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Current through October 23, 2012
(a) In any case that involves the establishment of child support, or in any case that seeks to modify an existing support order, if the judicial officer finds that there is an existing duty of child support, the judicial officer shall conduct a hearing on child support, make a finding, and enter a judgment in accordance with the child support guideline ("guideline") established in this section.
(b) In every action for divorce or custody, and in every proceeding for protection involving an intrafamily offense, instituted pursuant to Chapter 10 of Title 16, where a party has a legal duty to pay support to another party, the judicial officer shall inquire into the parties' child support arrangements. If the party entitled to child support has not requested support, or if the parties have agreed against the entry of a support order, the judicial officer shall advise the parties, regardless of whether they are represented by counsel, of the parties' entitlement to receive and obligation to pay child support under the guideline.
(c) The guideline shall be based on the following principles:
(1) The guideline shall set forth an equitable approach to child support in which both parents share legal responsibility for the support of the child.
(2) The subsistence needs of each parent shall be taken into account in the determination of child support.
(3) A parent has the responsibility to meet the child's basic needs, as well as to provide additional child support above the basic needs level.
(4) Application of the guideline shall be gender neutral.
(5) The guideline shall be applied consistently regardless of whether either parent is a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Program on Work, Employment, and Responsibility, or General Assistance for Children recipient, or a recipient of benefits under any substantially similar means-tested public assistance program.
(6) The guideline shall be applied presumptively.
(d)(1) For the purposes of this section, the term "gross income" means income from any source, including:
(A) Salary or wages, including overtime, tips, or income from self-employment;
(B) Commissions;
(C) Severance pay;
(D) Royalties;
(E) Bonuses;
(F) Interest or dividends;
(G) Income derived from a business or partnership after deduction of reasonable and necessary business expenses, but not depreciation;
(H) Social Security;
(I) Veteran's benefits;
(J) Insurance benefits;
(K) Worker's compensation;
(L) Unemployment compensation;
(M) Pension;
(N) Annuity;
(O) Income from a trust;
(P) Capital gains from a real or personal property transaction, if the capital gains represent a regular source of income;
(Q) A contract that results in regular income;
(R) A perquisite or in-kind compensation if the perquisite or in-kind compensation is significant and represents a regular source of income or reduces living expenses, such as use of a company car or reimbursed meals;
(S) Income from life insurance or an endowment contract;
(T) Regular income from an interest in an estate, directly or through a trust;
(U) Lottery or gambling winnings that are received in a lump sum or in an annuity;
(V) Prize or award;
(W) Net rental income after deduction of reasonable and necessary operating costs, but not depreciation; or
(X) Taxes paid on a party's income by an employer or, if the income is nontaxable, the amount of taxes that would be paid if the income were taxable.
(2) For a parent subject to self-employment tax, 1/2 of Social Security and Medicare taxes due and payable on current income shall be deducted from the parent's gross income before the child support obligation is computed.
(3) Alimony paid by either parent to the other parent subject to the support order shall be deducted from the gross income of the parent paying the alimony before the child support obligation is computed. Alimony received from any person, including alimony received from the other parent subject to the support order, shall be added to the gross income of the parent receiving the alimony before the child support obligation is computed. Deductions and additions for alimony shall be made regardless of whether the alimony is court ordered or paid pursuant to an agreement.
(4) A support order that is being paid by either parent shall be deducted from the parent's gross income before the child support obligation is computed.
(5) Each parent shall receive a deduction from gross income for each child living in the parent's home for whom the parent owes a legal duty to pay support, if the child is not subject to the support order. The amount of the deduction shall be calculated by determining the basic child support obligation for the additional child in the parent's home pursuant to subsection (f)(2) of this section, using only the income of the parent entitled to the deduction. This figure shall be multiplied by 75%, and the resulting amount subtracted from the parent's gross income before the child support obligation is computed.
(6) Gross income shall not include benefits received from means-tested public assistance programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Program on Work, Employment, and Responsibility, General Assistance for Children, Supplemental Security Income, or Food Stamps.
(7) Gross income shall not include income received by or on behalf of a child in the household of a parent or third-party custodian, including foster care and guardianship payments, if the income is for a child who is not subject to the support order.
(8) If a child subject to the support order is in the care of a third party, both parents may be required to pay child support. The income of the third party shall not be considered in the calculation of child support.
(9) If a child subject to the support order receives Social Security Disability Insurance ("SSDI") derivative benefits through either parent, the amount of the derivative benefit paid to the child shall be included in the gross income of the parent from whom the benefit derives.
(10) If the judicial officer finds that a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed as a result of the parent's bad faith or deliberate effort to suppress income, to avoid or minimize the parent's child support obligation, or to maximize the other parent's obligation, the judicial officer may impute income to this parent and calculate the child support obligation based on the imputed income. The judicial officer shall not impute income to a parent who is physically or mentally unable to work or who is receiving means-tested public assistance benefits. The judicial officer shall issue written factual findings stating the reasons for imputing income at the specified amount.
(11) The judicial officer shall determine the adjusted gross income of each parent based on evidence, including pay stubs, tax returns, employer statements, affidavits, and oral testimony provided under oath.
(e) The judicial officer shall determine each parent's adjusted gross income by making the additions to and deductions from gross income specified in subsection (d) of this section.
(f)(1) Except in cases of shared physical custody as described in subsection (q) of this section, the child support obligation shall be calculated according to the following procedure:
(A) Determine each parent's adjusted gross income according to subsection (e) of this section.
(B) Using the parents' combined adjusted gross income, locate the basic child support obligation from the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations referenced in subsection (w) of this section. If the parents' combined adjusted gross income falls between the amounts shown in the schedule, the basic child support obligation shall be rounded up to the next higher amount.
(C) Calculate each parent's percentage share of combined adjusted gross income by dividing each parent's adjusted gross income by the combined adjusted gross income.
(D) Multiply the basic child support obligation from paragraph (2) of this subsection by each parent's percentage share of combined adjusted gross income from paragraph (3) of this subsection to determine each parent's share of the basic child support obligation. When the parents do not have shared physical custody as defined in subsection (q) of this section, the parent with whom the child does not primarily reside shall be the parent with a legal duty to pay support. The parent with a legal duty to pay support shall pay that parent's share of the basic child support obligation to the parent with whom the child primarily resides. Adjustments for health insurance premiums, extraordinary medical expenses, child care expenses, and SSDI derivative benefits shall be made to this amount according to subsections (i) through (1) of this section. The parent with whom the child primarily resides shall be presumed to spend that parent's own share of child support directly on the child.
(2) Worksheet A in Appendix II may be used to calculate the child support obligation under this subsection.
(g)(1)(A) A parent with a legal duty to pay support may maintain a self-support reserve as provided in this subsection. The self-support reserve shall be calculated at 133% of the United States Department of Health and Human Services poverty guideline per year for a single individual. The self-support reserve shall be updated by the Mayor every 2 years with the updated amount to be published in the District of Columbia Register and made effective as of April 1.
(B) As of April 1, 2007, the self-support reserve shall be $12,382.
(C) As of April 1, 2009, the self-support reserve shall be $14,404. The Child Support Services Division of the Office of the Attorney General shall act promptly to ensure that all child support orders entered into on or after April 1, 2009 are modified, as appropriate and as permitted under applicable law, to incorporate the April 1, 2009 adjustment.
(2) A parent with a legal duty to pay support, but with adjusted gross income below the self-support reserve, shall be considered unable to contribute the amount determined under subsection (f) of this section. The judicial officer shall treat a parent at this level of income on an individual basis, and shall order the parent to pay only the amount that the judicial officer determines the parent is able to pay, while meeting personal subsistence needs.
(3) Where the judicial officer finds that a parent with adjusted gross income below the self-support reserve has the ability to pay child support under paragraph (2) of this subsection, there shall be a presumption that the parent can pay a minimum amount of $50 per month, while meeting personal subsistence needs. The presumption may be rebutted downward to $0 or upward above $50 per month by evidence of resources or circumstances affecting the parent's ability to pay, including age, employability, disability, homelessness, incarceration, inpatient substance abuse treatment, other inpatient treatment, or other appropriate circumstances. The judicial officer shall issue written factual findings stating the reasons for the entry of a minimum order below or above $50 per month.
(h) The guideline shall not apply presumptively in cases where the parents' combined adjusted gross income exceeds $240,000 per year. In these cases, the child support obligation shall not be less than the amount that the parent with a legal duty to pay support would have been ordered to pay if the guideline had been applied to combined adjusted gross income of $240,000. The judicial officer may exercise discretion to order more child support, after determining the reasonable needs of the child based on actual family experience. The judicial officer shall issue written factual findings stating the reasons for an award of additional child support.
(i)(1) All orders shall contain terms providing for the payment of medical expenses for the child in accordance with section 16-916.
(2) Amounts paid by either parent for health insurance premiums for a child subject to the support order shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their respective adjusted gross incomes and added to the parents' respective shares of the basic child support obligation.
(3) A parent shall present proof of the increase in a health insurance premium incurred as a result of the addition of the child to the health insurance policy. The proof provided shall identify clearly that the source of the increase of the health insurance premium is the child subject to the support order. The cost to add the child shall be reasonable.
(4) If a parent has family health insurance coverage in the parent's health insurance plan for a second family, the addition of the child who is subject to the support order need not result in an additional cost of health insurance coverage to the parent. The parent shall provide proof that the child has been added to the health insurance coverage. An adjustment shall not be made if there is no additional cost of health insurance coverage to the parent.
(5) Health insurance coverage shall be considered reasonable in cost if the cost to the obligated parent of providing coverage for the children subject to the support order pursuant to § 16-916.01(i)(3) does not exceed 5 % of the parent' s gross income.
