Court Orders

Repaying Birth Costs

How child support will calculate birth costs

Example 1 – Based on the regional average birth costs

• The father’s monthly income is $1,500.
  The income for 36 months is $54,000 ($1,500 x 36).
  5% of the father’s income over 36 months is $2,700 ($54,000 x 0.05)
  
• Half the average regional cost is $2,900

The child support agency would ask the court to set the birth costs at $2,700 (the lower amount).

Example 2 – based on the actual birth costs

• The father’s monthly income is $2,000.
  The income for 36 months is $72,000 ($2,000 x 36)
  5% of the father’s income over 36 months is $3,600 ($72,000 x 0.05).
  
• Half the actual birth costs is $4,000
  
• The average regional cost is $3,500

The child support agency would ask the court to set the birth costs at $3,500 (the lowest amount).

Low-income payers

If the court used the Low-Income Payer table under the Percentage Guidelines to set the amount of child support, the child support agency will ask the court to use a rate lower than 5% of the father’s income. The percent of income for birth costs is in the Percentage Guidelines, Appendix D.

Example 3

• The father’s monthly income is $775.
  The income for 36 months is $27,900 ($775 x 36 months).
  The low-income rate for this income ($775/month) is 3.53%.

The child support agency would ask the court to set the birth costs at $985 (0.0353 x $27,900).

Example 4

• The father’s monthly income is $1,000.
  The income for 36 months is $36,000 ($1,000 x 36 months)
  The low-income rate for this income ($1,000/month) is 4.11%.

The child support agency would ask the court to set the birth costs at $1,480 (0.0411 x $36,000).

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