 CCS Est Help Index

Help on ...

Click on the following green words to learn How To Use Help

License and disclaimer - PLEASE READ

Overview of CCS Est

Quick start to using CCS Est

Printing CCS Est results

Saving CCS Est results

CCS Est fill-in fields: monthly net income, custodial time percentage, and custodial children

How you can determine monthly net income

How you can determine custodial time percentage

How you can determine number of custodial children

Exceptions and Adjustments to the child support formula

Gross Income worksheet	Deductions to Gross Income worksheet

California Family Code Article 2: The Uniform Guideline for Child Support,

    Sections 4050 through 4076.

Commands

File menu

Edit menu

Help menu


How to use help
Help:  How to use help

For complete instructions on how to use Help:

1. Close this window, returning to the CCS Est program window.

2. Click on the Help menu button at the top of the CCS Est window .  The Help menu will appear.

3. Click on Using Help from the Help menu.  The Help on Help screen will appear.

For Help on CCS Est:

1. Close this window, returning to the CCS Est program window.

2. Click on the Help menu button at the top of the CCS Est window .  The Help menu will appear.

3. Click on Index from the Help menu.  The main CCS Est help screen will appear.


License and disclaimer

WARNING:  We make no warranties, express or implied, regarding your use of our product. This California child support estimate computer program is offered for your use in calculating an estimate of child support payments due in your case only. We recommend that you have many (free) discussions about your proposed support schedule with your ex-spouse and verify (for a fee) your payment schedule with a family law attorney  who uses a court-approved child support computer program, such as Dissomaster or SupporTax.

EXCLUSIVE REMEDY: Your exclusive remedy for dissatisfaction with this product is a refund of your registration fee/purchase price. Please let us know what caused your dissatisfaction. We will try to fix that problem, both for you and for future purchasers.

LIMITATIONS ON DAMAGES: In no event will WLP be liable for any consequential or incidental damages  whatsoever arising from any calculations or estimates that you  make using CCS Est, or your inability to use this program as intended, or your inability to follow its instructions.  Liability is strictly limited to the price you paid to us to acquire and/or register this program. Please ask for technical support if you have questions operating our program, or ask a family law attorney about the particulars of your child support case.

Your use of this program constitutes your agreement to this License and Disclaimer.  Thank you for using CCS Est.


Overview of CCS Est

California requires that child support be calculated using a mathematical formula specified in the law. The trouble is that many people think that formula is too confusing or difficult to use on their own. Hence, they end up having to go to an attorney to have the attorney run their child support formula through the attorney's expensive computer program. And, they have to pay that attorney every time they want that formula run. CCS Est allows you to feed that formula some basic numbers (we'll tell you how), press a button, and the result displayed is the amount of child support owed. This formula is used whether you are the payor OR whether you are the payee.

We offer an inexpensive, easy-to-use computer program that will estimate your child support payments. It was developed by a computer scientist and a family law attorney. It includes extensive help, worksheets for preparing numbers to feed CCS Est, and the full text of the relevant child support laws.  It can be used over and over to experiment with different income levels, distributions of custodial time between the parents, and number of custodial children, to generate child support estimates.  You can become knowledgeable about the law and your alternatives by using CCS Est - all for one low registration fee!

Sometimes, such as in the case of extraordinarily high or low parental incomes, the formula is not used.  These exceptions and adjustments are denoted in the text of the law which is pointed out in the CCS Est Help file. But for most couples affected by the child support laws in California, this program can work as an empowering tool in your child support process.


Quick start for CCS Est

Unless you already know how to calculate your monthly net disposable income, custodial time percentage, and number of custodial children, all in accordance with the California Family Code laws, you have to read most of this help file and fill in some worksheets by hand before using the program.  But, if you insist on a quick start and want to play with some figures, there are four fill-in fields into which you type figures for the estimate.  Then press the button labeled "Estimate," and the results will appear in the result area at the lower left quadrant of the CCS Est program window.  Remember, only reasonable input will yield meaningful results.  That is, garbage in means garbage out.


Printing CCS Est results

In order to spare trees, printers, and disk drives, CCS Est does not have built-in saving or printing.  Instead, use the Edit menu to invoke the CopyAll command when you have calculated a result that you wish to save and/or print.  CopyAll will copy the result to the Windows clipboard.  Then, use the Paste command in any convenient word processor, such as Notepad or Write (both of which come with Windows) to paste the result into a document.  Save and/or print from the word processor.  Of course, we recommend that you compile a number of interesting results from CCS Est into your word processor before you save and/or print.


Saving CCS Est results

In order to spare trees, printers,  and disk drives, CCS Est does not have built-in saving or printing.  Instead, use the Edit menu to invoke the CopyAll command when you have calculated a result that you wish to save and/or print.  CopyAll will copy the result to the Windows clipboard.  Then, use the Paste command in any convenient word processor, such as Notepad or Write (both of which come with Windows) to paste the result into a document.  Save and/or print from the word processor.  Of course, we recommend that you compile a number of interesting results from CCS Est into your word processor before you save and/or print.


Exceptions and Adjustments to the child support formula

After specifying the uniform guidelines and formula, the statutes provide for some exceptions and adjustments that can alter the guideline amount.  It is important that you read these sections of the statutes and determine whether the exceptions or adjustments apply in your case.  The relevant sections are:

  § 4055(b)(7)  Low income adjustment.  Also see   § 4055(c)

  § 4057(b)(1), § 4065(a)  Parties' stipulation.

  § 4057(b)(2)  Deferred sale of family residence.

  § 4057(b)(3), § 4055(b)(3)-(4)  Payor's extraordinarily high income.

  § 4057(b)(4)  Parent not contributing at level commensurate with custodial time.

  § 4057(b)(5)(A)-(C)  Application of formula amount would be unjust or inappropriate due to special circumstances.

  § 4061-4062  Addition of amounts for related expenses.

  § 4057.5(a)-(b)  Consideration of income of subsequent spouse or nonmarital partner.

(Contrast with  § 4058(b).)

  § 4062(a)  Mandatory additions to child support.  Also see   § 4063(e).

  § 4062(b)  Discretionary additions to child support.

  § 4064  Seasonal or fluctuating income adjustments.


Child support laws Sections 4050 - 4076, with captions
California Family Code Article 2

Index to the Uniform Guideline for Child Support

  §  4050 In adopting the statewide uniform guideline provided in this

  §  4051 This article takes effect on July 1, 1992.

  §  4052 The court shall adhere to the statewide uniform guideline and

  §  4053 In implementing the statewide uniform guideline, the courts

  §  4054 (a) The Judicial Council shall periodically review the

  §  4055 (a) The statewide uniform guideline for determining child

  §  4056 (a) To comply with federal law, the court shall state, in

  §  4057 (a) The amount of child support established by the formula

  §  4057.5 (a) (1) The income of the obligor parent's subsequent

  §  4058 (a) The annual gross income of each parent means income from

  §  4059 The annual net disposable income of each parent shall be

  §  4060 The monthly net disposable income shall be computed by

  §  4061 The amounts in Section 4062, if ordered to be paid, shall be

  §  4062 (a) The court shall order the following as additional child

  §  4063 (a) When making an order pursuant to paragraph (2) of

  §  4064 The court may adjust the child support order as appropriate

  §  4065 (a) Unless prohibited by applicable federal law, the parties

  §  4066 Orders and stipulations otherwise in compliance with the

  §  4067 It is the intent of the Legislature that the statewide

  §  4068 (a) The Judicial Council may develop the following:

  §  4069 The establishment of the statewide uniform guideline

  §  4070 If a parent is experiencing extreme financial hardship due to

  §  4071 (a) Circumstances evidencing hardship include the following:

  §  4071.5 For purposes of computing the minimum level of child

  §  4072 (a) If a deduction for hardship expenses is allowed, the

  §  4073 The court shall be guided by the goals set forth in this

  §  4074 This article applies to an award for the support of children,

  §  4075 This article shall not be construed to affect the treatment

  §  4076 (a) Whenever the court is requested to modify a child support


§ 4050 In adopting the statewide uniform guideline provided in this...
§ 4050.  In adopting the statewide uniform guideline provided in this

article, it is the intention of the Legislature to ensure that this

state remains in compliance with federal regulations for child

support guidelines.


