Wisconsin Child Support Calculator 2026
Estimate Wisconsin child support with the DCF 150 percentage standard. Enter both parents' gross monthly incomes, the number of children and the paying parent's nights of placement; the shared-placement formula is used when each parent has at least 92 nights. Calculated privately in your browser.
Estimate only — the court or the child support agency sets the order. Official source: Wisconsin DCF tools to estimate income and support amounts.
Wisconsin sets child support with the percentage standard in administrative rule DCF 150: 17% of the paying parent's gross monthly income for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four and 34% for five or more. Separate rules cover shared placement and high-income or low-income payers, and this calculator applies the first two.
How Wisconsin Child Support Is Calculated
The percentage is applied to the parent's monthly income available for child support, which starts from gross income from all sources. On income of $7,000 a month or more the court may use lower percentages for the higher part of the income, so the calculator shows both the reduced figure and the straight percentage.
| Paying parent's monthly income | 1 child | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First $7,000 | 17% | 25% | 29% | 31% | 34% |
| $7,000 to $12,500 (court may apply) | 14% | 20% | 23% | 25% | 27% |
| Above $12,500 (court may apply) | 10% | 15% | 17% | 19% | 20% |
A payer whose income is below 150% of the federal poverty guideline (about $1,995 a month in 2026) may have support set from the DCF 150 low-income table instead. That table is revised every year and is not reproduced here.
Worked Example: Wisconsin Percentage Standard
With the default figures the paying parent earns $5,000 a month and has two children with 91 nights of placement, which is below the 92 nights needed for shared placement. Support is 25% of $5,000, or $1,250.00 a month.
Shared Placement, Insurance and Childcare in Wisconsin
When each parent has court-ordered placement at least 25% of the time (92 days a year), the court may use the shared-placement formula. Each parent's income is multiplied by the percentage standard, then by 150%, then by the share of time the children spend with the other parent; the parent with the larger result pays the difference. In the Department of Children and Families' own example, parents earning $2,000 and $3,000 with two children and a 60/40 split produce $300 and $675, so the higher earner pays $375 a month; this calculator returns the same figure.
The shared-placement figure does not include the children's variable costs such as childcare and tuition, which the court assigns in proportion to each parent's share of placement. Health insurance is ordered separately as medical support.
Estimate Only: Who Sets the Wisconsin Order
This page gives an estimate only — the court or the state child support agency sets the order, and either can depart from the guideline where the law allows. Before relying on any figure, run the same figures through the Wisconsin DCF tools to estimate income and support amounts.
If your income, the parenting schedule or the children's needs change, ask the court or the agency to review the order, and keep paying the ordered amount until it is changed. Last updated: October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's percentage standard (DCF 150) takes 17% of the paying parent's gross monthly income for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four and 34% for five or more. Special rules cover shared placement, high-income and low-income payers, and parents supporting more than one family.
How does shared placement change Wisconsin child support?
When each parent has court-ordered placement at least 25% of the time (92 days a year), the court may use the shared-placement formula. Each parent's income is multiplied by the percentage standard and by 150%, then by the share of time the child spends with the other parent. The parent with the larger result pays the difference.
What are the Wisconsin high-income percentages?
On income of $7,000 a month or more the court may apply lower percentages: 14%, 20%, 23%, 25% and 27% (one to five children) to income between $7,000 and $12,500, and 10%, 15%, 17%, 19% and 20% above $12,500. The standard percentages still apply to the first $7,000.
Does Wisconsin have a low-income child support rule?
Yes. For a payer whose income is below 150% of the federal poverty guideline (about $1,995 a month in 2026) the court may use the reduced amounts in the DCF 150 low-income table instead of the standard percentage. This calculator flags that case but does not reproduce the table.
Is this the amount a Wisconsin court will order?
No. It is an estimate. Only the court can order or change child support, and it may depart from the percentage standard if using it would be unfair to the child or to either parent. Check your figures with the Department of Children and Families worksheets.