Estimate Your Missouri Child Support in Minutes
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Missouri Child Support Calculator
Estimate based on Missouri Form 14 (income shares) schedule points. For informational purposes only.
Disclaimer: This calculator is for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Missouri child support is determined using Form 14 and court findings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Child Support in Missouri
Discover what you need to know about Child Support Laws in Missouri.
Missouri calculates child support using Supreme Court Form 14, the statewide worksheet courts use to determine the presumed child support amount. Form 14 starts with each parent’s monthly gross income, applies allowable adjustments to reach adjusted monthly gross income, then uses the support chart (based on combined adjusted income and number of children) to determine a basic child support amount. It then adds “additional child-rearing costs” (commonly childcare and health-care related costs), allocates responsibility between parents by their income shares, and applies an overnight/visitation adjustment (credit) where appropriate.
For an estimate tailored to your situation, you can use the Deliberately.ai child support calculator above—but only a court order is legally binding.
Child support in Missouri is commonly influenced by:
Each parent’s gross income and adjustments used to compute adjusted monthly gross income
Number of children (drives the support chart amount)
Work-related childcare costs and health insurance/medical costs included as additional child-rearing costs
Overnight visitation/parenting time credit (Form 14 “overnight” adjustment)
Whether the court finds a reason to deviate from the presumed Form 14 amount (case-specific findings)
Cases involving self-employment, irregular income, or disputed parenting time often require more documentation and analysis.
There is no universal amount. The presumed amount depends on:
Both parents’ adjusted monthly gross incomes
The support chart amount for your combined income and number of children
Added costs like childcare and health insurance/medical allocations
The overnight/visitation credit (if applicable)
For a reliable estimate before filing or negotiating, use the Deliberately.ai calculator above—keeping in mind the court has final authority.
Missouri’s termination/emancipation rules are set out in RSMo § 452.340. In general, support can terminate upon events like the child’s death, marriage, entry into active military duty, or becoming self-supporting (with conditions), and it can also extend beyond age 18 in certain education or incapacity scenarios depending on the statute and your order.
Always check your specific order’s termination language and the statutory requirements.
Not necessarily “automatically” in practice.
Wage withholding/enforcement may continue unless properly updated through the court or enforcing agency.
Arrears remain owed even after the ongoing obligation ends.
(Practical termination steps depend on your order and enforcement setup.)
Yes. Under RSMo § 452.370, support may be modified only upon a showing of changed circumstances so substantial and continuing that the current terms are unreasonable. The statute also provides that if applying the current guidelines would change support by 20% or more, that is prima facie evidence of a substantial and continuing change (when the existing order was based on the presumed guideline amount).
Modifications generally apply going forward, not retroactively to amounts already owed.
Timeframes depend on:
Whether the case is uncontested
Court scheduling and local processing
Whether income, overnights, or expense allocations are disputed
Uncontested cases can resolve in weeks to a few months; contested cases can take longer.
Form 14 is structured around:
A basic child support amount from the support chart, plus
Additional child-rearing costs (commonly childcare and health-care related costs)
The court can address special circumstances through deviations where appropriate.
It can—if those costs are included and allocated in the Form 14 calculation and reflected in the court order. Paying expenses outside the order does not automatically reduce the presumed amount.
Form 14 begins with each parent’s monthly gross income, then applies specified adjustments to arrive at adjusted monthly gross income for guideline purposes.
If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, courts can consider earning capacity in modification proceedings.
Nonpayment can lead to enforcement actions, commonly including wage withholding and other collection tools. Arrears can accumulate until paid.
Arrears generally:
Remain owed until paid in full
Can be collected through enforcement tools
Do not disappear when the obligation terminates
Yes. Wage withholding is common, and other enforcement mechanisms may be available depending on the case and the enforcing agency.
Not automatically. Missouri’s presumed amount is calculated through Form 14, and parenting time typically affects support through the overnight/visitation adjustment (credit) rather than by custody labels alone.
Missouri’s continuation rules are governed by RSMo § 452.340 and can extend support beyond 18 in certain circumstances (commonly education-related requirements and incapacity scenarios). These cases can be fact-specific, so it’s important to follow the statute and your order.
Parents generally cannot privately override a court order. Any change must be approved through the proper legal process to be enforceable.
A lawyer isn’t required for straightforward cases, but it’s strongly recommended when:
Income is disputed or self-employment is involved
Arrears exist
Parenting time/overnights are contested
A deviation from the presumed Form 14 amount is requested
You will typically need:
Recent pay stubs
Tax returns / proof of income
Proof of childcare costs
Proof of health insurance premiums and child medical cost allocations
Existing court orders
Incomplete financial documentation is a common cause of delays.
Child support is handled through Missouri courts, and many families also interact with state/local child support enforcement depending on their case. If income, overnights, or expense allocations are likely to be contested, consulting a Missouri family lawyer before filing can help prevent delays and mistakes.
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How Long Does a Child Support Modification Take in Louisiana?
Michigan calculates child support using the Michigan Child Support Formula (MCSF), which Michigan courts are required to use when setting or changing child support.
Michigan’s approach is based on an income-shares model, meaning the formula estimates what parents would have contributed toward the child if they lived together, then allocates responsibility between parents.
The calculation is based on:
Both parents’ incomes (used to determine each parent’s support share)
Number of children
A statewide support schedule/formula inputs (per MCSF)
Parenting time / overnights (Michigan applies a parental time offset when overnights can be determined)
Medical support (health insurance and ordinary medical considerations)
Work-related childcare expenses
Other adjustments and court-approved deviations under the MCSF
For an estimate tailored to your situation, you can use the Deliberately.ai child support calculator above—but only a court order is legally binding.