§ 4051 This article takes effect on July 1, 1992
§ 4051.  This article takes effect on July 1, 1992.


§ 4052 The court shall adhere to the statewide uniform guideline and
§ 4052.  The court shall adhere to the statewide uniform guideline and

may depart from the guideline only in the special circumstances set

forth in this article.


§ 4053 In implementing the statewide uniform guideline, the courts
§ 4053.  In implementing the statewide uniform guideline, the courts

shall adhere to the following principles:

   (a) A parent's first and principal obligation is to support his or

her minor children according to the parent's circumstances and

station in life.

   (b) Both parents are mutually responsible for the support of their

children.

   (c) The guideline takes into account each parent's actual income

and level of responsibility for the children.

   (d) Each parent should pay for the support of the children

according to his or her ability.

   (e) The guideline seeks to place the interests of children as the

state's top priority.

   (f) Children should share in the standard of living of both

parents.  Child support may therefore appropriately improve the

standard of living of the custodial household to improve the lives of

the children.

   (g) Child support orders in cases in which both parents have high

levels of responsibility for the children should reflect the

increased costs of raising the children in two homes and should

minimize significant disparities in the children's living standards

in the two homes.

   (h) The financial needs of the children should be met through

private financial resources as much as possible.

   (i) It is presumed that a parent having primary physical

responsibility for the children contributes a significant portion of

available resources for the support of the children.

   (j) The guideline seeks to encourage fair and efficient

settlements of conflicts between parents and seeks to minimize the

need for litigation.

   (k) The guideline is intended to be presumptively correct in all

cases, and only under special circumstances should child support

orders fall below the child support mandated by the guideline

formula.

   (l) Child support orders must ensure that children actually

receive fair, timely, and sufficient support reflecting the state's

high standard of living and high costs of raising children compared

to other states.


§ 4054 (a) The Judicial Council shall periodically review the
§ 4054.  (a) The Judicial Council shall periodically review the

statewide uniform guideline to recommend to the Legislature

appropriate revisions.

   (b) The review shall include economic data on the cost of raising

children and analysis of case data, gathered through sampling or

other methods, on the actual application of the guideline after the

guideline's operative date.  The review shall also include analysis

of guidelines and studies from other states, and other research and

studies available to or undertaken by the Judicial Council.

   (c) Any recommendations for revisions to the guideline shall be

made to ensure that the guideline results in appropriate child

support orders, to limit deviations from the guideline, or otherwise

to help ensure that the guideline is in compliance with federal law.

   (d) The Judicial Council may also review and report on other

matters, including, but not limited to, the following:

   (1) The treatment of the income of a subsequent spouse or

nonmarital partner.

   (2) The treatment of children from prior or subsequent

relationships.

   (3) The application of the guideline in a case where a payor

parent has extraordinarily low or extraordinarily high income, or

where each parent has primary physical custody of one or more of the

children of the marriage.

   (4) The benefits and limitations of a uniform statewide spousal

support guideline and the interrelationship of that guideline with

the state child support guideline.

   (5) Whether the use of gross or net income in the guideline is

preferable.

   (6) Whether the guideline affects child custody litigation or the

efficiency of the judicial process.

   (7) Whether the various assumptions used in computer software used

by some courts to calculate child support comport with state law and

should be made available to parties and counsel.

   (e) The initial review by the Judicial Council shall be submitted

to the Legislature and to the State Department of Social Services on

or before December 31, 1993, and subsequent reviews shall occur at

least every four years thereafter unless federal law requires a

different interval.

   (f) In developing its recommendations, the Judicial Council shall

consult with a broad cross-section of groups involved in child

support issues, including, but not limited to, the following:

   (1) Custodial and noncustodial parents.

   (2) Representatives of established women's rights and fathers'

rights groups.

   (3) Representatives of established organizations that advocate for

the economic well-being of children.

   (4) Members of the judiciary, district attorney's offices, the

Attorney General's office, and the State Department of Social

Services.

   (5) Certified family law specialists.

   (6) Academicians specializing in family law.

   (7) Persons representing low-income parents.

   (8) Persons representing recipients of assistance under the Aid to

Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program seeking child

support services.

   (g) In developing its recommendations, the Judicial Council shall

seek public comment and shall be guided by the legislative intent

that children share in the standard of living of both of their

parents.


§ 4055 (a) The statewide uniform guideline for determining child
§ 4055.  (a) The statewide uniform guideline for determining child

support orders is as follows:  CS = K (HN - (H%) (TN)).

   (b) (1) The components of the formula are as follows:

   (A) CS = child support amount.

   (B) K = amount of both parents' income to be allocated for child

support as set forth in paragraph (3).

   (C) HN = high earner's net monthly disposable income.

   (D) H% = approximate percentage of time that the high earner has

or will have primary physical responsibility for the children

compared to the other parent.  In cases in which parents have

different time-sharing arrangements for different children, H% equals

the average of the approximate percentages of time the high earner

parent spends with each child.

   (E) TN = total net monthly disposable income of both parties.

   (2) To compute net disposable income, see § 4059.

   (3) K (amount of both parents' income allocated for child support)

equals one plus H% (if H% is less than or equal to 50 percent) or

two minus H% (if H% is greater than 50 percent) times the following

fraction:

   Total Net Disposable

     Income Per Month                     K

         $0-800                     0.20 + TN/16,000

       $801-6,666                   0.25

     $6,667-10,000                  0.10 + 1,000/TN

      Over $10,000                  0.12 + 800/TN

   For example, if H% equals 20 percent and the total monthly net

disposable income of the parents is $1,000, K = (1 + 0.20) X 0.25, or

0.30. If H% equals 80 percent and the total monthly net disposable

income of the parents is $1,000, K = (2 - 0.80) X 0.25, or 0.30.

   (4) For more than one child, multiply CS by:

  2 children               1.6

  3 children               2

  4 children               2.3

  5 children               2.5

  6 children               2.625

  7 children               2.75

  8 children               2.813

  9 children               2.844

10 children               2.86

   (5) If the amount calculated under the formula results in a

positive number, the higher earner shall pay that amount to the lower

earner.  If the amount calculated under the formula results in a

negative number, the lower earner shall pay the absolute value of

that amount to the higher earner.

   (6) In any default proceeding where proof is by affidavit pursuant

to Section 2336, or in any proceeding for child support in which a

party fails to appear after being duly noticed, H% shall be set at

zero in the formula if the noncustodial parent is the higher earner

or at 100 if the custodial parent is the higher earner, where there

is no evidence presented demonstrating the percentage of time that

the noncustodial parent has primary physical responsibility for the

children.

   (7) In all cases in which the net disposable income per month of

the obligor is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), the court

shall rule on whether a low-income adjustment shall be made.  The

ruling shall be based on the facts presented to the court, the

principles provided in § 4053, and the impact of the

contemplated adjustment on the respective net incomes of the obligor

and the obligee.  Where the court has ruled that a low-income

adjustment shall be made, the child support amount otherwise

determined under this section shall be reduced by an amount that is

no greater than the amount calculated by multiplying the child

support amount otherwise determined under this section by a fraction,

the numerator of which is 1,000 minus the obligor's net disposable

income per month, and the denominator of which is 1,000.  If a

low-income adjustment is allowed, the court shall state the reasons

supporting the adjustment in writing or on the record and shall

document the amount of the adjustment and the underlying facts and

circumstances.

   (8) Unless the court orders otherwise, the order for child support

shall allocate the support amount so that the amount of support for

the youngest child is the amount of support for one child, and the

amount for the next youngest child is the difference between that

amount and the amount for two children, with similar allocations for

additional children.  However, this paragraph does not apply to cases

where there are different time-sharing arrangements for different

children or where the court determines that the allocation would be

inappropriate in the particular case.

