Connecticut calculates child support using the Income Shares Model under the Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines. Both parents’ net weekly incomes are combined, a basic support obligation is read from the state schedule based on that combined income and the number of children, and each parent is responsible for their proportional share. Unlike alimony, this is a formula, and the guideline amount is presumed correct unless the court makes written findings to deviate.
That formula is about to change in significant ways. On August 1, 2026, the most substantial revision to Connecticut’s child support guidelines in over a decade takes effect. If you have a pending case, are considering filing, or have an existing order, the timing of your filing may matter.
I am Rich Rochlin, principal attorney at Rich Rochlin Law Group, LLC, a family law firm based in West Hartford serving Hartford County, the Farmington Valley, New Haven County, and clients throughout Connecticut. Here is how the calculation works today and exactly what changes next month.
How Does Connecticut’s Income Shares Model Work?
The concept is that children should receive the same share of parental income they would have received if their parents lived in one household. The calculation runs in steps:
First, each parent’s net weekly income is determined: gross income from all sources minus taxes and allowable deductions. Connecticut is one of the few states that runs the formula on net weekly, rather than gross monthly, income.
Second, the two net incomes are combined and matched to the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations for the number of children. As an example of how the math works, if one parent nets $1,500 per week and the other nets $500, the combined figure is $2,000, and the schedule produces a basic obligation for two children in the neighborhood of $474 per week.
Third, the obligation is split proportionally. The parent earning $1,500 contributed 75 percent of the combined income and owes 75 percent of the obligation. The noncustodial parent typically pays their share to the custodial parent; the custodial parent is presumed to spend their share directly on the children.
Finally, add-ons are allocated in the same percentages: work-related childcare, the child’s health insurance premium, and unreimbursed medical expenses are divided using each parent’s income share, on top of the basic obligation.
Both parents complete the guidelines worksheet (Form CCSG-1) with a sworn financial affidavit behind it, which is why an accurate financial affidavit is the foundation of every support case.
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What Changes on August 1, 2026?
The revised Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines take effect for new orders and modifications filed on or after August 1, 2026. The headline changes:
The income schedule expands from $4,000 to $6,000 net weekly. The old schedule stopped at $4,000 per week in combined net income (about $208,000 per year), which forced courts in higher-income cases to extrapolate or treat the top-of-schedule figure as a floor. The new schedule runs to $6,000 net weekly, roughly $312,000 per year. For families with combined net incomes between those two figures, the guidelines will now produce a presumptive number where previously there was judicial discretion. This is the single most consequential change for professional families in the Hartford and New Haven suburbs.
A three-parent worksheet. Consistent with the Connecticut Parentage Act, the new CCSG-1A worksheet accommodates cases with more than two legally recognized parents, with express authority to deviate where the formula does not fit the family. Connecticut is the first state to build this into its guidelines.
New criteria before imputing income. When a court considers attributing earning capacity to a parent it believes is voluntarily underemployed, the new rules require it to weigh specified criteria before imputing income. Expect imputation fights to become more structured and more evidence-driven.
Modernized arrears rules. The revisions restructure how past-due support is repaid and how lump-sum Social Security Disability dependency payments credit against arrears.
Paid Family and Medical Leave counts as income. CT PFML benefits are expressly treated as income for support calculations, with room for temporary adjustments during leave periods.
Should I File Before or After August 1, 2026?
It depends on which side of the calculation you are on and where your combined income falls. For combined net incomes between $4,000 and $6,000 per week, the new schedule may produce a materially different number than a judge would have reached by discretion under the old cap. Existing orders do not change automatically, but the new guidelines may support a modification for some families once they take effect. This is a genuinely strategic timing question, and it is worth a consultation before you file anything in July or August of this year.
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How Long Does Child Support Last in Connecticut?
Support generally continues until the child turns 18, or until high school graduation if the child is still enrolled, no later than 19. Connecticut courts can also enter educational support orders for college expenses under Connecticut General Statutes Section 46b-56c, capped at the cost of an in-state UConn education, which is a separate issue that should be preserved in every divorce involving children.
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Can Child Support Be Modified?
Yes, upon a substantial change in circumstances, and a deviation of 15 percent or more between the existing order and the current guideline calculation is presumed substantial. Job loss, significant income changes, and changes in the parenting schedule are the common triggers, and the August 2026 schedule expansion will itself open modification arguments for some higher-income families.
What About Shared Custody and Deviation?
The guideline amount is a rebuttable presumption. Courts may deviate for shared physical custody arrangements, extraordinary expenses, significant visitation costs, and other statutorily recognized criteria, but only with written findings. In shared parenting cases, the deviation analysis is where cases are won and lost, and it is the area where guideline calculators alone mislead people most.
Talk to a Connecticut Child Support Attorney Before the Rules Change
Whether you are negotiating an initial order, weighing when to file, or evaluating whether the new guidelines support a modification, the August 1, 2026 changes make this an unusually important moment to get advice. Rich Rochlin Law Group, LLC handles child support matters throughout Hartford County, New Haven County, and statewide.
Contact us at richrochlinlaw.com to schedule a consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Connecticut? Both parents’ net weekly incomes are combined, a basic obligation is read from the state schedule for the number of children, and each parent pays their proportional share, plus proportional shares of childcare and the child’s health insurance costs.
What changes in Connecticut child support on August 1, 2026? The guideline schedule expands from $4,000 to $6,000 in combined net weekly income, a three-parent worksheet is introduced, new criteria govern income imputation, arrears rules are modernized, and PFML benefits are treated as income.
Do existing child support orders change automatically on August 1, 2026? No. Existing orders remain in place, but the new guidelines apply to new orders and modifications filed after the effective date, and may support a modification for some families.
What if a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed? Connecticut courts can impute income based on earning capacity, considering education, work history, and job market conditions. The August 2026 rules add specific criteria courts must weigh before imputing.
Does child support in Connecticut cover college? Not automatically. Courts can enter educational support orders for college under Section 46b-56c, capped at in-state UConn costs, but the right to seek one must generally be preserved in the divorce judgment.
About the Author: Rich Rochlin is the principal attorney and managing partner of Rich Rochlin Law Group, LLC, a Connecticut family law firm located in West Hartford, Connecticut, serving Hartford County, the Farmington Valley, New Haven County, and clients statewide. The firm concentrates its practice in divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, and post-judgment family matters.
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Guideline amounts and rules change; verify current figures with the Connecticut Judicial Branch and the Office of Child Support Services.
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