Most people have heard of the Dissomaster or the XSpouse computer programs as the only way to calculate child support payment guidelines.

However, the California Department of Child Support Services website has a free support guideline calculator individuals can use to get an estimate of the child support payments.

Here is the link: https://www.cse.ca.gov/ChildSupport/cse/guidelineCalculator#

Keep in mind, if you’re ever in a negotiation or mediation and the opposing partyl presents you with a print out of a Dissomaster calculation, these are not written in stone.  The program can be easily manipulated by adding numbers here and there and submitting the information in different ways to get the desired child support figures.

Child support calculations are based on “presumed income” or “capacity to earn” income.  So a spouse that purposefully chooses not to work cannot avoid his/her child support obligations.