   (c) In the event a court uses a computer to calculate the child

support order, the computer program shall not automatically default

affirmatively or negatively on whether a low-income adjustment is to

be applied.  If the low-income adjustment is applied, the computer

program shall not provide the amount of the low-income adjustment.

Instead, the computer program shall ask the user whether or not to

apply the low-income adjustment, and if answered affirmatively, the

computer program shall provide the range of the adjustment permitted

by paragraph (7) of subdivision (b).


§ 4056 (a) To comply with federal law, the court shall state, in
§ 4056.  (a) To comply with federal law, the court shall state, in

writing or on the record, the following information whenever the

court is ordering an amount for support that differs from the

statewide uniform guideline formula amount under this article:

   (1) The amount of support that would have been ordered under the

guideline formula.

   (2) The reasons the amount of support ordered differs from the

guideline formula amount.

   (3) The reasons the amount of support ordered is consistent with

the best interests of the children.

   (b) At the request of any party, the court shall state in writing

or on the record the following information used in determining the

guideline amount under this article:

   (1) The net monthly disposable income of each parent.

   (2) The actual federal income tax filing status of each parent

(for example, single, married, married filing separately, or head of

household and number of exemptions).

   (3) Deductions from gross income for each parent.

   (4) The approximate percentage of time pursuant to paragraph (1)

of subdivision (b) of § 4055 that each parent has primary

physical responsibility for the children compared to the other

parent.


§ 4057 (a) The amount of child support established by the formula
§ 4057.  (a) The amount of child support established by the formula

provided in subdivision (a) of § 4055 is presumed to be the

correct amount of child support to be ordered.

   (b) The presumption of subdivision (a) is a rebuttable presumption

affecting the burden of proof and may be rebutted by admissible

evidence showing that application of the formula would be unjust or

inappropriate in the particular case, consistent with the principles

set forth in § 4053, because one or more of the following

factors is found to be applicable by a preponderance of the evidence,

and the court states in writing or on the record the information

required in subdivision (a) of § 4056:

   (1) The parties have stipulated to a different amount of child

support under subdivision (a) of § 4065.

   (2) The sale of the family residence is deferred pursuant to

Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 3800) of Part 1 and the rental

value of the family residence in which the children reside exceeds

the mortgage payments, homeowner's insurance, and property taxes.

The amount of any adjustment pursuant to this paragraph shall not be

greater than the excess amount.

   (3) The parent being ordered to pay child support has an

extraordinarily high income and the amount determined under the

formula would exceed the needs of the children.

   (4) A party is not contributing to the needs of the children at a

level commensurate with that party's custodial time.

   (5) Application of the formula would be unjust or inappropriate

due to special circumstances in the particular case.  These special

circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:

   (A) Cases in which the parents have different time-sharing

arrangements for different children.

   (B) Cases in which both parents have substantially equal

time-sharing of the children and one parent has a much lower or

higher percentage of income used for housing than the other parent.

   (C) Cases in which the children have special medical or other

needs that could require child support that would be greater than the

formula amount.


§ 4057.5 (a) (1) The income of the obligor parent's subsequent
§ 4057.5.  (a) (1) The income of the obligor parent's subsequent

spouse or nonmarital partner shall not be considered when determining

or modifying child support, except in an extraordinary case where

excluding that income would lead to extreme and severe hardship to

any child subject to the child support award, in which case the court

shall also consider whether including that income would lead to

extreme and severe hardship to any child supported by the obligor or

by the obligor's subsequent spouse or nonmarital partner.

   (2) The income of the obligee parent's subsequent spouse or

nonmarital partner shall not be considered when determining or

modifying child support, except in an extraordinary case where

excluding that income would lead to extreme and severe hardship to

any child subject to the child support award, in which case the court

shall also consider whether including that income would lead to

extreme and severe hardship to any child supported by the obligee or

by the obligee's subsequent spouse or nonmarital partner.

   (b) For purposes of this section, an extraordinary case may

include a parent who voluntarily or intentionally quits work or

reduces income, or who intentionally remains unemployed or

underemployed and relies on a subsequent spouse's income.

   (c) If any portion of the income of either parent's subsequent

spouse or nonmarital partner is allowed to be considered pursuant to

this section, discovery for the purposes of determining income shall

be based on W2 and 1099 income tax forms, except where the court

determines that application would be unjust or inappropriate.

   (d) If any portion of the income of either parent's subsequent

spouse or nonmarital partner is allowed to be considered pursuant to

this section, the court shall allow a hardship deduction based on the

minimum living expenses for one or more stepchildren of the party

subject to the order.

   (e) The enactment of this section constitutes cause to bring an

action for modification of a child support order entered prior to the

operative date of this section.


§ 4058 (a) The annual gross income of each parent means income from
§ 4058.  (a) The annual gross income of each parent means income from

whatever source derived, except as specified in subdivision (c) and

includes, but is not limited to, the following:

   (1) Income such as commissions, salaries, royalties, wages,

bonuses, rents, dividends, pensions, interest, trust income,

annuities, workers' compensation benefits, unemployment insurance

benefits, disability insurance benefits, social security benefits,

and spousal support actually received from a person not a party to

the proceeding to establish a child support order under this article.

   (2) Income from the proprietorship of a business, such as gross

receipts from the business reduced by expenditures required for the

operation of the business.

   (3) In the discretion of the court, employee benefits or

self-employment benefits, taking into consideration the benefit to

the employee, any corresponding reduction in living expenses, and

other relevant facts.

   (b) The court may, in its discretion, consider the earning

capacity of a parent in lieu of the parent's income, consistent with

the best interests of the children.

   (c) Annual gross income does not include any income derived from

child support payments actually received, and income derived from any

public assistance program, eligibility for which is based on a

determination of need.  Child support received by a party for

children from another relationship shall not be included as part of

that party's gross or net income.


§ 4059 The annual net disposable income of each parent shall be
§ 4059.  The annual net disposable income of each parent shall be

computed by deducting from his or her annual gross income the actual

amounts attributable to the following items or other items permitted

under this article:

   (a) The state and federal income tax liability resulting from the

parties' taxable income.  Federal and state income tax deductions

shall bear an accurate relationship to the tax status of the parties

(that is, single, married, married filing separately, or head of

household) and number of dependents.  State and federal income taxes

shall be those actually payable (not necessarily current withholding)

after considering appropriate filing status, all available

exclusions, deductions, and credits.  Unless the parties stipulate

otherwise, the tax effects of spousal support shall not be considered

in determining the net disposable income of the parties for

determining child support, but shall be considered in determining

spousal support consistent with Chapter 3 (commencing with Section

4330) of Part 3.

   (b) Deductions attributed to the employee's contribution or the

self-employed worker's contribution pursuant to the Federal Insurance

Contributions Act (FICA), or an amount not to exceed that allowed

under FICA for persons not subject to FICA, provided that the

deducted amount is used to secure retirement or disability benefits

for the parent.

   (c) Deductions for mandatory union dues and retirement benefits,

provided that they are required as a condition of employment.

   (d) Deductions for health insurance or health plan premiums for

the parent and for any children the parent has an obligation to

support and deductions for state disability insurance premiums.

   (e) Any child or spousal support actually being paid by the parent

pursuant to a court order, to or for the benefit of any person who

is not a subject of the order to be established by the court.  In the

absence of a court order, any child support actually being paid, not

to exceed the amount established by the guideline, for natural or

adopted children of the parent not residing in that parent's home,

who are not the subject of the order to be established by the court,

and of whom the parent has a duty of support.  Unless the parent

proves payment of the support, no deduction shall be allowed under

this subdivision.

   (f) Job-related expenses, if allowed by the court after

consideration of whether the expenses are necessary, the benefit to

the employee, and any other relevant facts.

