Child Support in Arizona: The 2022 Guidelines, the Calculator and the 2026 Review
Arizona family law · Last reviewed November 2, 2026
Arizona sets child support with the Arizona Child Support Guidelines, which the Supreme Court adopts under A.R.S. § 25-320. The guidelines in force are the 2022 Guidelines, effective January 1, 2022 and revised September 21, 2022. They follow the income shares model: the court estimates what the parents would spend on the children if they lived together, then divides that amount in proportion to their incomes.
How the worksheet gets to a number
The guidelines walk through the calculation in steps, and the court's worksheet does the arithmetic:
- Each parent's income. Gross income from all sources, adjusted for things such as spousal maintenance paid or received in this case and support for children of other relationships.
- Combined income. Add the two adjusted incomes.
- Basic support. Look up the combined income and the number of children in the Schedule of Basic Support Obligations.
- Add-ons. Add the children's medical insurance premiums, child care and certain other expenses.
- Share by income. Split the total in proportion to each parent's income.
- Parenting time. Credit the parent who pays for the days the children spend with him or her, using the guidelines' parenting time table.
- Credits. Credit whichever parent actually pays the add-on costs.
- Self-support reserve. Check that a low-income paying parent can still meet basic needs.
- Deviation. The result is the presumptive award, which the court orders unless a deviation is justified.
The self-support reserve is defined in the guidelines:
The Self-Support Reserve is an amount equal to 80% of the monthly full-time earnings at the state minimum wage for the year for which child support is calculated (the Self-Support Reserve amount).
Because it is tied to the minimum wage for the year of the calculation, the dollar amount changes; the examples printed in the 2022 Guidelines use an older wage. The court's calculator applies the current figure.
High incomes
The schedule runs to combined adjusted income of $30,000 a month. Above that, the $30,000 figure is the basic obligation unless a party asks for more and the court finds a higher amount is in the child's best interests.
Use the official calculator
The worksheet has too many branches to reproduce reliably, so we don't offer our own calculator. The Supreme Court points everyone to the 2022 Child Support Calculators, available statewide through the Superior Court in Maricopa County: an interview-style version for self-represented parents and an Excel version for lawyers and judges. Gather the children's dates of birth, both parents' incomes, maintenance paid or received, support for other children, insurance costs for the children, child care and extra education expenses before you start.
Deviations
The court can order an amount different from the guidelines only if applying them would be inappropriate or unjust in the particular case, it has considered the child's best interests, and it makes written findings showing what the order would have been without the deviation. Parents can agree to a different amount, but the consent decree or support order must state the basis for the deviation (ARFLP 45(c)).
How long support lasts
Support is owed for minor children, and the age of majority in Arizona is 18 (§ 1-215). If the child reaches 18 while still in high school or a certified equivalency program, support continues while the child attends, but only until age 19 (§ 25-320(F)). The court may also order support to continue past majority for a child with severe mental or physical disabilities, if the statute's conditions are met.
Changing the amount
A parent, a third-party caregiver entitled to support, or the state child support agency may ask to modify an order on a showing of a substantial and continuing change of circumstances (§ 25-327). There are two ways:
- Standard procedure: a petition to modify, with the burden on the person asking.
- Simplified procedure: if applying the guidelines would change the amount by 15% or more, or to assign or change who provides the children's medical insurance.
The 2026 review
Federal and state law require a review of the guidelines every four years. The Supreme Court created a Child Support Guidelines Review Subcommittee by Administrative Order 2026-54. The subcommittee released draft revised guidelines and a draft report for public comment from October 21 through November 21, 2026. These are proposals, not law; the 2022 Guidelines stay in force until the Supreme Court adopts new ones. Check back before you rely on any 2027 figure.
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in Arizona?
Under the 2022 Arizona Child Support Guidelines, an income shares formula: both parents' incomes are combined, the schedule gives a basic amount for that income and number of children, costs such as insurance and child care are added, and the total is shared by income, with a credit for parenting time.
What is the maximum child support in Arizona?
There is no fixed maximum. The schedule stops at combined adjusted income of $30,000 a month, and the court uses that figure unless a party proves the children need more.
Is there an Arizona child support calculator?
Yes. The official 2022 Child Support Calculator is run by the Superior Court in Maricopa County for statewide use, in a step-by-step version and an Excel version. The court decides the final amount.
When does child support end in Arizona?
At 18, or, if the child is still in high school, when the child finishes, but no later than age 19. Support for a severely disabled adult child can continue if the court orders it.
Can we agree on a different amount of child support?
Yes, but the court must approve it, and the order must state why it deviates from the guidelines. Terms about child support in a separation agreement don't bind the court.
Are new Arizona child support guidelines coming?
A revision is in draft. Public comment runs from October 21 to November 21, 2026. Until the Supreme Court adopts new guidelines, the 2022 Guidelines apply.