6). CleanCalc includes those credits in that parent's net disposable income under §4059, and the result shows the credit amounts.
Can I note §4057 deviation factors for the court?
Yes. The result page has a "Note §4057 deviation factors" panel where you can check the statutory grounds you believe apply (stipulation, deferred sale, extraordinary timeshare, special needs, formula-unjust, other) and add a free-text note. The grounds + note render in the PDF worksheet. The §4055 guideline figure does NOT change: the court decides whether the grounds actually rebut the presumption.
What about §4058(b) imputed income?
If you enter an "alleged earning capacity" annual amount in the wizard, the result page shows a parallel §4055 calculation against that imputed figure (plus parallel temporary spousal support if you opted in). A dropdown lets you tag the LaBass & Munsee ground (voluntary unemployment / underemployment, stay-at-home with prior earning capacity, other) for the court worksheet.
Can I use hours instead of overnights for custody?
Yes. §4055(b)(1)(D) uses the approximate percentage of time each parent has primary physical responsibility for the children, and that can be counted in hours rather than overnights, which helps when daytime custody differs from overnight allocation. Step 6 has an "Overnights / Hours" toggle. A 50/50 split is 4,380 hours.
Does this also estimate spousal support?
Yes: temporary (pendente lite) spousal support during a pending dissolution. Step 5 of the wizard has an optional "Also estimate temporary spousal support" toggle; if checked, you pick the county guideline (Santa Clara, Alameda, or Marin; California has no statewide statutory formula for temporary SS) and the order-year bucket (drives federal + CA tax treatment). The result page shows child support and temporary spousal support together when both are calculated.
Why don't you compute permanent (post-judgment) spousal support?
Because California sets it by discretion, not formula. Marriage of Schulze (1997) 60 Cal.App.4th 519 reversed a permanent award pegged to a temporary-support guideline figure. California's §4320 lists 14 discretionary factors that courts weigh case-by-case (length of marriage, marketable skills, standard of living, etc.). We display the §4320 factors as a checklist on the result page so you can talk through them with a mediator or attorney.
What does "post-SB 343" mean?
SB 343 (Stats. 2023, Ch. 213) replaced the income brackets and values in the §4055 K-factor table, operative September 1, 2024. It also tied the LIA threshold to California minimum wage, replacing a $1,500 base that the Judicial Council adjusted annually for inflation. A calculator built to the old table gives a different answer; we built to the post-September 2024 statute.
Questions that apply in every state are on the general FAQ.