   (g) A deduction for hardship, as defined by Sections § 4070 to § 4073,

inclusive, and applicable published appellate court decisions.  The

amount of the hardship shall not be deducted from the amount of child

support, but shall be deducted from the income of the party to whom

it applies.  In applying any hardship under  paragraph (2) of

subdivision (a) of § 4071, the court shall seek to provide

equity between competing child support orders.  The Judicial Council

shall develop a formula for calculating the maximum hardship

deduction and shall submit it to the Legislature for its

consideration on or before July 1, 1995.


§ 4060 The monthly net disposable income shall be computed by
§ 4060.  The monthly net disposable income shall be computed by

dividing the annual net disposable income by 12.  If the monthly net

disposable income figure does not accurately reflect the actual or

prospective earnings of the parties at the time the determination of

support is made, the court may adjust the amount appropriately.


§ 4061 The amounts in Section 4062, if ordered to be paid, shall be
§ 4061.  The amounts in § 4062, if ordered to be paid, shall be

considered additional support for the children and shall be computed

in accordance with the following:

   (a) If there needs to be an apportionment of expenses pursuant to

§ 4062, the expenses shall be divided one-half to each parent,

unless either parent requests a different apportionment pursuant to

subdivision (b) and presents documentation which demonstrates that a

different apportionment would be more appropriate.

   (b) If requested by either parent, and the court determines it is

appropriate to apportion expenses under § 4062 other than

one-half to each parent, the apportionment shall be as follows:

   (1) The basic child support obligation shall first be computed

using the formula set forth in subdivision (a) of § 4055, as

adjusted for any appropriate rebuttal factors in subdivision (b) of

§ 4057.

   (2) Any additional child support required for expenses pursuant to

§ 4062 shall thereafter be ordered to be paid by the parents

in proportion to their net disposable incomes as adjusted pursuant to

subdivisions (c) and (d).

   (c) In cases where spousal support is or has been ordered to be

paid by one parent to the other, for purposes of allocating

additional expenses pursuant to § 4062, the gross income of the

parent paying spousal support shall be decreased by the amount of

the spousal support paid and the gross income of the parent receiving

the spousal support shall be increased by the amount of the spousal

support received for as long as the spousal support order is in

effect and is paid.

   (d) For purposes of computing the adjusted net disposable income

of the parent paying child support for allocating any additional

expenses pursuant to § 4062, the net disposable income of the

parent paying child support shall be reduced by the amount of any

basic child support ordered to be paid under subdivision (a) of

§ 4055.  However, the net disposable income of the parent

receiving child support shall not be increased by any amount of child

support received.


§ 4062 (a) The court shall order the following as additional child
§ 4062.  (a) The court shall order the following as additional child

support:

   (1) Child care costs related to employment or to reasonably

necessary education or training for employment skills.

   (2) The reasonable uninsured health care costs for the children as

provided in § 4063.

   (b) The court may order the following as additional child support:

   (1) Costs related to the educational or other special needs of the

children.

   (2) Travel expenses for visitation.


§ 4063 (a) When making an order pursuant to paragraph (2) of
§ 4063.  (a) When making an order pursuant to paragraph (2) of

subdivision (a) of § 4062, the court shall:

   (1) Advise each parent, in writing or on the record, of his or her

rights and liabilities, including financial responsibilities.

   (2) Include in its order the time period for a parent to reimburse

the other parent for the reimbursing parent's share of the

reasonable additional child support costs subject to the requirements

of this section.

   (b) Unless there has been an assignment of rights pursuant to

Section 11477 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, when either

parent accrues or pays costs pursuant to an order under this section,

that parent shall provide the other parent with an itemized

statement of the costs within a reasonable time, but not more than 30

days after accruing the costs.  These costs shall then be paid as

follows:

   (1) If a parent has already paid all of these costs, that parent

shall provide proof of payment and a request for reimbursement of his

or her court-ordered share to the other parent.

   (2) If a parent has paid his or her court-ordered share of the

costs only, that parent shall provide proof of payment to the other

parent, request the other parent to pay the remainder of the costs

directly to the provider, and provide the reimbursing parent with any

necessary information about how to make the payment to the provider.

   (3) The other parent shall make the reimbursement or pay the

remaining costs within the time period specified by the court, or, if

no period is specified, within a reasonable time not to exceed 30

days from notification of the amount due, or according to any payment

schedule set by the health care provider for either parent unless

the parties agree in writing to another payment schedule or the court

finds good cause for setting another payment schedule.

   (4) If the reimbursing parent disputes a request for payment, that

parent shall pay the requested amount and  thereafter may seek

judicial relief under this section and Section 290.  If the

reimbursing parent fails to pay the other parent as required by this

subdivision, the other parent may seek judicial relief under this

section and Section 290.

   (c) Either parent may file a noticed motion to enforce an order

issued pursuant to this section.  In addition to the court's powers

under Section 290, the court may award filing costs and reasonable

attorney's fees if it finds that either party acted without

reasonable cause regarding his or her obligations pursuant to this

section.

   (d) There is a rebuttable presumption that the costs actually paid

for the uninsured health care needs of the children are reasonable,

except as provided in subdivision (e).

   (e) Except as provided in subdivision (g):

   (1) The health care insurance coverage, including, but not limited

to, coverage for emergency treatment, provided by a parent pursuant

to a court order, shall be the coverage to be utilized at all times,

consistent with the requirements of that coverage, unless the other

parent can show that the health care insurance coverage is inadequate

to meet the child's needs.

   (2) If either parent obtains health care insurance coverage in

addition to that provided pursuant to the court order, that parent

shall bear sole financial responsibility for the costs of that

additional coverage and the costs of any care or treatment obtained

pursuant thereto in excess of the costs that would have been incurred

under the health care insurance coverage provided for in the court

order.

   (f) Except as provided in subdivision (g):

   (1) If the health care insurance coverage provided by a parent

pursuant to a court order designates a preferred health care

provider, that preferred provider shall be used at all times,

consistent with the terms and requirements of that coverage.

   (2) If either parent uses a health care provider other than the

preferred provider inconsistent with the terms and requirements of

the court-ordered health care insurance coverage, the parent

obtaining that care shall bear the sole responsibility for any

nonreimbursable health care costs in excess of the costs that would

have been incurred under the court-ordered health care insurance

coverage had the preferred provider been used.

   (g) When ruling on a motion made pursuant to  this section, in

order to ensure that the health care needs of the child under this

section are met, the court shall consider all relevant facts,

including, but not limited to, the following:

   (1) The geographic access and reasonable availability of necessary

health care for the child which complies with the terms of the

health care insurance coverage paid for by either parent pursuant to

a court order.

   (2) The necessity of emergency medical treatment that may have

precluded the use of the health care insurance, or the preferred

health care provider required under the insurance, provided by either

parent pursuant to a court order.

   (3) The special medical needs of the child.

   (4) The reasonable inability of a parent to pay the full amount of

reimbursement within a 30-day period and the resulting necessity for

a court-ordered payment schedule.


§ 4064 The court may adjust the child support order as appropriate
§ 4064.  The court may adjust the child support order as appropriate

to accommodate seasonal or fluctuating income of either parent.


§ 4065 (a) Unless prohibited by applicable federal law, the parties
§ 4065.  (a) Unless prohibited by applicable federal law, the parties

may stipulate to a child support amount subject to approval of the

court.  However, the court shall not approve a stipulated agreement

for child support below the guideline formula amount unless the

parties declare all of the following:

   (1) They are fully informed of their rights concerning child

support.

   (2) The order is being agreed to without coercion or duress.

   (3) The agreement is in the best interests of the children

involved.

   (4) The needs of the children will be adequately met by the

stipulated amount.

   (5) The right to support has not been assigned to the county

pursuant to Section 11477 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and no

public assistance application is pending.

