CoreParent™

Hawai'i child support: the 2024 Guidelines, the Table of Incomes, and the SOLA

Hawai'i's Family Court, Child Support Enforcement Agency and Office of Child Support Hearings all use one set of Child Support Guidelines, revised effective April 1, 2024. The method is its own: first cover each child's basic needs at a flat amount, then let the children share in whatever the parents earn above their own basic needs through a standard of living adjustment. A court-published Table of Incomes does most of the conversion work.

Estimate free

At a glance

ModelPrimary child support need plus a standard of living adjustment, Hawai'i Child Support Guidelines under HRS 576D-7
Guidelines in force2024 Guidelines, effective April 1, 2024 for orders entered on or after that date
Primary need$455 per child, plus child care and the children's health insurance
SOLA10% of the parents' remaining SOLA income for one child, 20% for two, 30% for three or more
Time-sharingExtensive time-sharing above 143 overnights phases toward the equal time-sharing amount at about 183
Minimum and maximum$91 per child per month minimum; a parent's total obligation generally should not exceed their net income
ModificationReview after 3 years without proving a change; sooner on a material change, presumed at a 10% difference

The CSG Worksheet and the Table of Incomes

Each parent starts with monthly gross income from all sources, including Social Security a parent receives for their own retirement or disability and dependency benefits the children receive on that parent's record (SSI is excluded). Instead of computing taxes, the parent looks up their gross income in Appendix B, the Table of Incomes, which lists three figures for every dollar of gross pay: Net Income, SOLA Income, and 70% of Net Income. Net Income already subtracts 2022 state and federal income and FICA taxes for a single taxpayer and a self-support reserve of $1,693 a month for the parent's own basic needs; it is not take-home pay. SOLA Income is gross income minus $1,303. Self-employed parents use a separate worksheet that applies the same steps to business profit.

Each parent's share is their Net Income divided by the combined Net Income, rounded to a whole percent. The children's primary need is $455 per child (the monthly difference between a two-person and a one-person household under the 2022 federal poverty guidelines), plus child care actually paid so a parent can work or train and the children's health insurance premium. If the parents' combined SOLA Income exceeds that primary need, the children get 10%, 20% or 30% of the excess. Primary need plus SOLA (Line 13) is then split by each parent's share, and each parent is credited for child care and insurance they pay directly.

Worked example: Hawaii

  1. Parent A earns $9,000 a month gross and Parent B $5,000. The Table of Incomes gives Net Income of $4,292 and $1,839 and SOLA Income of $7,697 and $3,697.
  2. Parent A's share of the combined Net Income is 70%; Parent B's is 30%.
  3. For two children the primary need is 2 times $455, or $910. The parents' SOLA Income above $910 times 20% is the SOLA amount, and Line 13 (primary need plus SOLA) comes to $3,007.
  4. With the children living with Parent B, Parent A's obligation is $2,105 a month, about $25,260 a year, well under Parent A's Net Income, so the maximum rule does not apply.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Figures are rounded to the dollar and leave out the insurance, childcare, and other adjustments your case may have. Try your own numbers in CoreParent's calculator, then confirm with the state's official calculator.

Equal and extensive time-sharing

Hawai'i counts overnights. With equal time-sharing, about 183 overnights each, each parent is treated as having the children six months of the year: each parent's monthly obligation (at least $91 per child) is multiplied by six, and the difference is paid in twelve monthly installments by the parent who owes more. In the example that equal-time amount is about $601 a month. A parent with more than 143 but fewer than 183 overnights is in extensive time-sharing: the gap between the regular amount and the equal-time amount is divided by 40 overnights, and the paying parent is credited that rate for each overnight above 143. At 160 overnights, Parent A would pay about $1,466 a month instead of $2,105.

Up to 143 overnights there is no time-sharing credit at all. When each parent has sole physical custody of at least one child, a split custody calculation divides each parent's obligation per child and offsets the two. All three calculations use the Extensive Time-Sharing Worksheet, which the Judiciary publishes in an automated version.

Health insurance and cash medical support

Every order must address the children's medical support. Private insurance is reasonable in cost if the extra cost of covering the children is no more than 10% of the providing parent's Net Income from the Table of Incomes, and accessible if the provider is on the same island (or, on Hawai'i Island and outside the state, within 30 miles or 30 minutes of the children's home). When no reasonable, accessible coverage exists, a parent, usually the one paying support, can be ordered to pay cash medical support of 10% of Net Income, ordered separately from the support amount.

Exceptional circumstances

The guideline amount is presumed correct, and a party claiming an exceptional circumstance must prove it on the Exceptional Circumstances Form. Listed examples include support above 70% of a parent's net income, supporting additional children, extraordinary needs of a child, support that would exceed a child's needs, inability to earn income, private school costs, and an agreement for a different amount. Remarriage and stepchildren, visitation travel costs, and heavy debt are listed as not exceptional.

Adult children, modification, and enforcement

The Family Court can order support past the age of majority for an unmarried adult child enrolled full time (or accepted to enroll) in college, community college or a vocational or trade school; it generally ends at or before 23, decided case by case. CSEA and the Office of Child Support Hearings can only modify or enforce, not create, an order after majority, and CSEA enforces adult-child support only while the child stays continuously enrolled full time. Support for a disabled adult child can also continue.

Once an order is three years old, either party can ask for review and adjustment without proving a change. Before that, a substantial and material change is required, such as new income, a custody change or new health care costs, and one is presumed when the guidelines produce an amount 10% higher or lower. A request to lower support can end up raising it, and vice versa. The Child Support Enforcement Agency in the Department of the Attorney General handles establishment, review and collection.

Documents you will need

Hawaii child support FAQ

How is child support calculated in Hawaii?

Look up each parent's gross income in the Table of Incomes to get Net Income and SOLA Income, add $455 per child plus child care and insurance, add 10% to 30% of the parents' SOLA Income above that need, and split the total by each parent's share of Net Income.

What is the minimum child support in Hawaii?

$91 per child per month under the 2024 Guidelines. An exceptional circumstance, or the equal time-sharing calculation, can produce less.

How many overnights affect child support in Hawaii?

More than 143 a year. From 144 to 182 overnights the amount phases down toward the equal time-sharing figure; in our example, 160 overnights brings Parent A from $2,105 to about $1,466 a month.

Does child support continue for college in Hawaii?

It can. The Family Court may order support for an unmarried adult child who is a full-time student in college or vocational school, generally ending at or before age 23 depending on the case.

When can child support be modified in Hawaii?

Any time after an order is three years old, with no change required. Earlier, you must show a substantial and material change; a 10% difference under the current guidelines is presumed to be one.

Next steps

Sources

Verified against these official sources in October 2026:

Child support in every other state

All states

This is general educational information, not legal advice, and official figures change. Last verified: October 2026. Consult a licensed family-law attorney in Hawaii.