(j)(1) Extraordinary medical expenses are uninsured or unreimbursed medical expenses in excess of $250 per year, per child subject to the support order. These expenses include co-payments, deductibles, and contributions associated with public and private health insurance coverage, and costs that are reasonably necessary for orthodontia, dental treatment, asthma treatments, physical therapy, vision care, or the diagnosis or treatment of a health condition.
(2) Extraordinary medical expenses shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their respective adjusted gross incomes.
(3) If extraordinary medical expenses are recurring and the judicial officer can reasonably determine future expenses when the support order is established or modified, the judicial officer shall add each parent's proportionate share of the expenses to the parent's share of the basic child support obligation. The parents shall pay other extraordinary medical expenses in proportion to their adjusted gross incomes when these expenses are incurred. If either parent advances payment for these expenses to a provider of services, the other parent shall reimburse that parent for the other parent's proportionate share of the expense within 30 days of receiving written proof of the expense and payment.
(k) Reasonable child care expenses incurred for a child subject to the support order due to the employment or education of either parent shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted gross incomes and added to their respective shares of the basic child support obligation. Child care expenses shall be determined by actual family experience, unless the judicial officer determines that the actual family experience is not in the best interest of the child. If there is no actual family experience, or if the actual family experience is not in the best interest of the child, the judicial officer shall determine a reasonable child care expense based on the cost of child care from a licensed source. If the primary residential parent chooses child care with an actual cost that is less than the level required to provide child care from a licensed source, the judicial officer shall use the actual child care expense to calculate the child support obligation.
(l) If a child subject to the support order receives SSDI derivative benefits from the parent with a legal duty to pay support, the following adjustment to the child support obligation shall be made:
(1) After the child support obligation is calculated pursuant to subsections (f) through (k) of this section, the amount of the SSDI derivative benefit paid to the child shall be subtracted from the child support obligation. If the SSDI derivative benefit is less than the child support obligation, the order shall be set at the difference between the child support obligation and the SSDI derivative benefit. If the SSDI derivative benefit is greater than the child support obligation, the order shall be set at zero.
(2) If the judicial officer finds that SSDI derivative benefits were paid to a child subject to the support order prior to the filing of the petition to establish or motion to modify child support, these benefits shall be credited toward any retroactive child support or accumulated arrears owed pursuant to the support order.
(m) As the last calculation in the determination of child support, the judicial officer shall calculate a low-income adjustment to ensure that the parent with a legal duty to pay support is able to satisfy personal subsistence needs after the payment of child support. The judicial officer shall apply this low-income adjustment after additions to and deductions from the parent's share of the basic child support obligation have been made pursuant to subsections (i) through (1) of this section. The low-income adjustment shall be calculated as follows:
(1) Calculate a child support obligation for the parent with a legal duty to pay support according to subsections (f) and (i) through (1) of this section.
(2) Determine the parent's maximum ability to pay child support by subtracting the self-support reserve from the parent's adjusted gross income. If the remainder is negative or less than $600 per year, apply subsection (g) of this section to determine the parent's child support obligation.
(3) If the parent's maximum ability to pay child support calculated under paragraph (2) of this subsection is greater than or equal to $600 per year, compare the parent's maximum ability to pay child support to the child support obligation calculated in paragraph (1) of this subsection. The parent's child support obligation shall be the lesser of these 2 amounts.
(n) The child support obligation, including additions for health insurance premiums, extraordinary medical expenses, and child care expenses, shall not exceed 35% of the adjusted gross income of the parent with a legal duty to pay support.
(o)(1) If the parties present a consent order, an agreement that is to become an order, or a written agreement that is to be merged in an order, the judicial officer shall examine the child support provisions of the agreement, and compare the child support provisions to the guideline. If the amount of child support agreed upon is different from the amount of child support that would be ordered presumptively upon application of the guideline, the judicial officer shall determine if the agreed-upon level of child support is fair and just. If the parties are represented by counsel, the judicial officer shall inquire whether the attorneys informed the clients of the guideline. If the clients have not been informed of the guideline, the judicial officer shall advise the attorneys to do so. If a party is not represented by an attorney, the judicial officer shall ensure that the party is aware of the child support amount that the court would order presumptively pursuant to the guideline.
(2) The propriety of a departure from the guideline based on the consent of the parties shall be justified in writing with a statement of the factors that form the basis for the judicial officer's finding that the departure is fair and just. A transcript filed in the jacket shall suffice as a writing.
(p) Application of the guideline shall be presumptive. The guideline shall be applied unless its application would be unjust or inappropriate in the circumstances of the particular case. The propriety of any departure from the guideline under this subsection shall be justified in writing with a statement of the factors that form the basis for the judicial officer's finding that the guideline amount is unjust or inappropriate. A transcript filed in the jacket shall suffice as a writing. The factors that may be considered to overcome the presumption are:
(1) The needs of the child are exceptional and require more than average expenditures;
(2) The gross income of the parent with a legal duty to pay support is substantially less than that of the parent to whom support is owed;
(3) A property settlement provides resources readily available for the support of the child in an amount at least equivalent to the guideline amount;
(4) Either parent supports a dependent other than a child subject to the support order, including a biological or adoptive child, a step-child, or an elderly relative, and application of the guideline would result in extraordinary hardship;
(5) The parent with a legal duty to pay support needs a temporary period of reduced child support payments to permit the repayment of a debt or rearrangement of the parent's financial obligations; a temporary reduction may be included in a support order if:
(A) The debt or obligation is for a necessary expenditure of reasonable cost in light of the parent's family responsibilities;
(B) The time of the reduction does not exceed 12 months; and
(C) The support order includes the amount that is to be paid at the end of the reduction period and the date that the higher payments are to commence;
(6) The parent to whom support is owed receives child support for a child living in this parent's home, other than the child subject to the support order, and the resulting gross income of the household to which support is owed causes the standard of living of that household to be greater than that of the household of the parent with a legal duty to pay support. For the purposes of this paragraph, the standard of living of a household shall be measured by dividing the gross income available to the household from all sources by the federal poverty guideline, as reported by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, for the number of adults contributing to the household, plus the number of children;
(7) A child subject to the support order has regular and substantial income that can be used for the care of the child without impairment of the child's current or future education;
(8) The parent with a legal duty to pay support has special needs that increase the costs of the parent's subsistence;
(9) The parent with a legal duty to pay support pays for certain expensive necessities for the child, such as tuition;
(10) The parent with a legal duty to pay support is 18 years old or younger and a full-time student;
(11) The child is a respondent in a neglect proceeding and has been placed outside the home with a goal of reunification with the parent; or
(12) Any other exceptional circumstance that would yield a patently unfair result.
(q)(1) Where a child spends 35% or more of the time during the year with each parent, there shall be a presumption that the parents have shared physical custody of the child. The child support obligation shall be calculated according to the following procedure:
(A) Determine the adjusted basic child support obligation by calculating the basic child support obligation pursuant to subsection (f)(2) of this section and multiplying it by 1.5.
(B) Determine each parent's proportionate share of the adjusted basic child support obligation based on each parent's share of combined adjusted gross income.
(C) Determine the amount of child support to be retained by each parent by multiplying each parent's share of the adjusted basic child support obligation by the percentage of time the child spends with the relevant parent.
(D) Subtract the amount of child support to be retained by each parent from the relevant parent's share of the adjusted basic child support obligation to determine the amount of each parent's child support obligation.
(E) The parent owing the greater amount under subparagraph (D) of this paragraph shall be the parent with a legal duty to pay support, and shall pay the difference between the 2 amounts to the other parent.
(F) Additions to and deductions from the parents' respective shares of the adjusted basic child support obligation determined under subparagraph (D) of this paragraph, shall be made as specified in subsections (i) through (1) of this section.
(G) A child support obligation calculated based on shared physical custody shall not exceed the amount that the parent with a legal duty to pay support would pay if this parent's child support obligation were calculated based on the other parent's sole custody pursuant to subsection (f) of this section.
(2) Where the presumption of shared physical custody does not apply because the child does not spend 35% or more of the time during the year with each parent, the judicial officer shall presumptively calculate the child support obligation based on sole physical custody pursuant to subsection (f) of this section.
(3) If the presumption of shared physical custody applies pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, either parent may rebut this presumption by proving that the method of calculating the child support obligation based on shared physical custody would be unjust or inappropriate because of the parents' particular arrangements for the custody of the child. If a parent rebuts this presumption, the judicial officer shall calculate the child support obligation based on sole physical custody pursuant to subsection (f) of this section.
(4) If the presumption of shared physical custody does not apply pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, either parent may rebut the presumption that the support obligation should be calculated based on sole physical custody pursuant to subsection (f) of this section by proving that use of that method would be unjust or inappropriate based on the parents' particular arrangements for the custody of the child and that a calculation based on shared physical custody would yield a fair and just result. If a parent rebuts the presumption that the child support obligation should be calculated based on sole physical custody under this paragraph, the judicial officer shall calculate the child support obligation based on shared physical custody pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(5) Where a parent has challenged the applicability of either method for calculating the child support obligation under this subsection, the judicial officer shall issue written factual findings stating the reason for using either the shared custody or sole custody method of calculation.
(6) Worksheet (B) in Appendix III may be used to calculate the child support obligation under this subsection.
(r) A support order issued under this section or section 46-204, shall be subject to modification by application of the guideline subject to the following conditions or limitations:
(1) The parents in a child support proceeding shall exchange relevant information on finances or dependents every 3 years and shall be encouraged to update a support order voluntarily using the updated information and the guideline. Relevant information is any information that is used to compute child support pursuant to the guideline.
