If you only remember one point about how child support is calculated in Colorado, remember this: Colorado uses the Income shares and measures income as gross income. Colorado’s schedule uses combined adjusted gross income to set a basic obligation, then allocates by income share. Overnight parenting-time credits, work-related childcare, and health insurance premiums are built into the statutory worksheets. Procedure, examples, and the opinions below hang off Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115. Support generally ends when Support generally ends at 19, with possible extension for secondary education under statutory conditions. Modification: Substantial and continuing change; a 10% difference between existing and recalculated support is a statutory threshold for modification in many cases.
Deviation from the guidelines
Extraordinary medical or educational expenses, shared physical care patterns, and incomes outside schedule assumptions can justify deviation when the guideline is inequitable.
When a court departs from the presumptive amount, Colorado practice generally requires findings that explain why the guideline figure is unjust or inappropriate and what amount better serves the child's needs. Those findings matter on appeal and in later modification proceedings.
Walking through Colorado facts
Use this walkthrough to see which Colorado authority does the work at each step.
Two parents in Colorado need a presumptive child-support figure and may have facts that justify a departure.
- Measure guideline income as gross income under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115.
- Apply the Income shares: Colorado’s schedule uses combined adjusted gross income to set a basic obligation, then allocates by income share. Overnight parenting-time credits, work-related childcare, and health insurance premiums are built into the statutory worksheets.
- Test deviation: Extraordinary medical or educational expenses, shared physical care patterns, and incomes outside schedule assumptions can justify deviation when the guideline is inequitable.
- If circumstances later change: Substantial and continuing change; a 10% difference between existing and recalculated support is a statutory threshold for modification in many cases.
The enforceable number is the Colorado guideline result under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115, plus any deviation findings. Family Support Registry and county units enforce through wage withholding, contempt, and administrative remedies.
Modification of child support
Substantial and continuing change; a 10% difference between existing and recalculated support is a statutory threshold for modification in many cases.
A parent seeking a change typically must show that circumstances after the prior order make the existing award inequitable. Common triggers include job loss, substantial income changes, a new parenting-time schedule, emancipation of a child, or extraordinary medical needs. Retroactivity and temporary relief rules are statute-specific — check Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115 and local family-division procedures.
Enforcement in Colorado
Family Support Registry and county units enforce through wage withholding, contempt, and administrative remedies.
Interstate cases often implicate UIFSA. Income withholding, contempt, license suspension, and tax-refund intercept remain core tools nationwide, but the Colorado child support agency and clerk of court procedures control day-to-day collection.
When child support ends
In Colorado, Support generally ends at 19, with possible extension for secondary education under statutory conditions. Orders may extend for disability, secondary education, or other statutory grounds where the statute allows. Always read the judgment language — agreed orders sometimes set a different end date or require a notice of emancipation.
Case law: how Colorado courts apply the guidelines
The opinions below are in the LawDiver corpus. Each block quote is taken from the opinion text so you can jump from this guide into the full decision.
In re Marriage of Boettcher
In re Marriage of Boettcher, 449 P.3d 382 (2019)
…9 CO 81 No. 18SC287, In re Marriage of Boettcher—Family Law—Child Support— Incomes Outside Guidelines Range. Colorado’s child support guidelines include a schedule, codified at section 14-10-115(7)(b), C.R.S. (2019), that sets specific presumptive payment amounts based on the number of children and the parties’ combined monthly income. However, the schedule does not include an…
Colorado opinions such as In re Marriage of Boettcher are cited where child support is disputed. The court stated: "CO 81 No. 18SC287, In re Marriage of Boettcher—Family Law—Child Support— Incomes Outside Guidelines Range. Colorado’s child support guidelines include a schedule, codified at section 14-10-115(7)(b), C.R.S." That is the language to brief; the rest of the decision supplies the procedural posture.
In Re the MARRIAGE OF Kathleen M. VAN INWEGEN, Appellee, and Cornelius Van Inwegen, Appellant
…wegen (father) appeals the trial court order increasing his child support obligation. His major contention is that the trial court erred in ruling that the General Assembly intended basic child support obligations be ten percent of the combined gross income of the parents when their income exceeds the guideline schedule contained in § 14-10-115, C.R.S. (1987 Repl. Vol. 6B). We…
In Re the MARRIAGE OF Kathleen M. VAN INWEGEN, Appellee, and Cornelius Van Inwegen, Appellant is worth reading on Colorado child support because the court put the point in its own words: "His major contention is that the trial court erred in ruling that the General Assembly intended basic child support obligations be ten percent of the combined gross income of the parents when their income exceeds the guideline schedule contained in § 14-10-115, C.R.S. (1987 Repl." Use that passage as the starting point, then read the facts that precede it.