   (b) A stipulated agreement of child support is not valid unless

the district attorney has joined in the stipulation by signing it in

any case in which the district attorney is providing services

pursuant to Section 11475.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

The district attorney shall not stipulate to a child support order

below the guideline amount if the children are receiving assistance

under the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, if

an application for public assistance is pending, or if the parent

receiving support has not consented to the order.

   (c) If the parties to a stipulated agreement stipulate to a child

support order below the amount established by the statewide uniform

guideline, no change of circumstances need be demonstrated to obtain

a modification of the child support order to the applicable guideline

level or above.


§ 4066 Orders and stipulations otherwise in compliance with the
§ 4066.  Orders and stipulations otherwise in compliance with the

statewide uniform guideline may designate as "family support" an

unallocated total sum for support of the spouse and any children

without specifically labeling all or any portion as "child support"

as long as the amount is adjusted to reflect the effect of additional

deductibility.  The amount of the order shall be adjusted to

maximize the tax benefits for both parents.


§ 4067 It is the intent of the Legislature that the statewide
§ 4067.  It is the intent of the Legislature that the statewide

uniform guideline shall be reviewed by the Legislature at least every

four years and shall be revised by the Legislature as appropriate to

ensure that its application results in the determination of

appropriate child support amounts.  The review shall include

consideration of changes required by applicable federal laws and

regulations or recommended from time to time by the  Judicial Council

pursuant to § 4054.


§ 4068 (a) The Judicial Council may develop the following:
§ 4068.  (a) The Judicial Council may develop the following:

   (1) Model worksheets to assist parties in determining the

approximate amount of child support due under the formula provided in

subdivision (a) of § 4055 and the approximate percentage of

time each parent has primary physical responsibility for the

children.

   (2) A form to assist the courts in making the findings and orders

required by this article.

   (b) The Judicial Council, in consultation with representatives of

the State Department of Social Services, the California Family

Support Council, the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Assembly

Judiciary Committee, the Family Law Section of the State Bar of

California, a legal services organization providing representation on

child support matters, a custodial parent group, and a noncustodial

parent group, shall develop a simplified income and expense form for

determining child support under the formula provided in subdivision

(a) of § 4055, by June 1, 1995.  The Judicial Council, also in

consultation with these groups, shall develop factors to use to

determine when the simplified income and expense form may be used and

when the standard income and expense form must be used.


§ 4069 The establishment of the statewide uniform guideline
§ 4069.  The establishment of the statewide uniform guideline

constitutes a change of circumstances.


§ 4070 If a parent is experiencing extreme financial hardship due to
§ 4070.  If a parent is experiencing extreme financial hardship due to

justifiable expenses resulting from the circumstances enumerated in

§ 4071, on the request of a party, the court may allow the

income deductions under § 4059 that may be necessary to

accommodate those circumstances.


§ 4071 (a) Circumstances evidencing hardship include the following:
§ 4071.  (a) Circumstances evidencing hardship include the following:

   (1) Extraordinary health expenses for which the parent is

financially responsible, and uninsured catastrophic losses.

   (2) The minimum basic living expenses of either parent's natural

or adopted children for whom the parent has the obligation to support

from other marriages or relationships who reside with the parent.

The court, on its own motion or on the request of a party, may allow

these income deductions as necessary to accommodate these expenses

after making the deductions allowable under paragraph (1).

   (b) The maximum hardship deduction under paragraph (2) of

subdivision (a) for each child who resides with the parent may be

equal to, but shall not exceed, the support allocated each child

subject to the order.  For purposes of calculating this deduction,

the amount of support per child established by the statewide uniform

guideline shall be the total amount ordered divided by the number of

children and not the amount established under paragraph (8) of

subdivision (b) of § 4055.

   (c) The Judicial Council may develop tables in accordance with

this section to reflect the maximum hardship deduction, taking into

consideration the parent's net disposable income before the hardship

deduction, the number of children for whom the deduction is being

given, and the number of children for whom the support award is being

made.


§ 4071.5 For purposes of computing the minimum level of child
§ 4071.5.  For purposes of computing the minimum level of child

support under § 4070, no hardship shall be deemed to exist and

no deduction from income shall be granted if aid payments are being

made pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3

of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code on behalf of a

child or children of the parent seeking the deduction, even if the

payments are being received by the other parent.


§ 4072 (a) If a deduction for hardship expenses is allowed, the
§ 4072.  (a) If a deduction for hardship expenses is allowed, the

court shall do both of the following:

   (1) State the reasons supporting the deduction in writing or on

the record.

   (2) Document the amount of the deduction and the underlying facts

and circumstances.

   (b) Whenever possible, the court shall specify the duration of the

deduction.


§ 4073 The court shall be guided by the goals set forth in this
§ 4073.  The court shall be guided by the goals set forth in this

article when considering whether or not to allow a financial hardship

deduction, and, if allowed, when determining the amount of the

deduction.


§ 4074 This article applies to an award for the support of children,
§ 4074.  This article applies to an award for the support of children,

including those awards designated as "family support," that contain

provisions for the support of children as well as for the support of

the spouse.


§ 4075 This article shall not be construed to affect the treatment
§ 4075.  This article shall not be construed to affect the treatment

of spousal support and separate maintenance payments pursuant to

Section 71 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (26 U.S.C. Sec. 71).


§ 4076 (a) Whenever the court is requested to modify a child support
§ 4076.  (a) Whenever the court is requested to modify a child support

order issued prior to July 1, 1992, for the purpose of conforming to

the statewide child support guideline, and it is not using its

discretionary authority to depart from the guideline pursuant to

paragraph (3), (4), or (5) of subdivision (b) of § 4057, and

the amount of child support to be ordered is the amount provided

under the guideline formula in subdivision (a) of § 4055, the

court may, in its discretion, order a two-step phasein of the formula

amount of support to provide the obligor with time for transition to

the full formula amount if all of the following are true:

   (1) The period of the phasein is carefully limited to the time

necessary for the obligor to rearrange his or her financial

obligations in order to meet the full formula amount of support.

   (2) The obligor is immediately being ordered to pay not less than

30 percent of the amount of the child support increase, in addition

to the amount of child support required under the prior order.

   (3) The obligor has not unreasonably increased his or her

financial obligations following notice of the motion for modification

of support, has no arrearages owing, and has a history of good faith

compliance with prior support orders.

   (b) Whenever the court grants a request for a phasein pursuant to

this section, the court shall state the following in writing:

   (1) The specific reasons why (A) the immediate imposition of the

full formula amount of support would place an extraordinary hardship

on the obligor, and (B) this extraordinary hardship on the obligor

would outweigh the hardship caused the supported children by the

temporary phasein of the full formula amount of support.

   (2) The full guideline amount of support, the date and amount of

each phasein, and the date that the obligor must commence paying the

full formula amount of support, which in no event shall be later than

one year after the filing of the motion for modification of support.

   (c) In the event the court orders a phasein pursuant to this

section, and the court thereafter determines that the obligor has

violated the phasein schedule or has intentionally lowered the income

available for the payment of child support during the phasein

period, the court may order the immediate payment of the full formula

amount of child support and the difference in the amount of support

that would have been due without the phasein and the amount of

support due with the phasein, in addition to any other penalties

provided for by law.


CCS Est fill-in fields

There are four fill-in fields that must be correctly and accurately filled in by you for the estimate to work.  Two of the fields hold dollar values for the monthly "net" (disposable) income of each custodian.  The law specifies how to calculate monthly net; see Help on monthly net income.  The third field holds a percentage value between 0 and 100 for the amount of custodial time the children spend with the HIGHER earner.  Be sure to fill in the higher earner time, which is often but not always less than 50 percent; see Help on custodial time percentage.  The fourth field holds the number of custodial children to be supported.  There is no way to specify a fraction of a child; only whole numbers are acceptable, as that is the way the statute specifies the formula; see Help on custodial children.

Monthly net income	Monthly net disposable income as specified by statute.
Custodial time percentage	Percentage of custodial time for the HIGHER earner
Custodial children	Number of custodial children
When you have succeeded in filling in these fields, press the Estimate button near the center of the program window.  The result of your calculation will appear in the result window located in the lower left quadrant of the program window.