(2) Every 3 years, in cases being enforced under title IV, part D of the Social Security Act, approved January 4, 1975 (88 Stat. 2351; 42 U.S. C. § 651 et seq.), the IV-D agency shall notify both parents of the right to a review, and, if appropriate, a modification of the support order under the guideline. The IV-D agency shall conduct the review in all cases where there is an assignment of support rights pursuant to § 4-205.19, and at the request of either parent in all other cases. If the IV-D agency conducts a review, the IV-D agency shall inform both parents if a modification is warranted under the guideline, and shall petition for a modification of the support order when there is an assignment of support rights or if requested by a parent.
(3) If a support order does not provide for the payment of medical expenses for each child subject to the support order, at the request of a party or the IV-D agency, the court shall modify the support order to provide for the payment of such expenses in accordance with section 16-916.
(4)(A) There shall be a presumption that there has been a substantial and material change of circumstances that warrants a modification of a support order if application of the guideline to the current circumstances of the parents results in an amount of child support that varies from the amount of the existing support order by 15% or more. The presumption is rebutted by:
(i) Proof of special circumstances, such as a circumstance that would justify a departure from the guideline; or
(ii) Proof of substantial reliance on the original support order issued prior to the adoption of or revision to the guideline, and that application of the guideline would yield a patently unjust result.
(B) If a change to the guideline results in a support order that differs from the current support order by 15% or more, the presumption stated in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall apply, and the current order may be modified without any additional showing of a change in circumstances.
(C) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to limit the ability of a parent to seek a modification of a support order upon a showing of a material and substantial change in the needs of the child or the ability of the parent with a legal duty to pay support to pay, regardless of whether this change results in a support order that differs by 15% or more from the current order.
(5) In cases being enforced under title IV, part D of the Social Security Act, approved January 4, 1975 (88 Stat. 2371; 42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.), upon receipt of notice and documentation establishing that a parent is incarcerated in a specific facility (except where the parent is incarcerated for contempt for failure to pay child support pursuant to section 46-225.02), the IV-D agency shall review the circumstances of both parents and determine if a modification of the support order is appropriate under the guideline. If the IV-D agency determines that a parent's incarceration has resulted in a change in financial circumstances warranting a modification of the support order, the IV-D agency may request the court to suspend or modify the support order pursuant to this subsection. Upon receipt of such a request, the court shall modify the support order in accordance with the guideline. The court may modify the support order from the date on which the IV-D agency received notice under this paragraph of the parent's incarceration.
(6) The basic child support obligation, as adjusted by additions and deletions made pursuant to subsections (i) through (1) of this section, shall be used to compute the amount of child support the guideline would yield for modification and to apply the test for the presumption.
(7) If a support order is issued after September 27, 1987, and the amount of the support order differs from the guideline, by order of the court or by a merged agreement of the parties, the presumption shall not apply within one year of the issuance of the support order.
(8) If a motion to modify a support order pursuant to this section is accompanied by an affidavit that sets forth sufficient facts and guideline calculations, and is accompanied by proof of service upon the respondent, the judicial officer may enter an order modifying the support order in accordance with the guideline unless a party requests a hearing within 30 days of service of the motion for modification. No support order shall be modified without a hearing if a hearing is timely requested.
(9) Notwithstanding paragraphs (3) through (6) of this subsection, a party may submit a praecipe with a certification of waiver and supporting documentation, as prescribed by the court, to modify the child support amount by agreement of the parties at any time. This agreement shall be reviewed by a judicial officer for issuance of a revised support order in the same manner as an original agreement of the parties is reviewed.
(10) The judicial officer shall justify any departure from the guideline in writing with a statement of the factors that form the basis for the finding that the guideline amount is unjust or inappropriate. A transcript filed in the jacket shall suffice as a writing.
(11) Notwithstanding paragraph (4)(B) of this subsection, if a new child is born to the parents, the guideline shall be applied to the entire family and one order shall be issued for all the children in the family. If possible, the 2 cases shall be consolidated if child support for the last child is petitioned as a separate case.
(12) Nothing in this subsection shall preclude a party from moving to modify a support order at any other time.
(s) A support order shall not be deemed invalid on the sole basis that the support order was issued pursuant to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Child Support Guideline and prior to the effective date of the Child Support Guideline Amendment Emergency Act of 1989, effective December 21, 1989 (D.C. Act 8-127; 37 DCR 3).
(t) Upon the occurrence of a substantial and material change in circumstances sufficient to warrant the modification of a child support obligation pursuant to the guideline, the judicial officer may modify any provision of an agreement or settlement relating to child support, without regard to whether the agreement or settlement is entered as a consent order or is incorporated or merged in a court order.
(u) If an order or agreement providing for child support does not set forth a date on which the child support commences, the child support shall be deemed to commence on the date the order was entered or the date the agreement was executed.
(v)(1) When a case is brought to establish child support, the judicial officer may award retroactive child support for a period not to exceed the 24 months preceding the filing of the petition or request for child support, unless the parent to whom support is owed proves that the parent with a legal duty to pay support has acted in bad faith or there are other extraordinary circumstances warranting an award of retroactive child support beyond the 24-month period. Upon this showing, the judicial officer may award retroactive child support for a period that exceeds the 24 months prior to the filing of the petition or request for child support. The judicial officer shall issue written factual findings stating the reason for awarding retroactive child support beyond the 24 month period.
(2) Retroactive child support shall be determined by calculating the guideline using the parents' incomes during the retroactive period and by considering the current ability to pay of the parent with a legal duty to pay support according to subsections (g) and (m) of this section.
(3) If the parent with a legal duty to pay support made voluntary payments or contributions to the child's expenses during the retroactive period, and proves these payments or contributions, the judicial officer shall credit the payments or contributions against an award of retroactive child support.
(w) The Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations contained in Appendix I shall be used to determine child support under the guideline.
(x) The worksheets contained in Appendices II and III may be used to calculate child support obligations under the guideline. Refer to Worksheet B in Appendix III to calculate child support in cases involving shared physical custody pursuant to subsection (q) of this section. Refer to Worksheet A in Appendix II to calculate child support in all other cases.
(y) The Mayor shall recommend to the Council every 4 years whether the dollar values in subsections (g)(3), (h), (j)(1), (m)(2), and (m)(3) of this section should adjusted for inflation.
(July 25, 1990, D.C. Law 8-150, § 2(b), 37 DCR 3720; Sept. 26, 1990, D.C. Law 8-165, § 3, 37 DCR 4827; Mar. 16, 1995, D.C. Law 10-217, § 3, 41 DCR 8040; Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-255, § 18(e), 44 DCR 1271; Mar. 24, 1998, D.C. Law 12-81, § 10(g), 45 DCR 745; Apr. 20, 1999, D.C. Law 12-241, § 12, 46 DCR 905; Apr. 3, 2001, D.C. Law 13-269, § 106(h), 48 DCR 1270; Jan. 8, 2002, Pub. L. 107-114, § 2(d)(1), 115 Stat. 2106; Oct. 19, 2002, D.C. Law 14-207, § 2(k), 49 DCR 7827; Mar. 30, 2004, D.C. Law 15-130, § 202(c), 51 DCR 1615; May 24, 2005, D.C. Law 15-357, § 104, 52 DCR 1999; May 12, 2006, D.C. Law 16-100, § 2(h), 53 DCR 1886; June 22, 2006, D.C. Law 16-138, § 2(a), 53 DCR 3650; Mar. 20, 2008, D.C. Law 17-128, § 2(d), 55 DCR 1525; Dec. 10, 2009, D.C. Law 18-88, § 403, 56 DCR 7413.)
