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Wisconsin child support: the percentage standard, shared placement, and real numbers

Wisconsin sets support as a percentage of the paying parent's gross income, before taxes, under an administrative rule called the percentage standard (chapter DCF 150). When both parents have the children at least 92 days a year, a shared-placement formula that uses both incomes takes over.

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At a glance

ModelPercentage of the payer's monthly income available for child support, which starts from gross income (Wis. Admin. Code DCF 150.035(2))
Percentages17% for 1 child, 25% for 2, 29% for 3, 31% for 4, 34% for 5 or more
Shared placementBoth parents with at least 25% of overnights (92 days): each parent's amount x 150% x the other parent's time, then offset
High incomeThe court may apply lower rates to income from $7,000 to $12,500 a month and lower still above $12,500
Low incomeAppendix C schedule, effective March 1, 2026, for payers up to $2,031 a month (150% of the 2026 poverty guideline)
Support endsAge 18, or 19 while the child is pursuing a high school diploma or its equivalent
ReviewSubstantial change in circumstances; 33 months since the last order is presumed to be one

The percentage standard, step by step

Wisconsin's legislature tells courts to use the percentage standard written by the Department of Children and Families, and to depart from it only when a party asks and the judge finds, by the greater weight of the credible evidence, that the standard is unfair to the child or to a parent (Wis. Stat. 767.511). The standard itself lives in the administrative code, chapter DCF 150.

The income figure is called monthly income available for child support. It begins with gross income from all sources, taxable or not: wages, tips, commissions, bonuses, interest, capital gains, unemployment insurance, income-replacing worker's compensation, retirement contributions, and military allowances, including the basic allowances for subsistence and housing but not the part tied to the duty location's housing costs. Child support received, W-2 cash, FoodShare and SSI are left out. Taxes are never subtracted; DCF explains that net income can be manipulated through exemptions and deductions.

A court can also add imputed income: earning capacity for a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed (incarceration does not count as voluntary), 10 to 35 hours a week at minimum wage when almost nothing is known about a parent's income, and a return on unproductive assets. Self-employed parents may subtract business expenses the court finds reasonably necessary. The total, divided by 12, is multiplied by the percentage for the number of children.

Worked example: Wisconsin

  1. A parent earns $4,800 a month before taxes and has the two children less than 92 overnights a year, so the shared-placement formula does not apply.
  2. Two children means 25% of that gross figure: $1,200 a month, or $14,400 over a year. The other parent's income plays no part in this calculation.
  3. The high-income rates: a parent grossing $15,000 a month with one child owes 17% on the first $7,000, 14% on the next $5,500 and 10% on the rest, which totals $2,210 a month instead of the $2,550 that a flat 17% would produce. The reduced rates are something the court may apply, not a ceiling on support.
  4. These are the same numbers CoreParent's calculator produces for Wisconsin, because it applies the percentages to gross income and phases in the high-income rates the same way.

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.

Shared placement: the primary method once both parents reach 92 days

DCF describes shared placement as the primary way support is calculated, not a special exception. It applies when each parent has court-ordered placement of at least 25% of the year, 92 days, counted in overnights, and each is ordered to cover the children's basic costs during their own time. A parent who cannot provide overnights, such as a third-shift worker, can earn equivalent care credit: two blocks of at least six hours that include a meal count as one overnight.

The formula multiplies each parent's income by the percentage, increases that by 150% to reflect duplicated household costs such as a second bedroom, multiplies it by the share of time the children spend with the other parent, and offsets the two results. In DCF's own example, with two children, a $2,000 earner who has them 60% of the time and a $3,000 earner who has them 40%, the obligations are $300 and $675, so the second parent pays $375 a month. The payer never owes more than the plain percentage would require.

Variable costs, meaning child care, tuition, special needs and other substantial activities, are handled outside the formula: the judge assigns them in proportion to each parent's share of placement, considering any income gap, and they are paid between the parents or directly to the provider, never through the state.

Health insurance and uncovered medical bills

Every order must assign responsibility for the children's health expenses. A private plan is reasonable in cost when the full premium, including the parent's own coverage, is no more than 10% of the insuring parent's monthly income available for support, and accessible when providers are generally within 30 minutes or 30 miles. The other parent can be ordered to contribute up to 10% of their own income, but never more than the cost of adding the children. A parent below 150% of the federal poverty level cannot be ordered to pay toward coverage unless it costs them nothing. The court also sets a separate order for medical bills insurance does not cover.

Low-income payers: the Appendix C schedule

When a payer's total circumstances limit what they can pay, the court may use the Appendix C schedule, which DCF revises every year from the federal poverty guidelines. The version effective March 1, 2026 covers monthly income up to $2,031. At $998 a month it lists 11.22% for one child, or $112; at $1,500 it lists 14.11%, or $212; and the rates rise until they meet the full 17% at the top row. Below the lowest row, the court may set whatever amount fits the payer's circumstances, even lower than the table.

Second families and children split between homes

A serial-family parent lists their support obligations in the order they arose and subtracts each earlier one from income before the next is figured. In DCF's example, a $3,000 earner paying $450 under a prior order and supporting two children at home ends up owing 17% of $1,912.50, about $325, for a third obligation. A new obligation cannot be used to reduce an existing order. When each parent has at least one of the children full time, the split-placement rule uses a per-child share of the percentage, such as 12.5% per child when there are two.

How long support lasts and when it can be revised

Support is ordered for a child under 18, or under 19 while the child is pursuing an accredited course toward a high school diploma or its equivalent. Orders are written as a fixed dollar amount unless the parents stipulate to a percentage and the statutory conditions are met. Joint legal custody, by itself, does not change the amount.

A revision requires a substantial change in circumstances. The law presumes one when 33 months have passed since the last order (unless the order is a percentage), when either parent begins receiving Wisconsin Works assistance, or when the payer failed to make a required financial disclosure. A change in the payer's income can also qualify. A change in variable costs alone does not.

Collection, interest and the county agencies

Wisconsin's child support program is run by the Department of Children and Families through county child support agencies, which establish, review and enforce orders. Once past-due support equals at least one month of support, interest accrues; DCF currently charges 0.5% a month (6% a year), the reduced rate the statute allows in place of 1% a month. Income withholding can be increased by up to 50% of current support to pay down a debt.

Documents you will need

Wisconsin child support FAQ

Does Wisconsin use gross or net income for child support?

Gross. The percentages apply to income before taxes, adjusted only for things like business expenses, imputed income and earlier support obligations. At $4,800 gross a month with two children, the standard is $1,200.

How much is child support for one child in Wisconsin?

17% of the payer's gross monthly income, unless shared placement applies. For incomes between $7,000 and $12,500 a month the court may use 14% on that portion, and 10% above $12,500. Low-income payers may fall under the Appendix C table instead.

How many overnights for shared placement in Wisconsin?

Each parent needs court-ordered placement of at least 25% of the year, which is 92 overnights, or equivalent daytime care credited by the court. Below that, the parent with less time pays the straight percentage.

Is there child support with 50/50 placement in Wisconsin?

Often yes, when incomes differ. Each parent's amount is figured at 150% and multiplied by the other parent's 50%, so the higher earner usually pays the difference. With equal incomes and equal time, the two amounts cancel out.

Can a Wisconsin judge order a different amount than the standard?

Yes, if a party requests it and the judge finds the standard unfair after weighing factors such as both parents' resources, substantial placement with both parents, extraordinary travel costs and the child's needs. The judge must state the standard amount, the deviation and the reasons.

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 Wisconsin.