Time: custodial time percentage
Help on custodial time percentage

     "Custodial Time" is a term we devised to mean the time each parent has primary physical responsibility for their child/ren.. You do not need to have custody of your child to have your time counted toward "custodial time." In fact, since the time you are in charge of your child/ren's care is a major factor in how much child support money is owed in your situation, you should be careful to count all the time you can. (We use the device "child/ren" because we don't know whether you are calculating for one child or some children.)

     This Program Window field needs a PERCENTAGE of time typed into it. There are 3 steps involved in determining which percentage of time to put in that window. You figure out the percentage of time per month that you have primary physical responsibility for the children you and your ex-spouse had together. Then you figure out the percentage of time that your ex-spouse has them. Lastly, you need to know who is the HIGHER monthly earner between you and your ex-spouse. You put that HIGHER earner's percentage of custodial time in the "Custodial Time" box in our Program Window. Do not  count time you are in charge of children from a different marriage or relationship.

     WARNING!!! The statutory formula works by putting in the percentage of time that the HIGHER earner in your situation has primary physical responsibility of the child/ren. Please double check that you put in that HIGHER earner's percentage of time; don't  just put in your own because that is the first percentage that you figured out. Even if  yours is the higher percent you do not necessarily enter your percentage number in the "Custodial Time" box. IF YOUR EX-SPOUSE HAS A HIGHER INCOME THAN YOU, USE YOUR EX-SPOUSE'S PERCENT OF TIME in the "Custodial Time" box. (The reason for this big WARNING!!! is that putting in the wrong person's percentage of time is the most common user error in this program.)

     NOTE: Per the warning above, it is usually true that the HIGHER earner has the child/ren a LOWER PERCENTAGE of time.

     These instructions will first describe how to determine custodial time. Then we will describe the 3-step process for determining whose percentage of time (yours or your ex-spouse's) is put in the "Custodial Time" box.

HOW TO DETERMINE CUSTODIAL TIME
(We recommend that you use a calculator for either of these two methods.)

     There are 2 major ways to determine what your percentage of time is of primary physical responsibility for your children:

1) You can count the number of days per month you are in charge of your child/ren. Multiply that number by 12 (months). That gives you the number of days per year you are in charge of your children. Now you just divide that number by 365 (the number of days in a year). Your result will be some number with a decimal that is less than one. To turn that number into a percentage simply multiply it by 100, or move your decimal point over two digits to the right. This will give you your custodial time percentage. (Example: You have your child/ren 8 days per month. 8 x 12 = 96 days per year. 96 divided by 365 equals 0.263.  0.263 times 100 is 26.3. Notice that the easy way to multiply 0.263 by 100 was simply to move the decimal point over two digits to the right. Your custodial time percentage is 26%.) NOTE: Judges often count the number of times your child/ren spend the night with you and call that a child support "day."

2) You can count the number of hours per month you are in charge of your children. Multiply that number by 12 (months). That gives you the number of hours per year you are in charge of your children. Just divide that number by 8,760 (the number of hours in a year). Your result will be some number with a decimal that is less than one. To turn that number into a percentage simply multiply it by 100, or move your decimal point over two digits to the right. This will give you your custodial time percentage. (Example: You have your child/ren 380 hours per month. 380 x 12 equals 4,560 hours per year. 4,560 divided by 8,760 equals 0.52.  0.52 times 100 is 52. Notice that the easy way to multiply 0.52 by 100 was to simply move the decimal point over two digits to the right. Your custodial time percentage is 52%.)

     You decide which of the 2 major ways described above works best for you.

     What if you have different time-sharing arrangements for different children? You average the percentages of time you spend with each child. (Example: You have your high school daughter 80% of the time and your elementary school son 20% of the time. You add the two percentages [80 + 20 = 100] and divide that answer by the number of children [100 divided by 2]. Your answer is 50. Thus, you claim you have your children 50% of the time for purposes of the child support formula.)

     What if you can't remember exactly when you have been in charge of your children, and you're trying to calculate your time? Look on your calendar for notations about your, or your ex-spouse's, times of primary physical custody. We highly recommend that you keep a calendar record of physical custody time if you think your ex-spouse is going to try to dispute your figures regarding percentage of custodial time.

THE 3-STEP PROCESS FOR DETERMINING WHOSE PERCENTAGE OF TIME
 IS PUT IN THE "CUSTODIAL TIME" BOX

STEP ONE: On a piece of paper put down the percentage of your custodial time, gotten from the days or hours method described in "How to Determine Custodial Time," above.

STEP TWO: Subtract your percentage of time from 100. This is your ex-spouse's percentage of time.

STEP THREE: Determine which of you has the higher monthly net income. (If you haven't done this already, see our description of "Monthly Net Income" in our help section.) The person who has the HIGHER INCOME gets their custodial time  percentage put in the "Custodial Time" box, for the purpose of the child support formula.

    NOTE: Our formula asks you to simply put in a percentage number without including the percentage sign after it. For example, if the custodial time you are going to insert in the "Custodial Time"  box is 25%, you simply type in 25.


Children: custodial children
Help on custodial children

     "Custodial Child" and "Custodial Children" are terms we devised to mean the children in your child support situation who qualify to be counted in your child support calculation. You do not need to have custody of your child to get or pay for child support. The only thing you have to have is a child or some children whom you are legally obligated to support.  (We use the device "child/ren" because we don't know whether you are calculating for one child or some children.)

     This Program Window field is the easiest to fill out. All you do is type in THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN YOU AND YOUR EX-SPOUSE HAD TOGETHER. Do not include any other children you have from a different marriage or relationship.

     As you can imagine, however, the above little guideline can be complicated, depending upon your situation. We'll list a few guidelines here. Additionally, if your situation is a little complicated, you may want to consult with a family law attorney or family law specialist to find out your rights and responsibilities regarding your child/ren.

GUIDELINES FOR FIGURING YOUR NUMBER OF CHILDREN FOR CHILD SUPPORT PURPOSES

1) You are legally obligated to support any child born to you and your ex-spouse who is under the age of 18 (or your unmarried full-time high school student until s/he becomes 19 years of age or graduates, whichever occurs first).

2) Your obligation for child support ends if your child becomes "emancipated" by: [a] entering into a valid marriage; [b] becoming an active member of the U.S. armed forces; or [c] getting a declaration of emancipation from a judge.

3) You are not obligated to provide child support for your adult child to go to college. The exception to this general rule is if such support was agreed to in your divorce settlement.

4) Child support is legally authorized for adult children who are "incapacitated from earning a living and without sufficient means," meaning an adult who is mentally or physically unable to work.

5) If you adopted a child you are legally obligated to support that child. (You may want to consult an adoption specialist if you're not getting cooperation from your ex-spouse on this issue.)

6) Stepparents generally are not obligated to support their stepchildren. (The legal concept of "estoppel" applies if you: [a] represented to the child/ren that you were the true parent, intending that the child/ren rely on that representation; and [b] the child/ren were ignorant of the truth and relied on your representation, giving you the love and affection they would give a parent.) (Again, if you think this rare exception to the general rule of no stepparent support applies to you, you may want to consult an attorney.)

7) If you have more than one child from this relationship you might have different time-sharing arrangements for each child. This does not mean that to reflect those arrangements you put in some different number, or fraction of number, than the actual number of children you have from your relationship. These different time-sharing arrangements will be reflected in the "Custodial Time" box in the Program Window.

8) If you are pregnant with a child from your ex-spouse, when that child is born it is included in your "Number of Custodial children" box. (This area of the law can be tricky, so you may need to consult an attorney if this situation applies to you.)

     Ready? Type in the number of children you and your ex-spouse have together in the Program Window box for "Custodial Child/ren."


Income: Monthly "net" income
Help on "Monthly Net Income"

"Monthly Net Income," for the purposes of the child support statutes, equals GROSS INCOME from the following defined specific sources MINUS the following defined specific DEDUCTIONS. Read on.