APPENDIX I ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COMBINED ADJUSTED ONE CHILD TWO CHILDREN THREE CHILDREN FOUR or MORE GROSS INCOME CHILDREN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12,382 3261 4634 5410 6063 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12,600 3310 4702 5488 6151 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13,200 3444 4890 5705 6393 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13,800 3577 5076 5919 6632 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14,400 3695 5244 6113 6847 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15,000 3810 5411 6306 7063 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15,600 3926 5578 6500 7279 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16,200 4042 5740 6693 7494 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16,800 4157 5902 6886 7710 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17,400 4270 6064 7074 7926 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18,000 4371 6226 7261 8141 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18,600 4471 6389 7448 8352 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19,200 4571 6550 7629 8547 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19,800 4669 6692 7791 8728 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20,400 4760 6835 7952 8908 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21,600 4941 7081 8276 9269 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22,200 5032 7205 8438 9449 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22,800 5123 7328 8599 9629 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23,400 5214 7451 8761 9809 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24,000 5305 7575 8905 9990 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24,600 5395 7698 9045 10170 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25,200 5486 7821 9185 10350 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25,800 5577 7945 9326 10530 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26,400 5668 8068 9463 10697 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27,000 5759 8190 9593 10850 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27,600 5849 8306 9724 10995 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28,200 5936 8423 9854 11140 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28,800 6023 8539 9984 11285 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29,400 6110 8655 10114 11430 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30,000 6205 8782 10256 11588 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30,600 6305 8915 10405 11754 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31,200 6405 9048 10554 11921 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31,800 6503 9181 10703 12087 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33,000 6689 9448 11001 12419 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33,600 6782 9581 11151 12605 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34,200 6875 9716 11318 12791 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34,800 6966 9861 11485 12977 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35,400 7061 9998 11652 13163 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36,000 7158 10132 11819 13349 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36,600 7255 10266 11986 13535 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37,200 7352 10399 12151 13721 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37,800 7449 10533 12313 13908 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38,400 7546 10666 12465 14092 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39,000 7643 10800 12617 14274 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39,600 7740 10933 12769 14456 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40,200 7837 11067 12921 14623 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40,800 7934 11201 13070 14769 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41,400 8031 11334 13192 14906 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42,000 8128 11453 13314 15041 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42,600 8222 11564 13435 15177 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43,200 8304 11674 13557 15313 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44,400 8469 11895 13800 15584 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45,000 8551 12006 13922 15720 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45,600 8633 12116 14043 15855 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46,200 8715 12227 14165 15991 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46,800 8797 12337 14287 16126 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47,400 8879 12448 14408 16262 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48,000 8961 12558 14530 16376 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48,600 9043 12668 14642 16487 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49,200 9125 12779 14742 16598 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49,800 9207 12879 14841 16709 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50,400 9290 12979 14941 16820 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51,000 9372 13079 15041 16932 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 51,600 9455 13180 15140 17043 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52,200 9538 13280 15240 17154 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 52,800 9621 13380 15340 17265 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53,400 9703 13480 15439 17376 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54,000 9786 13580 15539 17487 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54,600 9869 13680 15639 17598 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55,800 10034 13881 15838 17849 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 56,400 10117 13981 15954 17983 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57,000 10200 14085 16074 18117 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57,600 10283 14195 16194 18250 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58,200 10369 14306 16314 18384 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 58,800 10455 14417 16434 18518 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59,400 10542 14528 16554 18651 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60,000 10628 14638 16674 18785 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60,600 10715 14749 16793 18919 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61,200 10801 14860 16913 19052 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61,800 10888 14971 17033 19186 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 62,400 10974 15081 17153 19320 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 63,000 11061 15192 17273 19451 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 63,600 11147 15303 17392 19582 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 64,200 11234 15414 17509 19712 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 64,800 11320 15522 17626 19843 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 65,400 11406 15628 17743 19973 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 66,000 11490 15735 17860 20103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 66,600 11575 15842 17977 20234 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 67,200 11659 15949 18094 20364 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 67,800 11743 16056 18211 20495 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 68,400 11827 16163 18328 20625 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 69,000 11911 16270 18445 20755 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 69,600 11995 16377 18562 20886 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 70,200 12080 16483 18679 21016 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 70,800 12164 16590 18796 21147 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 71,400 12248 16697 18913 21277 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 72,000 12332 16804 19030 21408 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 72,600 12416 16911 19147 21538 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 73,200 12500 17018 19264 21668 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 73,800 12585 17125 19381 21799 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 74,400 12662 17232 19498 21936 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75,000 12733 17338 19617 22076 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 75,600 12805 17445 19743 22216 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 76,200 12877 17560 19868 22356 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 76,800 12949 17676 19994 22496 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 77,400 13024 17785 20119 22636 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 78,000 13101 17885 20245 22776 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 78,600 13178 17984 20370 22916 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 79,200 13254 18083 20496 23056 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 79,800 13331 18182 20622 23196 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 80,400 13408 18282 20743 23336 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 81,000 13485 18381 20850 23476 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 81,600 13562 18480 20957 23616 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 82,200 13639 18579 21064 23756 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 82,800 13715 18678 21171 23896 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 83,400 13792 18778 21278 24035 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 84,000 13869 18877 21385 24154 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 84,600 13946 18976 21492 24273 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 85,200 14023 19075 21599 24393 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 85,800 14100 19174 21707 24512 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 86,400 14177 19274 21814 24632 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 87,000 14253 19373 21921 24751 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 87,600 14338 19483 22039 24883 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 88,200 14424 19593 22158 25015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 88,800 14509 19702 22276 25148 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 89,400 14594 19812 22395 25280 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 90,000 14679 19922 22514 25410 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 90,600 14764 20032 22632 25537 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 91,200 14849 20142 22751 25665 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 91,800 14934 20251 22865 25792 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 92,400 15019 20361 22979 25919 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 93,000 15104 20467 23093 26046 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 93,600 15189 20571 23207 26173 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 94,200 15272 20674 23320 26300 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 94,800 15349 20778 23434 26427 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 95,400 15427 20881 23548 26554 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 96,000 15504 20985 23662 26681 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 96,600 15582 21089 23776 26808 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 97,200 15659 21192 23890 26935 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 97,800 15736 21296 24004 27062 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 98,400 15814 21399 24118 27189 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 99,000 15891 21503 24232 27316 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 99,600 15969 21606 24346 27443 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100,200 16046 21710 24460 27570 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100,800 16123 21814 24574 27697 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 101,400 16201 21917 24688 27824 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 102,000 16278 22021 24802 27951 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 102,600 16356 22124 24916 28078 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 103,200 16433 22228 25030 28205 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 103,800 16510 22331 25143 28332 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 104,400 16588 22435 25257 28459 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 105,000 16665 22539 25371 28586 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 105,600 16743 22642 25485 28713 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 106,200 16820 22746 25599 28840 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 106,800 16897 22849 25713 28966 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 107,400 16975 22953 25827 29093 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 108,000 17052 23056 25940 29219 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 108,600 17130 23160 26053 29345 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 109,200 17207 23266 26167 29471 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 109,800 17284 23372 26280 29598 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 110,400 17364 23478 26393 29724 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 111,000 17447 23584 26506 29850 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 111,600 17529 23690 26620 29976 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 112,200 17611 23796 26733 30103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 112,800 17694 23902 26846 30229 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 113,400 17776 24008 26959 30355 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 114,000 17858 24114 27073 30481 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 114,600 17940 24220 27186 30608 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 115,200 18023 24326 27299 30734 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 115,800 18105 24432 27412 30860 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 116,400 18187 24538 27525 30986 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 117,000 18270 24644 27639 31113 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 117,600 18352 24750 27752 31239 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 118,200 18434 24856 27865 31365 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 118,800 18517 24962 27978 31491 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 119,400 18599 25068 28092 31618 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 120,000 18681 25174 28205 31744 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 120,600 18763 25280 28318 31870 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 121,200 18846 25386 28431 31997 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 121,800 18928 25492 28545 32123 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 122,400 19010 25598 28658 32249 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123,000 19093 25704 28771 32375 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 123,600 19175 25810 28884 32502 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 124,200 19257 25916 28998 32628 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 124,800 19339 26022 29111 32754 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 125,400 19422 26128 29224 32880 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 126,000 19504 26234 29337 33007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 126,600 19586 26340 29450 33133 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 127,200 19669 26447 29564 33259 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 127,800 19748 26553 29677 33385 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 128,400 19827 26659 29790 33512 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 129,000 19905 26765 29903 33638 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 129,600 19983 26871 30017 33764 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 130,200 20062 26977 30130 33892 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 130,800 20140 27080 30243 34022 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 131,400 20219 27181 30357 34152 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 132,000 20297 27282 30473 34281 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 132,600 20376 27383 30590 34411 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 133,200 20454 27484 30706 34541 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 133,800 20533 27585 30820 34671 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 134,400 20611 27686 30931 34801 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 135,000 20688 27787 31042 34931 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 135,600 20765 27888 31153 35060 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 136,200 20842 27989 31264 35190 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 136,800 20918 28090 31375 35319 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 137,400 20995 28191 31486 35442 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 138,000 21072 28292 31597 35566 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 138,600 21149 28392 31708 35690 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 139,200 21225 28493 31819 35814 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 139,800 21302 28594 31930 35937 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 140,400 21379 28695 32041 36061 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 141,000 21456 28796 32152 36185 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 141,600 21532 28897 32263 36309 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 142,200 21609 28998 32374 36432 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 142,800 21686 29099 32485 36556 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 143,400 21763 29200 32596 36680 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 144,000 21839 29301 32707 36804 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 144,600 21916 29402 32818 36928 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 145,200 21993 29503 32929 37051 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 145,800 22070 29604 33040 37175 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 146,400 22147 29705 33151 37299 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 147,000 22223 29805 33262 37423 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 147,600 22300 29906 33373 37546 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 148,200 22377 30007 33484 37670 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 148,800 22454 30108 33595 37794 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 149,400 22530 30209 33706 37918 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 150,000 22607 30310 33817 38041 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 