In Re the MARRIAGE OF Terrence L. FAIN, Appellant, and Jacki E. Fain, Appellee
…settlement of a personal injury claim are income under the child support guidelines. And, as a corollary, if these payments are income for the purpose of the guidelines, may the court impute an additional amount to this income because it is tax free. We affirm in part and reverse in part. Prior to his marriage and while working for his employer, husband suffered spinal injurie…
Colorado opinions such as In Re the MARRIAGE OF Terrence L. FAIN, Appellant, and Jacki E. Fain, Appellee are cited where child support is disputed. The court stated: "And, as a corollary, if these payments are income for the purpose of the guidelines, may the court impute an additional amount to this income because it is tax free. We affirm in part and reverse in part." That is the language to brief; the rest of the decision supplies the procedural posture.
IN RE the MARRIAGE OF Jeremy STRADTMANN, and Andrea Stradtmann, and Concerning El Paso County Child Support
…Andrea Stradtmann, Appellee, and Concerning El Paso County Child Support Services, Intervenor. Court of Appeals No. 20CA1536 Colorado Court of Appeals, Division III. Announced December 2, 2021 Beltz & West, P.C., Daniel A. West, Colorado Springs, Colorado, for Appellant Ariel J. Baty, Colorado Springs, Colorado, for Appellee Samuel W. Clopton, Colorado Springs, Colorado, for I…
Colorado opinions such as IN RE the MARRIAGE OF Jeremy STRADTMANN, and Andrea Stradtmann, and Concerning El Paso County Child Support are cited where child support is disputed. The court stated: "Andrea Stradtmann, Appellee, and Concerning El Paso County Child Support Services, Intervenor. Court of Appeals No. 20CA1536 Colorado Court of Appeals, Division III. Announced December 2, 2021 Beltz & West, P.C., Daniel A. West, Colorado Springs, Colorado, for Appellant Ariel J." That is the language to brief; the rest of the decision supplies the procedural posture.
In Re the MARRIAGE OF Janet L. NIELSEN, Appellant, and Daniel R. Nielsen, Appellee
…r) appeals the trial court’s order granting modification of child support and awarding the income tax exemption for the parties’ minor children to Daniel R. Nielsen (father). We reverse in part and affirm in part. In 1986, incident to the dissolution of marriage proceeding and pursuant to the agreement of the parties, the mother was awarded custody of the two children of the pa…
Colorado opinions such as In Re the MARRIAGE OF Janet L. NIELSEN, Appellant, and Daniel R. Nielsen, Appellee are cited where child support is disputed. The court stated: "Daniel R. Nielsen (father). We reverse in part and affirm in part." That is the language to brief; the rest of the decision supplies the procedural posture.
In Re the MARRIAGE OF Melbourne E. STONE, Appellant, and Ronda K. Stone, Appellee
…Stone (father) appeals the trial court order increasing his child support obligation. We affirm in part and reverse in part. Father’s marriage to Ronda K. Stone (mother) was dissolved in 1974. Mother received custody of the three children, then aged 8, 4, and 2, and father paid support of $60 per month per child. In 1980, support was increased to $66.66 per month per child. In…
In Re the MARRIAGE OF Melbourne E. STONE, Appellant, and Ronda K. Stone, Appellee is worth reading on Colorado child support because the court put the point in its own words: "Stone (father) appeals the trial court order increasing his child support obligation. We affirm in part and reverse in part. Father’s marriage to Ronda K. Stone (mother) was dissolved in 1974." Use that passage as the starting point, then read the facts that precede it.
In re the Marriage of Gunnar K. LUDWIG, and Judy A. Ludwig
In re the Marriage of Gunnar K. LUDWIG, and Judy A. Ludwig, 2005 Colo. App. LEXIS 1467 (2005)
…nar K. Ludwig (father) appeals from the order modifying the child support he was obligated to pay to Judy A. Ludwig (mother) for his two children and removing him as custodian on his daughter’s college account. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand with directions. The parties’ marriage was dissolved by decree in March 2000, and the decree incorporated the parties’ agr…
Practitioners open In re the Marriage of Gunnar K. LUDWIG, and Judy A. Ludwig when Colorado child support turns on the distinction in this sentence: "K. Ludwig (father) appeals from the order modifying the child support he was obligated to pay to Judy A. Ludwig (mother) for his two children and removing him as custodian on his daughter’s college account. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand with directions." Do not lift it out of the facts the court was deciding.