 There are two ways to calculate your "Monthly Net Income" for the purposes of this program:

(A) You can determine your net income by subtracting deductions specified in the statute from your Yearly Gross Income (we'll show you how, using a financial worksheet) and then dividing that result by 12 (months); OR

(B) You can "ballpark" your yearly net income and the income of your ex-spouse (and then divide those numbers by 12) to get an approximation of your monthly net income. (We'll describe that option in more detail below.)

   THE MORE EXACT YOUR INCOME FIGURES ARE, THE MORE ACCURATE YOUR CHILD SUPPORT ESTIMATE WILL BE. Thus, if you take the time to make a financial worksheet for yourself and your ex-spouse and plug those numbers into our program, your child support estimate will be much more accurate than if you just "ballpark" your figures.

   Ready? We'll start by describing the "ballpark" option from (B), above, since this is the easiest way to utilize our program. You may want to do a few test run-throughs of  CCS Est to try this easy way, and then make a worksheet and try option (A), above. (Remember, the more exact your income figures are, the more accurate your child support estimate will be.)

THE "BALLPARK" OPTION

     When we say "ballpark" your income, we mean get a rough approximation of your income. There are two main easy ways you can do this:

[1] You can take your taxable income amount from last year's Federal Income Tax form and divide that number by 12 (months).

    Type in this result in the "Monthly Net Income" box in the Program Window; OR

[2] You can take what you know is your annual gross income and subtract your known tax deductions to get your current taxable income. Then, subtract from that the taxable percentage that your tax bracket places you in.  Now divide that number by 12 (months). ( For example, say your gross income is $60,000 and your known tax deductions are $15,000.  Then your current taxable income is $60,000 - $15,000, or $45,000.  Further, you pay 27% of that in combined Federal and State income taxes, leaving 73% for you.  So, your yearly net income is  $45,000 X 0.73  = $32,850.  Your monthly net income is $32,850 divided by 12, which is $2737.)

    Type this result in the "Monthly Net Income" box in the Program Window.

     You might be able to come up with some variation of these two ways that works best for you. You could also make an accurate worksheet for yourself using option (A), and then "ballpark" your ex-spouse's income for a test run-through.

     (NOTE: You may wish to get and use Judicial Council Form numbers 1285.50, 1285.50a, b, and c - the four-page "Income and Expense Declaration" forms - from your local courthouse or legal papers supplier. On these forms you list the income and expenses that a court would examine in determining child support in your case. They take some trouble to fill out, but when you're done you'll have all the figures you need in one place. Also, you can legally serve these blank forms on your ex-spouse and get him/her to give you their accurate figure for your calculations.)

     Remember, one big advantage of CCS Est is that you can run many trial figures through the program (over and over and over . . . .), so go ahead and try it with your "ballpark" figures. When you're comfortable with using your figures using the "ballpark" option you may want to try the financial worksheet option described below.

 THE FINANCIAL WORKSHEET OPTION

     This option takes a bit of work. Read the material in this section so you know what numbers you're going to need. We recommend you either get out a pencil and paper and add up your numbers from the categories listed below, or you print out the worksheets below and fill your number in on those sheets. Either way, you will need to keep a tally of your numbers so you can type in your result in the "Monthly Net Income" box in the Program Window.

To print the Gross Income Worksheet, click on the words "Print the Gross Income Worksheet" below, then choose the Print Topic option from the File menu. After printing, click on the Back button to return to this page.  Similarly, to print the Deductions to Gross Income Worksheet, click on the words "Print the Deductions to Gross Income Worksheet" below, then choose the Print Topic option from the File menu. After printing, click on the Back button to return to this page.

 Print the Gross Income Worksheet	Print the Deductions to Gross Income Worksheet

STEP ONE: Start by listing your sources of annual GROSS INCOME.

      Gross Income includes income from any source EXCEPT income derived from (a) child support payments actually received, and (b) any public assistance program for which eligibility is based on need.

      Do you have income from any of the following  statutory gross income sources? If so, list it here. Add up your numbers from this list. This is your GROSS INCOME.

GROSS INCOME WORKSHEET

*Commissions _______;

*Salaries _______;

*Royalties _______;

*Wages _______;

*Bonuses _______;

*Rents _______;

*Dividends _______;

*Pensions _______;

*Interest _______;

*Trust Income _______;

*Annuities _______;

*Workers' Compensation Benefits _______;

*Unemployment Insurance Benefits _______;

*Disability Insurance Benefits _______;

*Social Security Benefits _______;

*Spousal Support actually received from a different ex-spouse than in this proceeding _______;

*Income from the proprietorship of a business, i.e., gross receipts less required expenditures _______;

*Employee benefits or self-employment benefits. (This figure is at the court's discretion, "taking into consideration the benefit to the employee or self-employed person, any corresponding reduction in living expenses, and other relevant facts." Fill this space however you can.) _______;

*Note that the statutory language defining "gross income" states that "gross income includes, but is not limited to" the above listed sources, so do what you can here. An example of a money source that was included as gross income by a court that is not listed in the statute is lottery winnings. _______.

YOUR TOTAL: _______ This is your GROSS INCOME.

STEP TWO: Now list DEDUCTIONS to Gross Income.

       Add your numbers for the following listed statutory deductions from gross income.

DEDUCTIONS TO GROSS INCOME WORKSHEET

* State and Federal income taxes. Amounts deducted must be taxes actually payable, not necessarily the amounts you currently withhold. KEEP IN MIND YOUR TAX STATUS TITLE (single, Head of household, etc.) as well as NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS you plan (hope) to claim _______;

*FICA contributions (Social Security/Medicare). Note that if you're not subject to FICA you may deduct the amount you actually contribute to secure retirement or disability benefits up to what would be your FICA deduction _______;

*Union dues and retirement benefits if they are required as a condition of your employment _______;

*Health insurance/health plan premiums/state disability insurance premiums for you, and for any children you have an obligation to support _______;

*Child support or spousal support for someone not involved in this case, if it is pursuant to a court order. (Child support being paid without a court order may also be deducted if: [a] It does not exceed the amount established by the state guidelines; [b] The support is for a natural or adopted child who does not live with you; [c] There is no current court order for this child; [d] You have a duty to support the child/ren; and [e] You can prove that the support is actually being paid.) (Whew!) _______;

*Job-related expenses, to the extent allowable by the court, after consideration of: whether the expenses are necessary; the benefit to the employee; and other relevant facts _______;

*Hardship deductions:

     [a] Extraordinary health expenses not covered by your health insurance for which you are financially responsible. (Examples: Psychiatric, medication, or hospital bills) _______;

     [b] Uninsured catastrophic losses. (Examples: Damage from flood or earthquake) _______;

     [c] Minimum basic living expenses for children who live with you whom you are obligated to support _______. Use your best prediction of your likely payment for the upcoming year. (If this hardship deduction applies to you, you should read Family Law statute numbers 4071(a)(2), 4071(b), and 4057.5(d) to determine who is covered in this area.)

YOUR TOTAL: _______ This is your DEDUCTIONS to Gross Income.

STEP THREE: It's time to calculate your NET INCOME.

       (You're almost done. This is the easy part.)

       *Put down the result of your GROSS INCOME calculations _______;

       *Now put down the result of your DEDUCTIONS calculations _______;

       *SUBTRACT your DEDUCTIONS result from your GROSS INCOME result _______.

Ta da! You're all done! Now all you do is divide your answer by 12. This will give you your MONTHLY NET INCOME. _______

When our Program Window asks you to type in your "Monthly Net Income" this is the number you type in.