150,600 22684 30411 33928 38165 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 151,200 22761 30512 34039 38289 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 151,800 22837 30613 34150 38413 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 152,400 22914 30714 34261 38536 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 153,000 22991 30815 34372 38660 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 153,600 23068 30916 34483 38784 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 154,200 23144 31017 34594 38908 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 154,800 23221 31118 34705 39031 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 155,400 23298 31219 34816 39155 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 156,000 23375 31319 34927 39279 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 156,600 23452 31420 35038 39403 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 157,200 23528 31521 35149 39527 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 157,800 23605 31622 35260 39650 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 158,400 23682 31723 35371 39774 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 159,000 23759 31824 35482 39898 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 159,600 23835 31925 35593 40022 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 160,200 23912 32026 35704 40145 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 160,800 23989 32127 35815 40269 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 161,400 24066 32228 35926 40393 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 162,000 24142 32329 36037 40517 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 162,600 24219 32430 36148 40640 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 163,200 24296 32531 36259 40764 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 163,800 24373 32632 36370 40888 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 164,400 24449 32732 36481 41012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 165,000 24526 32833 36592 41135 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 165,600 24603 32934 36703 41259 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 166,200 24680 33035 36814 41383 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 166,800 24757 33136 36925 41507 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 167,400 24833 33237 37036 41630 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 168,000 24910 33338 37147 41735 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 168,600 24987 33439 37258 41836 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 169,200 25064 33540 37366 41937 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 169,800 25140 33641 37457 42039 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 170,400 25217 33742 37548 42140 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 171,000 25294 33837 37639 42242 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 171,600 25371 33924 37730 42343 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 172,200 25447 34012 37821 42445 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 172,800 25520 34100 37912 42546 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 173,400 25591 34187 38003 42648 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 174,000 25662 34275 38094 42749 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 174,600 25733 34363 38184 42850 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 175,200 25804 34451 38275 42952 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 175,800 25876 34538 38366 43053 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 176,400 25947 34626 38457 43155 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 177,000 26018 34714 38548 43256 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 177,600 26089 34802 38639 43358 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 178,200 26160 34889 38730 43459 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 178,800 26231 34977 38821 43561 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 179,400 26302 35065 38912 43662 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 180,000 26374 35152 39003 43764 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 180,600 26445 35240 39094 43865 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 181,200 26516 35328 39185 43966 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 181,800 26587 35416 39276 44068 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 182,400 26658 35503 39367 44169 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 183,000 26729 35591 39458 44271 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 183,600 26801 35679 39549 44372 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 184,200 26872 35767 39640 44474 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 184,800 26943 35854 39731 44575 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 185,400 27014 35942 39822 44677 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 186,000 27085 36030 39913 44778 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 186,600 27156 36117 40004 44879 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 187,200 27227 36205 40095 44981 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 187,800 27299 36293 40186 45082 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 188,400 27370 36381 40277 45184 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 189,000 27441 36468 40368 45285 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 189,600 27512 36556 40459 45387 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 190,200 27583 36644 40550 45488 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 190,800 27654 36732 40641 45590 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 191,400 27725 36819 40732 45691 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 192,000 27797 36907 40823 45793 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 192,600 27868 36995 40914 45894 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 193,200 27939 37082 41005 45995 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 193,800 28010 37170 41096 46097 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 194,400 28081 37258 41187 46198 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 195,000 28151 37346 41278 46300 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 195,600 28216 37433 41369 46401 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 196,200 28282 37521 41460 46503 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 196,800 28347 37609 41551 46604 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 197,400 28412 37697 41642 46706 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 198,000 28478 37784 41733 46807 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 198,600 28543 37864 41824 46908 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 199,200 28608 37945 41915 47010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 199,800 28674 38025 42006 47111 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 200,400 28739 38106 42097 47213 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 201,000 28804 38187 42188 47314 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 201,600 28870 38267 42272 47416 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 202,200 28935 38348 42356 47517 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 202,800 29000 38428 42439 47619 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 203,400 29066 38509 42523 47720 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 204,000 29131 38589 42606 47821 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 204,600 29196 38670 42690 47917 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 205,200 29262 38750 42773 48010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 205,800 29327 38831 42857 48103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 206,400 29392 38912 42941 48196 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 207,000 29458 38992 43024 48289 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 207,600 29523 39073 43108 48383 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 208,200 29588 39153 43191 48476 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 208,800 29654 39234 43275 48569 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 209,400 29719 39314 43358 48662 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 210,000 29784 39395 43442 48755 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 210,600 29850 39476 43525 48848 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 211,200 29915 39556 43609 48942 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 211,800 29980 39637 43693 49035 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 212,400 30046 39717 43776 49128 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 213,000 30111 39798 43860 49221 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 213,600 30176 39878 43943 49314 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 214,200 30242 39959 44027 49407 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 214,800 30307 40039 44110 49501 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 215,400 30372 40120 44194 49594 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 216,000 30438 40201 44277 49687 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 216,600 30503 40281 44361 49780 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 217,200 30568 40362 44445 49873 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 217,800 30634 40442 44528 49966 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 218,400 30699 40523 44612 50060 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 219,000 30764 40603 44695 50153 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 219,600 30830 40684 44779 50246 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 220,200 30895 40765 44862 50339 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 220,800 30960 40845 44946 50432 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 221,400 31026 40926 45029 50525 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 222,000 31091 41006 45113 50619 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 222,600 31156 41087 45197 50712 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 223,200 31222 41167 45280 50805 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 223,800 31287 41248 45364 50898 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 224,400 31352 41329 45447 50991 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 225,000 31418 41409 45531 51084 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 225,600 31483 41490 45614 51178 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 226,200 31548 41570 45698 51271 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 226,800 31614 41651 45782 51364 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 227,400 31679 41731 45865 51457 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 228,000 31744 41812 45949 51550 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 228,600 31810 41892 46032 51643 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 229,200 31875 41973 46116 51737 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 229,800 31941 42054 46199 51830 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 230,400 32006 42134 46283 51923 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 231,000 32071 42215 46366 52016 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 231,600 32137 42295 46450 52109 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 232,200 32202 42376 46534 52202 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 232,800 32267 42456 46617 52296 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 233,400 32333 42537 46701 52389 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 234,000 32398 42618 46784 52482 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 234,600 32463 42698 46868 52575 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 235,200 32529 42779 46951 52668 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 235,800 32594 42859 47035 52761 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 236,400 32659 42940 47118 52855 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 237,000 32725 43020 47202 52948 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 237,600 32790 43101 47286 53041 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 238,200 32855 43181 47369 53137 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 238,800 32921 43262 47453 53235 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 239,400 32986 43343 47536 53332 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 240,000 33051 43423 47621 53429 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <- Image delivery not included with current Options setting. -> <- Image delivery not included with current Options setting. -> <- Image delivery not included with current Options setting. -> <- Image delivery not included with current Options setting. -> <- Image delivery not included with current Options setting. -> <- Image delivery not included with current Options setting. ->
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
Prior Codifications
1981 Ed., § 16-916.1.
Effect of Amendments
D.C. Law 13-269, in subsec. (i), substituted "if payment of such expenses has not been addressed in the support order or in an agreement between the parties" for "absent an agreement between the parties" at the end of the first sentence and rewrote (o)(2), which formerly read:
"(2) Every 3 years, in cases being enforced under part D of title IV of the Social Security Act, approved January 4, 1975 (88 Stat. 2351; 42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.) ("IV-D program"), the Department of Human Services Office of Paternity and Child Support Enforcement and the Child Support Section of the Civil Division of the Office of the Corporation Counsel shall notify both the noncustodial and the custodial parent of the right to seek a modification of their child support order under the guidelines. The Department of Human Services Office of Paternity and Child Support Enforcement and the Child Support Section of the Civil Division of the Office of the Corporation Counsel shall establish a procedure for informing the noncustodial and custodial parent if a modification is warranted under the guideline."
Pub. L. 107-114, in subsec. (o)(6), substituted "Family Court of the Superior Court" for "Family Division".
D.C. Law 14-207, in subsec. (c), rewrote par. (17), made nonsubstantive changes to pars. (23) and (24), and added par. (25); added subsec. (c-1); in subsec. (j), added par. (3); in subsec. (n), inserted "In such shared custody situations, the judicial officer shall have the authority to order either parent to pay a portion of the following expenses for the child: extracurricular activities and lessons, visitation, transportation, private school tuition, school fees, day care, camp, unreimbursed or uninsured health care expenses, and other such expenses. The payments may be in addition to any award of child support."; and added subsecs. (s) and (t). Par. (17) of subsec. (c) had read as follows:
"(17) Spousal support received from a person who is not a party to the child support order;"
D.C. Law 15-130 added subsec. (h-1) and par. (2A) of subsec. (o).
D.C. Law 15-357 added par. (3A).
D.C. Law 16-100, in par. (o)(3A), substituted "specific facility (except where the parent is incarcerated for contempt for failure to pay child support pursuant to section 46-225.02)," for "specific facility,".
D.C. Law 16-138 rewrote the section which had read as follows:
"(a) In any case brought under paragraph (1), (3), (10), or (11) of section 11- 1101 that involves the establishment or enforcement of child support, or in any case that seeks to modify an existing child support order, if the judicial officer finds that there is an existing duty of child support, the judicial officer shall conduct a hearing on child support, make a finding, and enter a judgment in accordance with the child support guideline ("guideline") established in this section.
"(b) The guideline shall be based on the following principles:
"(1) The guideline shall set forth an equitable approach to child support in which both parents share legal responsibility for the support of the child.
"(2) The subsistence needs of each parent shall be taken into account in the determination of child support.
"(3) A parent has the responsibility to meet the child's basic needs as well as to provide additional child support above the basic needs level. The relative standard of living of each household shall be considered in the child support award, and a child shall not bear a disproportionate share of the economic consequences of the existence of 2 households rather than 1. When child support is established, the child shall not live at a standard substantially below that of the noncustodial parent.
"(4) Application of the guideline shall be gender neutral.
"(5) The guideline shall take into consideration the existence of a prior child support order that is being paid by a parent or the obligation of a parent to support a dependent child who lives in the parent's household.
"(6) The guideline shall take into account the difference in cost to raise children of different ages.
"(7) The guideline shall be applied consistently whether or not the custodial parent is a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or Program on Work, Employment, and Responsibility recipient.
"(8) The guideline shall be applied presumptively.
"(c) For purposes of this section, the term "gross income" means income from any source, including, but not limited to:
"(1) Salary or wages, including overtime, tips, or income from self-employment;
"(2) Commissions;
"(3) Severance pay;
"(4) Royalties;
"(5) Bonuses;
"(6) Interest or dividends;
"(7) Income derived from a business or partnership after deduction of reasonable and necessary business expenses, but not depreciation;
"(8) Social Security;
"(9) Veteran's benefits;
"(10) Insurance benefits;
"(11) Worker's compensation;
"(12) Unemployment compensation;
"(13) Pension;
"(14) Annuity;
"(15) Income from a trust;
"(16) Capital gains from a real or personal property transaction, if the capital gains represent a regular source of income;
"(17) Spousal support received from any person;
"(18) A contract that results in regular income;
"(19) A perquisite or in-kind compensation if the perquisite or in-kind compensation is significant and represents a regular source of income or reduces living expenses, such as use of a company car or reimbursed meals;
"(20) Income from life insurance or an endowment contract;
"(21) Regular income from an interest in an estate, directly or through a trust;
"(22) Lottery or gambling winnings that are received in a lump sum or in an annuity;
"(23) Prize or award;
"(24) Net rental income after deduction of reasonable and necessary operating costs, but not depreciation; or
"(25) Taxes paid on a party's income by an employer or, if the income is nontaxable, the amount of taxes that would be paid if the income were taxable.
