South Carolina child support calculator

South Carolina follows the income-shares model. A child should receive the same share of parental income they would have if the parents lived together. Both parents’ monthly gross income is combined, the basic support obligation is read from the schedule, and each parent is responsible for the share that matches their percentage of the combined income. The parent who does not have primary custody pays their share to the other.

The core of the calculation is the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations (DSS Form 2819) — a table indexed by combined monthly gross income (from $750 up to $40,000) and the number of children (one to six). The 2024 edition, effective January 15, 2024, was the first update in a decade: it raised the amounts and extended the schedule from $30,000 to $40,000. When combined income falls between two rows, the court extrapolates to the next higher amount; below $750 or above $40,000 the court decides case by case.

To the basic obligation South Carolina adds work-related child care, the children’s health-insurance premium, and extraordinary medical expenses; the total is divided in proportion to income. A self-support reserve of $1,010.50 per month protects low-income payers: when the paying parent’s income falls in the shaded area of the schedule, support is figured on the obligor’s income alone so it does not drop them below that reserve.

When the parent paying support keeps the children for at least 110 overnights a year, South Carolina uses the shared-parenting Worksheet C, which adjusts the obligation for the time each parent has the children (with a graduated adjustment between 110 and 128 overnights). Split custody — where each parent has primary custody of different children — is worked out separately for each parent. Because those need the exact overnight split, this calculator computes the sole-custody obligation and flags when a shared arrangement likely applies.

It combines both parents’ income, reads the 2024 schedule, adds child care and health insurance, and splits the total by income share. It does not compute gross income from your pay stubs, apply the self-support-reserve obligor-only calculation, run the shared- or split-custody worksheets, add extraordinary medical costs, or apply a deviation the court may order. For a figure you can file, use the official South Carolina worksheets or consult an attorney.