Gross Income Worksheet

*Commissions _______;

*Salaries _______;

*Royalties _______;

*Wages _______;

*Bonuses _______;

*Rents _______;

*Dividends _______;

*Pensions _______;

*Interest _______;

*Trust Income _______;

*Annuities _______;

*Workers' Compensation Benefits _______;

*Unemployment Insurance Benefits _______;

*Disability Insurance Benefits _______;

*Social Security Benefits _______;

*Spousal Support actually received from a different ex-spouse than in this proceeding _______;

*Income from the proprietorship of a business, i.e., gross receipts less required expenditures _______;

*Employee benefits or self-employment benefits. (This figure is at the court's discretion, "taking into consideration the benefit to the employee or self-employed person, any corresponding reduction in living expenses, and other relevant facts." Fill this space however you can.) _______;

*Note that the statutory language defining "gross income" states that "gross income includes, but is not limited to" the above listed sources, so do what you can here. An example of a money source that was included as gross income by a court that is not listed in the statute is lottery winnings. _______.

YOUR TOTAL: _______ This is your GROSS INCOME.


Deductions to Gross Income Worksheet

* State and Federal income taxes. Amounts deducted must be taxes actually payable, not necessarily the amounts you currently withhold. KEEP IN MIND YOUR TAX STATUS TITLE (single, Head of household, etc.) as well as NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS you plan (hope) to claim _______;

*FICA contributions (Social Security/Medicare). Note that if you're not subject to FICA you may deduct the amount you actually contribute to secure retirement or disability benefits up to what would be your FICA deduction _______;

*Union dues and retirement benefits if they are required as a condition of your employment _______;

*Health insurance/health plan premiums/state disability insurance premiums for you, and for any children you have an obligation to support _______;

*Child support or spousal support for someone not involved in this case, if it is pursuant to a court order. (Child support being paid without a court order may also be deducted if: [a] It does not exceed the amount established by the state guidelines; [b] The support is for a natural or adopted child who does not live with you; [c] There is no current court order for this child; [d] You have a duty to support the child/ren; and [e] You can prove that the support is actually being paid.) (Whew!) _______;

*Job-related expenses, to the extent allowable by the court, after consideration of: whether the expenses are necessary; the benefit to the employee; and other relevant facts _______;

*Hardship deductions:

     [a] Extraordinary health expenses not covered by your health insurance for which you are financially responsible. (Examples: Psychiatric, medication, or hospital bills) _______;

     [b] Uninsured catastrophic losses. (Examples: Damage from flood or earthquake) _______;

     [c] Minimum basic living expenses for children who live with you whom you are obligated to support. Use your best prediction of your likely payment for the upcoming year. (If this hardship deduction applies to you, you should read Family Law statute numbers 4071(a)(2), 4071(b), and 4057.5(d) to determine who is covered in this area.) _______

YOUR TOTAL: _______ This is your DEDUCTIONS to Gross Income.


File menu commands

The File menu offers only one command, Exit.  To print a CCS Est result, use the Edit menu CopyAll command to copy a complete result to the Windows Clipboard.  Then paste the contents of the Clipboard into any word processor of your choice such as Notepad or Write, which are included with MS Windows.  Print from the word processor.

Exit	Exits CCS Est.


Edit menu commands

The Edit menu offers the following commands:

Copy All	Copies a complete result to the clipboard.
Clear Result	Clears the result area of CCS Est
Clear All	Clears the result area and the input text boxes of CCS Est


Help menu commands

The Help menu offers the following commands, which provide you assistance with this application:

Index	Offers you an index to topics on which you can get help.
Using Help	Provides general instructions on using help.
About	Displays the version number of this application.


File: Exit command
Exit command (File menu)

Use this command to end your CCS Est session.  You can also use the Close command on the application Control menu.

Shortcuts

Mouse:	Double-click the application's Control menu button.

Keys:	ALT+F4


Edit: Copy All command
Copy All command (Edit menu)

Use this command to copy all of a result onto the clipboard.  This command ignore any selection in the result box and copies the entire selection to the clipboard.

Copying data to the clipboard replaces the contents previously stored there.

Shortcuts

Keys:	CTRL+C


Edit: Clear Result command
Clear Result command (Edit menu)

Use this command to clear the result area of CCS Est.  It is not necessary to clear the result area before performing a subsequent estimate.


Edit: Clear All command
Clear All command (Edit menu)

Use this command to clear the result area and the text input boxes of CCS Est.  It is not necessary to clear the result area before performing a subsequent estimate.  It is not necessary to clear text input boxes before editing values in them.


Help: Index command
Index command (Help menu)

Use this command to display the opening screen of Help.  From the opening screen, you can jump to step-by-step instructions for using CCS Est and various types of reference information.

Once you open Help, you can click the Contents button whenever you want to return to the opening screen.


Help: Using Help command
Using Help command (Help menu)

Use this command for instructions about using Help.


Help: About command
About command (Help menu)

Use this command to display the copyright notice and version number of your copy of CCS Est.


Title Bar

The title bar is located along the top edge of a window.  It contains the name of the application and document.

To move the window, drag the title bar.  Note: You can also move dialog boxes by dragging their title bars.

The CCS Est title bar contains the following elements:

System menu button

Name of the application

Minimize button

Maximize button


Scroll bars

Displayed at the right and bottom edges of an application window when a window is too small to display the entire application content.  The scroll boxes inside the scroll bars indicate your vertical and horizontal location in the document.  You can use the mouse to scroll to other parts of the document.

The CCS Est initial screen must be scrolled or sized to be read.


System: Size command
Size command (System menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can size the active window with the arrow keys.

After the pointer changes to the four-headed arrow:

1.	Press one of the DIRECTION keys (left, right, up, or down arrow key) to move the pointer to the border you want to move.

2.	Press a DIRECTION key to move the border.

3.	Press ENTER when the window is the size you want.

Note:  This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Drag the size bars at the corners or edges of the window.


System: Move command
Move command (System menu)

Use this command to display a four-headed arrow so you can move the active window or dialog box with the arrow keys.

Note:  This command is unavailable if you maximize the window.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+F7


System Minimize Command
Minimize command (System menu)

Use this command to reduce the CCS Est window to an icon.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Click the minimize icon [image] on the title bar.

Keys:	ALT+F9


System: Maximize Command
Maximize command (System menu)

Use this command to enlarge the active window to fill the available space.

Shortcut

Mouse:	Click the maximize icon [image] on the title bar; or double-click the title bar.

Keys:	CTRL+F10 enlarges a document window.


Next Window command
Next Window command (no menu)

Use this command to switch to the next open document window.  CCS Est determines which window is next according to the order in which you opened the windows.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+F6


Previous Window command
Previous Window command (no menu)

Use this command to switch to the previous open document window.  CCS Est determines which window is previous according to the order in which you opened the windows.

Shortcut

Keys:	SHIFT+CTRL+F6


System: Close command
Close command (System menu)

Use this command to close the active window or dialog box.

Double-clicking a Control-menu box is the same as choosing the Close command.

Note:  If you have multiple windows open for a single document, the Close command on the document Control menu closes only one window at a time.  You can close all windows at once with the Close command on the File menu.

Shortcuts

Keys: 	CTRL+F4 closes a document window

ALT+F4 closes the CCS Est window or dialog box


System: Restore command
Restore command (System menu)

Use this command to return the active window to its size and position before you chose the Maximize or Minimize command.


System: Switch to command
Switch to command (System menu)

Use this command to display a list of all open applications.  Use this "Task List" to switch to or close an application on the list.

Shortcut

Keys:	CTRL+ESC

Dialog Box Options

When you choose the Switch To command, you will be presented with a dialog box with the following options:

Task List

Select the application you want to switch to or close.

Switch To

Makes the selected application active.

End Task

Closes the selected application.

Cancel

Closes the Task List box.

Cascade

Arranges open applications so they overlap and you can see each title bar.  This option does not affect applications reduced to icons.

Tile

Arranges open applications into windows that do not overlap.  This option does not affect applications reduced to icons.

Arrange Icons

Arranges the icons of all minimized applications across the bottom of the screen.


No Help Available

No help is available for this area of the window.


No Help Available

No help is available for this message box.