"(c-1) Spousal support paid by the party to the child support order to the other party shall be deducted from the gross income of the paying party.
"(d) A prior child support order that is being paid shall be deducted from a parent's income before the child support obligation is computed in the instant case.
"(e)(1) The guideline shall have 5 income levels with a different percentage applied at each level.
"(2) In level 1, a noncustodial parent with income of $7,500 or below shall be considered unable to contribute the guideline percentage. A noncustodial parent with gross income below $7,500 shall be treated on an individual basis and, in nearly all cases, shall be ordered to pay at least a nominal sum of $50 per month. If the individual circumstances permit, a noncustodial parent with an income below $7,500 shall be ordered to contribute more.
"(3) In level 2, a noncustodial parent with income that is not less than $7,501 and not more than $15,000 per year, and whose income with application of the guideline will not be below the poverty level, shall contribute the following percentage of income for basic child support:
One child 20%
Two children 26%
Three children 30%
Four or more children 32%
"(4) In level 3, a noncustodial parent with income that is not less than $15,001 and not more than $25,000 per year, and whose income with application of the guideline will not be below the poverty level, shall contribute the following percentage of income for basic child support:
One child 21%
Two children 27%
Three children 31%
Four or more children 33%
"(5) In level 4, a noncustodial parent with income that is not less than $25,001 and not more than $50,000 per year shall contribute the following percentage of income for basic child support:
One child 22%
Two children 28%
Three children 32%
Four or more children 34%
"(6) In level 5, a noncustodial parent with income that is not less than $50,001 and not more than $75,000 per year shall contribute the following percentage of income for basic child support:
One child 23%
Two children 29%
Three children 33%
Four or more children 35%
"(7) In level 2, 3, 4, or 5, the child support percentage for older children shall be adjusted in accordance with this section. Further adjustments to offset medical insurance cost or income of the custodial parent shall be provided in accordance with this section.
"(f) The guideline percentage shall not apply presumptively to a noncustodial parent with income that exceeds $75,000. The amount available to a child of a noncustodial parent with income above $75,000 shall not be less than the amount that would have been ordered if the guideline had been applied to a noncustodial parent with income of $75,000.
"(g) The basic child support order amount of the guideline is for a child 6 years of age or younger. The basic child support order shall be increased by 10% if the oldest child is not less than 7 years of age and not older than 12 years of age. The basic child support order shall be increased by 15% if the oldest child is not less than 13 years of age and not more than 21 years of age. For purposes of this subsection, the age of the oldest child shall be used for the computation of the entire child support order amount rather than to compute a separate amount for each child.
"(h)(1) An offset from the child support order amount shall be allowed for the child's portion of a medical insurance premium if the noncustodial parent adds or has already added the child to the noncustodial parent's current medical insurance policy and the conditions described in this subsection are met. The offset shall be determined by the subtraction from the noncustodial parent's gross income of the amount of the premium attributable to coverage for the child measured on a per capita basis.
"(2) The noncustodial parent shall present proof of the increase in a medical insurance premium incurred as a result of the addition of the child to the medical insurance policy. The proof provided shall identify clearly that the source of the increase of the medical insurance premium is the child who is the subject of the child support order. The cost shall be reasonable.
"(3) If a noncustodial parent does not have medical insurance coverage, does not have a second family, and can obtain medical insurance coverage at a reasonable cost, the court may order the noncustodial parent to obtain medical insurance coverage for the child in accordance with federal law. The amount of the offset shall equal the difference between the premium for single coverage and the premium for family coverage. No offset shall be calculated by using the cost for the coverage for the noncustodial parent.
"(4) If the noncustodial parent has family medical insurance coverage in the noncustodial parent's medical plan for a second family, the addition of the child who is the subject of the child support order need not result in an additional cost of medical insurance coverage to the parent. The noncustodial parent shall be required to provide proof that the child has been added to the medical insurance coverage and to provide a medical insurance card to the custodial parent. An offset shall not be given if there is no additional cost of medical insurance coverage to the noncustodial parent.
"(h-1) For the purposes of this section, medical insurance coverage shall be considered reasonable in cost if it is employer-related or other group medical insurance coverage, regardless of the service delivery mechanism.
"(i) The payment of an uninsured extraordinary medical or dental expense incurred by a minor child who is the subject of a child support petition shall be treated on a case by case basis, if payment of such expenses has not been addressed in the support order or in an agreement between the parties. If the court determines that the medical or dental expense is necessary and is in the best interest of the child, the court may reduce the child support order of the noncustodial parent for a portion of the payment that the noncustodial parent makes toward the medical or dental expense or may increase the child support order to reimburse the custodial parent for payments made by the custodial parent.
"(j) The percentage of the noncustodial parent's gross income shall be reduced by a percentage that corresponds to the custodial parent's share of total parental gross income. The reduction shall be determined according to the following formula:
"(1) Gross income of the custodial parent minus the appropriate threshold amount provided for in paragraph 2 of this subsection and day-care cost divided by gross income of the noncustodial parent plus the custodial parent's gross income minus appropriate threshold amount and child care costs.
"(2) The threshold amount to be used to apply the offset, and below which the custodial parent's income shall be disregarded, shall be $16,500 gross income if there is 1 child. For each additional child, the threshold amount to be used to apply the offset shall increase by $2,000.
"(3) For the purposes of this subsection, the terms "day-care cost" and "child care costs" include work-or education-related child care expenses, including camp and before and after school care.
"(k)(1) If the parties present a consent order, an agreement that is to become an order, or a written agreement that is to be merged in an order, the judicial officer shall examine the child support provisions of the agreement, and compare the child support provisions to the guideline. If the amount of child support agreed upon is outside of the range of child support that would be ordered presumptively upon application of the guideline, the judicial officer shall determine if the agreed upon level of child support is fair and just. If the parties are represented by counsel, the judicial officer shall inquire whether the attorney informed the clients of the guideline. If the clients have not been informed of the guideline, the judicial officer shall advise the attorneys to do so. If a party is not represented by an attorney, the judicial officer shall ensure that the party is aware of the child support amount that the court would order presumptively pursuant to the guideline.
"(2) The propriety of any deviation from the guideline shall be justified in writing with a statement of the factors that form the basis for the judicial officer's finding that the deviation is fair and just. A transcript filed in the jacket shall suffice as a writing.
"(l) Application of the guideline shall be presumptive. The guideline shall be applied unless application of the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate in the circumstances of the particular case. Departures shall be set forth and explained in writing. The factors that may be considered to overcome the presumption are:
"(1) The needs of the child are exceptional and require more than average expenditures;
"(2) The gross income of the noncustodial parent is substantially less than that of the custodial parent;
"(3) A property settlement provides resources readily available for the support of the child in an amount at least equivalent to the formula amount;
"(4) The noncustodial parent supports a dependent other than the child for whom the custodial parent receives credit in the formula calculation, and application of the guideline would result in extraordinary hardship;
"(5) The noncustodial parent needs a temporary period of reduced child support payment to permit the repayment of a debt or rearrangement of his or her financial obligations; a temporary reduction may be included in a child support order if:
"(A) The debt or obligation is for a necessary expenditure of reasonable cost in light of the noncustodial parent's family responsibilities;
"(B) The time of the reduction does not exceed 12 months; and
"(C) The child support order includes the amount that is to be paid at the end of the reduction period and the date that the higher payments are to commence;
"(6) The custodial parent provides medical insurance coverage for the child at an additional cost to the custodial parent's medical insurance coverage and the additional cost is significant in relation to the amount of child support prescribed by the guideline;
"(7) Children of more than 1 noncustodial parent live in the custodial parent's household, receive a child support payment from the noncustodial parent, and the resulting gross income for the custodial parent and the children in the household causes the standard of living of the children to be greater than that of the noncustodial parent; or
"(8) Any other exceptional circumstance that would yield a patently unfair result.
"(m) The formula established in subsection (q) of this section incorporates a variation of plus or minus 3% for each level. A variation within the plus or minus 3% limit need not be justified by written findings but specific findings are advisable. The factfinder shall consider at least the following factors in the application of a variation:
"(1) A child has regular and substantial income that can be used for child support without impairment of the child's current or future education;
"(2) The noncustodial parent has special needs that require additional subsistence cost;
"(3) The noncustodial parent pays for certain expensive necessities for the child, such as tuition or orthodontia;
"(4) The child has moderately more than average needs;
"(5) High child care costs are involved; or
"(6) There is no medical insurance coverage, medical insurance coverage does not cover dental or major medical items, or the medical insurance coverage has a high deductible, and the expenses are paid or are to be paid by the custodial parent.
"(n) In a case in which shared custody is ordered or agreed to and the child spends 40% or more of the child's time with each parent, the guideline shall not apply presumptively. In such shared custody situations, the judicial officer shall have the authority to order either parent to pay a portion of the following expenses for the child: extracurricular activities and lessons, visitation, transportation, private school tuition, school fees, day care, camp, unreimbursed or uninsured health care expenses, and other such expenses. The payments may be in addition to any award of child support. For the purposes of this subsection, "shared custody" means actual visitation that exceeds 40% of the year. The guideline shall be considered advisory, and if, in the discretion of the judicial officer, application of the guideline would result in an unjust or inappropriate order in a particular circumstance, the following procedure shall be considered:
"(1)(A) Calculate the amount that the father would pay the mother if the mother has sole custody, and multiply the amount by 1.5.
"(B) Calculate the amount that the mother would pay the father if the father has sole custody, and multiply the amount by 1.5.
"(2)(A) Multiply the father's obligation by the percentage of the time the mother has the child.
"(B) Multiply the mother's obligation by the percentage of the time the father has the child.
