How to Use the Delaware Child Support Calculator
Enter what you know and press Calculate Estimate. The calculator follows the 2026 Delaware Child Support Formula (Form 509) and its instructions (Form 509i), effective February 1, 2026 under Family Court Civil Rules 500 to 510.
- Enter each parent's monthly gross income. The 2026 formula starts from gross income.
- Choose the number of children and the parent the children live with.
- Enter the overnights a year with the other parent. 80 or more gives a parenting time adjustment, and more than 163 means shared placement.
- Add monthly work-related child care and the health insurance premium for the children, and say which parent pays them.
Your numbers are sent with the form, not placed in the page address, and this site does not store them. This is a planning estimate. The Delaware Family Court decides the actual amount.
The 2026 Delaware Child Support Formula
Looking for new child support guidelines in Delaware for 2026? The Family Court revised the Delaware Child Support Formula effective February 1, 2026. The revised formula applies to both new and retroactive calculations. The 2026 figures include:
- Self-support allowance of $1,600 a month for each parent.
- Primary support allowance of $800 for one child plus $420 for each additional child.
- SOLA of 12%, 17% and 21% for one, two and three children, with a 30% high-income offset above $16,000.
- Minimum orders of $160 (one child) and $240 (two or more), and a presumptive minimum income of $2,390 a month for imputing income.
The court says monetary allowances are adjusted by February 1 each year for changes in the federal poverty guidelines. A change in the formula alone is not grounds to modify an existing order.
How Delaware Calculates Child Support (the Melson Formula)
Delaware's formula has three parts: each parent's own basic needs, the children's primary needs, and a share of the parents' remaining income (the standard of living adjustment).
- Net available income (Lines 1-9): gross income, minus allowed deductions and the $1,600 self-support allowance. Each parent's share of the total is their percentage.
- Primary support (Lines 10-14): the primary support allowance for the children in each home, plus child care, allowed tuition and 75% of the children's health insurance premium, split by share.
- SOLA (Lines 15-18): each parent's remaining income times the SOLA percentage.
- Credits (Lines 19-24): the gross obligation minus what each parent provides in their own home and the parenting time adjustment, but not more than 50% of the parent's net available income.
Primary Support Allowance and SOLA Percentages
| Children in home | Primary support allowance | Shared placement (half child) | Allowance |
|---|
| 1 | $800 | 0.5 (shared) | $590 |
| 2 | $1,220 | 1.5 | $1,010 |
| 3 | $1,640 | Each additional half child | +$210 |
| Each additional child | +$420 | | |
| Children | SOLA percentage |
|---|
| 1 | 12% |
| 2 | 17% |
| 3 | 21% |
| Each additional child | +2% |
If either parent's income available for SOLA is $16,000 or more a month, 30% of the amount above $16,000 is offset before the SOLA percentage is applied.
Parenting Time and Shared Placement
The paying parent keeps part of the other parent's primary support and SOLA based on overnights in the current contact order or agreement:
| Overnights a year | Parenting time adjustment |
|---|
| 79 or fewer | 0% |
| 80 to 124 | 10% |
| 125 to 163 | 30% |
| 164 or more | Shared placement |
In shared placement (more than 163 overnights in each home), each household counts as having half of each child. No obligation is assessed if the result is less than $50 a month, and the parents are expected to share incidental expenses such as haircuts, school lunches, supplies and activity fees equally.
Delaware Child Support Examples
In each example the children live with Parent B. Amounts are monthly and come from this calculator.
Example 1: One child
A earns $5,000 and B earns $3,000. Net available is $3,400 and $1,400, so A's share is 70.8%. A owes 70.8% of the $800 primary allowance ($567) plus 12% SOLA on A's remaining $2,833 ($340): $907 a month.
Example 2: 100 overnights
Same incomes, 100 overnights with A. A keeps 10% of B's retained $1,280: $779 a month.
Example 3: Two children with costs
A earns $6,000 and B earns $4,000, and B pays $600 child care and a $300 premium. A pays $1,846 a month.
Example 4: Shared placement
A earns $7,000 and B earns $3,000, one child, 182 overnights with A. A pays $545 a month.
Example 5: Low income
A earns $1,800, two children. The calculation is lower than the minimum, so the $240 minimum order applies.
These are illustrations produced from the formula, not court rulings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Delaware Child Support
Is this the official Delaware child support calculator?
No. ChildSupportCalculator.xyz is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the State of Delaware or its Family Court. It follows Form 509 (2026). The Family Court has its own automated calculation and decides the actual amount.
What changed in the Delaware child support formula in 2026?
The Family Court revised the formula effective February 1, 2026. The self-support allowance is $1,600, and the primary support allowance is $800 plus $420 per additional child.
How is child support calculated in Delaware?
Each parent keeps a $1,600 self-support allowance. The children's primary needs are split by the parents' shares of remaining income, and a standard of living adjustment shares extra income with the children. Credits are then given for what each parent provides in their own home.
Does Delaware use gross or net income?
The 2026 formula starts from monthly gross income, minus allowed deductions and the self-support allowance.
How do overnights affect child support in Delaware?
80 to 124 overnights a year gives a 10% parenting time adjustment, 125 to 163 gives 30%, and more than 163 is shared placement.
What is the minimum child support in Delaware?
$160 a month for one child and $240 for two or more, unless there is shared or split placement or the paying parent is disabled with limited resources.
What is SOLA in Delaware child support?
The standard of living adjustment gives the children a share of each parent's income left after basic needs: 12% for one child, 17% for two, 21% for three, plus 2% for each additional child.
How is health insurance handled in Delaware?
75% of the premium for coverage of the children (50% if the parent supports other children) is added to the primary need and split by income share.
Can a Delaware order be modified because of the 2026 formula?
A change in the formula alone is not grounds for modification. Within 2½ years of the last order, a substantial change must be shown and the amount must change by more than 10%.
Does the Delaware calculator need my personal details or a login?
No. This site needs no login and does not store your numbers.
Official Delaware Child Support Resources
Published: October 17, 2026
Last reviewed: October 17, 2026
Researched and reviewed by Eric John, founder and editor, using official state statutes and guidance. How we build and check our calculators · Corrections