In Re the MARRIAGE OF Beverly GLENN, Appellee, and Burt Glenn, Appellant
…r) appeals from the orders of the trial court modifying his child support obligation. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand with directions. Beverly Glenn (mother) filed a motion to modify child support on March 16, 2001, seeking to increase the father’s support obligation from $401 per month to $1397 per month. Her request was based primarily upon the father’s receipt…
Colorado opinions such as In Re the MARRIAGE OF Beverly GLENN, Appellee, and Burt Glenn, Appellant are cited where child support is disputed. The court stated: "We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand with directions. Beverly Glenn (mother) filed a motion to modify child support on March 16, 2001, seeking to increase the father’s support obligation from $401 per month to $1397 per month." That is the language to brief; the rest of the decision supplies the procedural posture.
Practical checklist for Colorado child support matters
- Gather recent pay stubs, tax returns, and proof of health insurance / child-care costs.
- Complete the current Colorado worksheet or financial affidavit required by the local court.
- Document parenting-time overnights if a shared-custody adjustment may apply.
- Flag facts that could support deviation (special needs, travel costs, high income, other children).
- Search LawDiver for recent Colorado appellate decisions before mediation or trial.
Key takeaways
- Colorado follows the Income shares model for presumptive child support.
- Income is generally measured using gross income, then allocated under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115.
- Guideline amounts are presumptive, not automatic — courts may deviate when the facts justify it.
- Support generally ends at 19, with possible extension for secondary education under statutory conditions.
- Either parent can seek modification when substantial and continuing change; a 10% difference between existing and recalculated support is a statutory threshold for modification in many cases..
- Read the companion guide: Colorado alimony / maintenance.
Statutory framework and guideline model
Colorado's child support system is built around Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115. Under the income shares, Colorado’s schedule uses combined adjusted gross income to set a basic obligation, then allocates by income share. Overnight parenting-time credits, work-related childcare, and health insurance premiums are built into the statutory worksheets.
Federal law requires every state to maintain presumptive guidelines and to review them at least every four years (42 U.S.C. § 667). Confirm the latest Colorado schedule or worksheet before relying on any online calculator.
How child support is calculated in Colorado
- Identify each parent's guideline income using gross income as defined in Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115 and the accompanying worksheets or administrative rules.
- Apply the income shares — whether that means a combined-income schedule, an obligor percentage table, or a Melson-style self-support reserve plus primary obligation.
- Allocate add-ons such as health insurance premiums, unreimbursed medical expenses, and work-related child care according to Colorado practice.
- Consider parenting time adjustments where the guidelines or case law authorize a credit or shared-custody formula.
- Test for deviation if a strict guideline result would be unjust or inappropriate on the record.
Online calculators can illustrate ranges, but only the controlling statute, guidelines, and court findings produce an enforceable order.
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in Colorado?
Colorado uses the income shares under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115. Courts start with gross income, apply the guideline schedule or percentage, allocate add-ons, and may deviate with findings when the presumptive amount is unjust.
What income counts for Colorado child support?
Guideline income generally tracks gross income as defined by Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115 and the worksheets. Wages, self-employment income, bonuses, and certain benefits are commonly included; exact deductions and exclusions are statute-specific.
Can Colorado courts order more or less than the guideline amount?
Yes. Guideline support is presumptive. Judges may deviate when the record shows the guideline result is unjust or inappropriate, typically with written findings explaining the departure.
How do I modify a Colorado child support order?
Substantial and continuing change; a 10% difference between existing and recalculated support is a statutory threshold for modification in many cases. File in the court with continuing jurisdiction (or follow UIFSA for interstate cases) and support the request with current financial evidence.
When does child support end in Colorado?
Support generally ends at 19, with possible extension for secondary education under statutory conditions. Confirm any disability, educational, or agreed extensions in your particular order.
Where can I research Colorado child support case law?
Use LawDiver search scoped to Colorado, or open the opinions linked in this guide. Companion reading: Colorado maintenance guide.
Disclaimer
This guide is general legal information about Colorado child support, not legal advice. Statutes, guidelines, and case law change. Confirm the current text of Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-10-115 and consult a licensed Colorado family-law attorney about your facts.