"(3) The difference between the amounts of paragraphs (2)(A) and (2)(B) of this subsection shall be the net transfer.
"(4) Apply any necessary credit or debit. For example, if 1 parent pays all the day-care expense, he or she shall be entitled to a credit for the day-care expense attributable to the days the child is with the other parent.
"(o) A child support order issued under this section or section 5 of the District of Columbia Child Support Enforcement Amendment Act of 1985, effective February 24, 1987 (D.C. Law 6-166; § 46-204), shall be subject to modification by application of the guideline subject to the following conditions or limitations:
"(1) A party to a child support proceeding shall exchange relevant information on finances or dependents every 3 years and shall be encouraged to update a child support order voluntarily using the updated information and the guideline. Relevant information is any information that is used to compute child support pursuant to the guideline.
"(2) Every 3 years, in cases being enforced under title IV, part D of the Social Security Act, approved January 4, 1975 (88 Stat. 2351; 42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.), the IV-D agency shall notify both the noncustodial and the custodial parent of the right to a review, and, if appropriate, a modification of their support order under the guideline. In cases where the IV-D agency conducts a review, the IV-D agency shall inform the noncustodial and custodial parent if a modification is warranted under the guideline. Upon the request of either parent or, if the obligee receives public assistance, upon the request of either parent or the IV-D agency, the Superior Court shall modify a support order without requiring any showing of a change in circumstances, notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the order differs by 15% or more from the central guideline figure calculated by applying the guideline to the parties' current circumstances. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to limit the ability of a party to seek a modification of a support order upon a showing of a material and substantial change in the needs of the child or the ability of the obligor to pay.
"(2A) If a support order does not provide for the payment of medical expenses for each child included in the support order, at the request of a party or the IV-D agency, the court shall modify the support order to provide for the payment of such expenses in accordance with section 16-916.
"(3) There shall be a presumption that there has been a substantial or material change of circumstances that warrants a modification of a child support order if application of the guideline to the current circumstances of the parties results in an amount of child support that varies from the amount of the existing child support order by 15% or more. A child support order shall not be modified based solely on the enactment of the guideline. The presumption may be rebutted by:
"(A) Proof of special circumstances such as a circumstance that would take a case outside the guideline; or
"(B) Proof of substantial reliance on the original child support order issued prior to adoption of the guideline, and that application of the guideline, would yield a patently unjust result.
"(3A) In cases being enforced under title IV, part D of the Social Security Act, approved January 4, 1975 (88 Stat. 2371; 42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.), upon receipt of notice and documentation establishing that a parent is incarcerated in a specific facility (except where the parent is incarcerated for contempt for failure to pay child support pursuant to section 46-225.02), the IV-D agency shall review the circumstances of both parents and determine if a modification of the support order is appropriate under the guideline. If the IV-D agency determines that a parent's incarceration has resulted in a change in financial circumstances warranting a modification of the support order, the IV-D agency may request the court to suspend or modify the support order pursuant to this subsection. Upon receipt of such a request, the court shall modify the support order in accordance with the guideline. The court may modify the support order from the date on which the IV-D agency received notice under this paragraph of the parent's incarceration.
"(4) The central figure stated in the guideline shall be used to compute the amount of child support that the guideline would yield for modification and to apply the test for the presumption.
"(5) If a child support order is issued after September 27, 1987, and the child support order is outside the guideline, by order of the court or by merged agreement of the parties, the presumption shall not apply within 1 year of the issuance of the child support order.
"(6) If a petition to modify a child support order pursuant to this section is accompanied by an affidavit that sets forth sufficient facts and guideline calculations, and is accompanied by proof of service upon the respondent, the Family Court of the Superior Court may enter an order to modify the child support order in accordance with the guideline unless a party requests a hearing within 30 days of service of the petition for modification. No order shall be modified without a hearing if a hearing is timely requested.
"(7) Notwithstanding paragraphs (3) through (6) of this subsection, a party may submit a praecipe with a certification of waiver and supporting documentation, as prescribed by the court, to modify the child support amount by agreement of the parties at any time. This agreement shall be treated and reviewed by the court for issuance of a revised decree in the same manner as an original agreement of the parties is reviewed.
"(8) The judicial officer shall state the reasons for a departure from the guideline in writing. A transcript filed in the jacket shall suffice as a writing.
"(9) Notwithstanding paragraph (3)(B) of this subsection, if a new child is born to the custodial and noncustodial parent, the guideline shall be applied to the entire family and 1 order shall be issued for all the children in the family. If possible, the 2 cases shall be consolidated if the child support of the last child is petitioned as a separate case.
"(10) Nothing in this subsection shall preclude a party from moving to modify a child support order at any other time.
"(p)(1) If a custodial parent has custody of children of more than 1 noncustodial parent, the judicial officer shall determine the standard of living of the custodial and noncustodial households. Standard of living is measured by dividing the gross income available to the household from all sources by the poverty level income (Chart 5) for the number of adults contributing income to the household, plus the number of children. If the standard of living for the custodial household is larger than the standard of living of the noncustodial household, the departure principle pursuant to subsection (l)(7) of this section may apply.
"(2) If the noncustodial parent has other children living with him or her, the guideline shall be determined as follows:
"(A) The guideline amount shall be determined for all of the children who live with the noncustodial parent and with the custodial parent for whom the noncustodial parent is responsible, except any child who is already the subject of a child support order.
"(B) A per capita share of the guideline amount for a child who lives in the noncustodial parent's household shall be subtracted from the noncustodial parent's gross income. The remaining income shall be used as the noncustodial parent's gross income to calculate child support for a child before the court.
"(3) If the judicial officer determines that the presumption has been overcome, the amount of child support ordered shall not reduce the standard of living of the child to less than that of the noncustodial parent. The precise amount of child support ordered is within the discretion of the judicial officer.
"(q) The guideline percentages are established as follows:
CHART 1
CHILD SUPPORT ORDER FORMULA
FOR THE SUPERIOR COURT
ONE CHILD
AGES 0-6
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 20% of Gross Income
15,001 -- 25,000 21% of Gross Income
25,001 -- 50,000 22% of Gross Income
50,001 -- 75,000 23% of Gross Income
AGES 7-12
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 20% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (22%)
15,001 -- 25,000 21% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (23.1%)
25,001 -- 50,000 22% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (24.2%)
50,001 -- 75,000 23% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (25.3%)
AGES 13-21
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 20% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (23%)
15,001 -- 25,000 21% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (24.15%)
25,001 -- 50,000 22% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (25.3%)
50,001 -- 75,000 23% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (26.45%)
CHART 2
CHILD SUPPORT ORDER FORMULA
FOR THE SUPERIOR COURT
TWO CHILDREN
AGES 0-6 (oldest child)
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 26% of Gross Income
15,001 -- 25,000 27% of Gross Income
25,001 -- 50,000 28% of Gross Income
50,001 -- 75,000 29% of Gross Income
AGES 7-12 (oldest child)
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 26% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (28.6%)
15,001 -- 25,000 27% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (29.7%)
25,001 -- 50,000 28% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (30.8%)
50,001 -- 75,000 29% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (31.9%)
AGES 13-21 (oldest child)
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 26% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (29.9%)
15,001 -- 25,000 27% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (31.05%)
25,001 -- 50,000 28% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (32.2%)
50,001 -- 75,000 29% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (33.35%)
CHART 3
CHILD SUPPORT ORDER FORMULA
FOR THE SUPERIOR COURT
THREE CHILDREN
AGES 0-6 (oldest child)
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 30% of Gross Income
15,001 -- 25,000 31% of Gross Income
25,001 -- 50,000 32% of Gross Income
50,001 -- 75,000 33% of Gross Income
AGES 7-12 (oldest child)
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 30% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (33.0%)
15,001 -- 25,000 31% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (34.1%)
25,001 -- 50,000 32% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (35.2%)
50,001 -- 75,000 33% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (36.3%)
AGES 13-21 (oldest child)
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 30% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (34.5%)
15,001 -- 25,000 31% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (35.65%)
25,001 -- 50,000 32% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (36.8%)
50,001 -- 75,000 33% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (37.95%)
CHART 4
CHILD SUPPORT ORDER FORMULA
FOR THE SUPERIOR COURT
FOUR OR MORE CHILDREN
AGES 0-6 (oldest child)
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 32% of Gross Income
15,001 -- 25,000 33% of Gross Income
25,001 -- 50,000 34% of Gross Income
50,001 -- 75,000 35% of Gross Income
AGES 7-12 (oldest child)
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 32% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (35.2%)
15,001 -- 25,000 33% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (36.3%)
25,001 -- 50,000 34% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (37.4%)
50,001 -- 75,000 35% of Gross Income + 10% of Basic
Order (38.5%)
AGES 13-21 (oldest child)
ANNUAL GROSS CHILD SUPPORT
INCOME OF ORDER
NONCUSTODIAL
PARENT
0 -- $7,500 Discretion--Minimum $50/month
$7,501 -- 15,000 32% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (36.8%)
15,001 -- 25,000 33% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (37.95%)
25,001 -- 50,000 34% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (39.1%)
50,001 -- 75,000 35% of Gross Income + 15% of Basic
Order (40.25%)
CHART 5
1989 POVERTY LEVELS (ANNUALIZED)
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
NUMBER OF PERSONS POVERTY LEVEL
GROSS INCOME
1 $ 6,314
2 8,075
3 9,890
4 12,675
5 14,994
6 16,927
7 19,127
8 21,256
9 or more 25,296
STANDARD INCOME DISREGARD FOR
PETITIONER'S ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME
NUMBER OF CHILDREN AMOUNT
1 $16,500
2 18,500
3 20,500
4 22,500
"For each additional child, add $2,000.
"(r) A child support order shall not be deemed invalid on the sole basis that the child support order was issued pursuant to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Child Support Guideline and prior to the effective date of the Child Support Guideline Amendment Emergency Act of 1989, effective December 21, 1989 (D.C. Act 8-127, 37 DCR 3).
"(s) Upon the occurrence of a substantial or material change in circumstances sufficient to warrant the modification of a support obligation pursuant to the child support guideline, the Court may modify any provision of an agreement or settlement relating to child support, without regard to whether the agreement or settlement is entered as a consent order or is incorporated or merged in a court order.
"(t) If an order or agreement providing for child support does not set forth a date on which the support commences, the support shall be deemed to commence on the date the order was entered or the date the agreement was executed."
D.C. Law 17-128, in subsec. (i)(5), substituted "the cost to the obligated parent of providing coverage for the children subject to the support order pursuant to § 16-916.01(i)(3) does not exceed 5 % of the parent's gross income" for "it is employer-related or other group health insurance coverage, regardless of the service delivery mechanism"; in subsec. (j)(1), substituted "include copayments, deductibles, and contributions associated with public and private health insurance coverage," for "include copayments and deductibles,"; and rewrote subsec. (r)(2), which had read as follows:
"(2) Every 3 years, in cases being enforced under title IV, part D of the Social Security Act, approved January 4, 1975 (88 Stat. 2351; 42 U.S.C. 651 et seq.), the IV-D agency shall notify both parents of the right to a review, and, if appropriate, a modification of the support order under the guideline. In cases where the IV-D agency conducts a review, the IV-D agency shall inform both parents if a modification is warranted under the guideline."
D.C. Law 18-88 rewrote subsec. (g)(1), which had read as follows:
"(g)(1) A parent with a legal duty to pay support may maintain a self-support reserve as provided in this subsection. The self-support reserve shall be calculated at 133% of the United States Department of Health and Human Services poverty guideline per year for a single individual. As of the effective date of the Child Support Guideline Revision Act of 2006, the self-support reserve shall be $12,382. The self-support reserve shall be updated every 2 years and any revision shall be published in the District of Columbia Register."
Temporary Amendments of Section
For temporary (225 day) addition of § 16-916.1 [1981 Ed.], see § 2(b) of the Child Support Guideline Amendment Temporary Act of 1989 (D.C. Law 8-90, March 15, 1990, law notification 37 DCR 2073).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 3 of the Child Support Enforcement Temporary Amendment Act of 1994 (D.C. Law 10-210, March 14, 1995, law notification 42 DCR 1526).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 5(j) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Temporary Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-103, May 8, 1998, law notification 45 DCR 3254).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 5(j) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Temporary Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-210, April 13, 1999, law notification 46 DCR 3832).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 12 of Self-Sufficiency Promotion Temporary Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Law 12-230, April 20, 1999, law notification 46 DCR 4143).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 105(i) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Temporary Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Law 13-57, March 7, 2000, law notification 47 DCR 1979).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 105(j) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Temporary Amendment Act of 2000 (D.C. Law 13-207, March 31, 2001, law notification 48 DCR 3238).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 202(c) of Medical Support Establishment and Enforcement Temporary Amendment Act of 2002 (D.C. Law 14-238, March 25, 2003, law notification 50 DCR 2751).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 202(c) of Medical Support Establishment and Enforcement Temporary Amendment Act of 2003 (D.C. Law 15-84, March 10, 2004, law notification 51 DCR 3376).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 2(h) of the Income Withholding Transfer and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2005 (D.C. Law 16- 42, December 10, 2005, law notification 52 DCR 11038).
Emergency Act Amendments
For temporary addition of § 16-916.1 [1981 Ed.] and 16-916.2 [1981 Ed.], see § 2 and 3 of the Child Support Guideline Amendment Emergency Act of 1989 (D.C. Act 8-127, December 21, 1989, 37 DCR 3).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 3 of the Child Support Enforcement Emergency Amendment Act of 1994 (D.C. Act 10-322, August 4, 1994, 41 DCR 5373), § 3 of the Child Support Enforcement Congressional Adjournment Emergency Amendment Act of 1994 (D.C. Act 10-328, October 21, 1994, 41 DCR 7158), and § 3 of the Child Support Enforcement Congressional Adjournment Emergency Amendment Act of 1995 (D.C. Act 11-4, January 19, 1995, 42 DCR 543).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 5(j) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Emergency Amendment Act of 1997 (D.C. Act 12-222, December 23, 1997, 44 DCR 114), § 5(j) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12- 309, March 20, 1998, 45 DCR 1923), § 5(j) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Second Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-439, August 12, 1998, 45 DCR 6110), § 5(j) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Legislative Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-503, October 27, 1998, 45 DCR 8495), and § 5(e) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-600, January 20, 1999, 46 DCR 1239).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 12 of the Self-Sufficiency Promotion Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-372, June 9, 1998, 45 DCR 4270), § 12 of the Self-Sufficiency Promotion Legislative Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-425, July 31, 1998, 45 DCR 5682), § 12 of the Self-Sufficiency Promotion Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-552, December 24, 1998, 46 DCR 521), and § 12 of the Self-Sufficiency Promotion Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Act 13-19, February 17, 1999, 46 DCR 2492).
For temporary repeal of D.C. Law 12-103, see § 13 of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Second Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12- 439, August 12, 1998, 45 DCR 6110).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 105(j) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Emergency Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Act 13-126, August 4, 1999, 46 DCR 6606).
For temporary repeal of D.C. Law 12-210, see § 113 of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Emergency Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Act 13-126, August 4, 1999, 46 DCR 6606).
For temporary (90-day) amendment of section, see § 105(j) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Emergency Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Act 13-126, August 4, 1999, 46 DCR 6606).
For temporary (90-day) amendment of section, see § 105(j) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Legislative Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Act 13-177, November 2, 1999, 46 DCR 9678).
For temporary (90-day) amendment of section, see § 105(j) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 1999 (D.C. Act 13-241, January 11, 2000, 47 DCR 581).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 105(j) of the Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Emergency Amendment Act of 2000 (D.C. Act 13-446, November 7, 2000, 47 DCR 9213).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 106(h) of Child Support and Welfare Reform Compliance Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-5, February 13, 2001, 48 DCR 2440).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 202(c) of Medical Support Establishment and Enforcement Emergency Amendment Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-485, October 3, 2002, 49 DCR 9631).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 202(c) of Medical Support Establishment and Enforcement Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-600, January 7, 2003, 50 DCR 664).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 202(c) of Medical Support Establishment and Enforcement Emergency Amendment Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-208, October 24, 2003, 50 DCR 9856).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 202(c) of Medical Support Establishment and Enforcement Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-330, January 28, 2004, 51 DCR 1603).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(h) of Income Withholding Transfer and Revision Emergency Amendment Act of 2005 (D.C. Act 16-167, July 26, 2005, 52 DCR 7648).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(h) of Income Withholding Transfer and Revision Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2005 (D.C. Act 16-200, November 17, 2005, 52 DCR 10490).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2 of Self-Support Reserve Revision Emergency Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-131, July 6, 2009, 56 DCR 5690).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 403 of Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-181, August 6, 2009, 56 DCR 6903).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 403 of Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18- 227, October 21, 2009, 56 DCR 8668).
Legislative History of Laws
Law 8-150, the "Child Support Guideline Amendment Act of 1990," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 8-461, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on May 1, 1990, and May 15, 1990, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on May 30, 1990, it was assigned Act No. 8-208 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review.
Law 8-165, the "District of Columbia Statutory Savings Provision Act of 1990," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 8-552, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on June 12, 1990, and June 26, 1990, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on July 12, 1990, it was assigned Act No. 8-230 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review.
Law 10-217, the "Child Support Enforcement Amendment Act of 1994," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 10-740. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on November 1, 1994, and December 6, 1994, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on December 15, 1994, it was assigned Act No. 10-354, and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 10- 217 became effective on March 16, 1995.
For legislative history of D.C. Law 11-255, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 16-909.01.
Law 12-81, the "Technical Amendments Act of 1998," was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 12-408, which was referred to the Committee of the Whole. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on November 4, 1997, and December 4, 1997, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on December 22, 1997, it was assigned Act No. 12-246 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 12-81 became effective on March 24, 1998.
For legislative history of D.C. Law 12-241, see Historical and Statutory Notes following § 16-901.
For D.C. Law 13-269, see notes following § 16-901.
For Law 14-207, see notes following § 16-904.
For Law 15-130, see notes following § 16-901.
Law 15-357, the "Omnibus Public Safety Ex-offender Self-sufficiency Reform Amendment Act of 2004", was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 15-785, which was referred to the Committee on Judiciary. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on November 9, 2004, and December 21, 2004, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on January 19, 2005, it was assigned Act No. 15-744 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 15- 357 became effective on May 24, 2005.
For D.C. Law 16-100, see notes following § 16-571.01.
Law 16-138, the "Child Support Guideline Revision Amendment Act of 2006", was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 16-205 which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on March 7, 2006, and April 4, 2006, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on April 26, 2006, it was assigned Act No. 16-367 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 16-138 became effective on June 22, 2006.
For Law 17-128, see notes following § 16-901.
For Law 18-88, see notes following § 16-801.
Effective Dates
Applicability: Section 4 of D.C. Law 16-138 provides: "This act shall apply as of April 1, 2007."
Delegation of Authority
Delegation of Authority under D.C. Official Code § 16-916.01(g), to Update the Self-Support Reserve Component of the Child Support Guideline, see Mayor's Order 2011-53, March 18, 2011 (58 DCR 2522).
Miscellaneous Notes
Section 28(b)(2) of D.C. Law 15-354 provides that the section designation of § 16-916.1 of the District of Columbia Official Code is redesignated as § 16-916.01.
