Updated: 2026-06-11
Quick answer: Indiana uses the income-shares model: both parents’ weekly incomes are added together, matched to the state support schedule, and split in proportion to what each earns, with a credit for overnight parenting time. The guidelines were overhauled effective January 1, 2024 — the schedule was rebuilt on newer economic data, which raised most obligations, and the old “6% rule” for uninsured medical costs was removed. The Indiana Child Support Bureau runs the program through county prosecutor offices, payments flow through INSCCU, and support generally ends when a child turns 19. Use the Indiana Judicial Branch’s free official calculator for your estimate.
Legal disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. Child support rules and amounts change, and your case can vary from the guidelines. For your specific situation, consult a family-law attorney licensed in Indiana.
Indiana rebuilt its child support math in 2024, so a lot of older guidance online is now wrong on the details. The state looks at both parents’ incomes rather than just one, gives credit for overnights, and — as of the 2024 update — handles medical costs differently than it used to. This guide explains the current formula, walks through an example, and points to every official place to estimate, apply, pay, and manage a case.
One quick clarification before the details: child support is separate from spousal maintenance, the Indiana term for what many people call “alimony.” Maintenance is money paid to a former spouse; child support is for the children, and the two are decided under different rules. This guide covers child support only.
Table of Contents
- How is child support calculated in Indiana?
- What counts as income?
- How does parenting time affect child support?
- What changed in Indiana’s 2024 child support guidelines?
- How much is child support in Indiana? A worked example
- Does Indiana child support include medical and childcare costs?
- How do you apply for child support in Indiana?
- How do you pay child support in Indiana?
- How do you check your Indiana child support balance online?
- How do you modify an Indiana child support order?
- What happens if you don’t pay child support in Indiana?
- How long does child support last in Indiana?
- Official Indiana child support resources
- Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Indiana?
Indiana uses the income-shares model, built on a simple idea: a child should receive the same share of the parents’ combined income that they would have if the family lived together. So instead of looking at one parent’s pay, Indiana adds both parents’ incomes together and divides the resulting obligation between them.
The method is set out in the Indiana Child Support Rules and Guidelines, adopted by the Indiana Supreme Court. The calculation runs in steps:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Find each parent’s weekly income | Start with weekly gross income, then adjust for things like prior support orders and other children |
| 2. Combine the incomes | Both parents’ weekly adjusted incomes are added together |
| 3. Find the basic obligation | The combined income and number of children are matched to Indiana’s support schedule |
| 4. Split by income share | Each parent is responsible for their own percentage of the combined income |
| 5. Apply credits and add-ons | A parenting-time credit reduces the paying parent’s share; childcare and health-insurance costs are split the same way |
Indiana works in weekly numbers, not monthly — the schedule, the worksheet, and most orders are expressed per week. Because both incomes matter, the parent who earns more and has the children fewer overnights usually ends up paying, but the amount reflects both sides, not just the payer’s paycheck.
What counts as income?
Indiana defines weekly gross income broadly: income from almost any source counts. That includes wages, salary, tips, commissions, bonuses, overtime, self-employment income, rental and investment income, pensions, Social Security benefits, unemployment, and workers’ compensation. Means-tested public assistance — like TANF and SNAP — is not counted as income.
From there, a parent’s income can be adjusted before the split. The main adjustments are for child support the parent already pays under a prior order, support for a prior-born child, and an allowance for other children living in the home. The result is each parent’s “weekly adjusted income,” which is what drives the proportional split.
How does parenting time affect child support?
A lot. Indiana gives the paying parent a parenting-time credit for the overnights the children spend with them, counted per year and applied through the official worksheet. The more overnights a parent has, the more of the child’s day-to-day costs they cover directly, and the lower their support transfer tends to be.
The credit is governed by Guideline 6 of the Indiana Child Support Guidelines. The 2024 update added a way to calculate the credit when a parent has a different number of overnights with each child — for example, more time with a younger child than an older one — by figuring each child’s credit and averaging them. The credit rises with overnights, so a near-equal schedule produces a much smaller transfer than a every-other-weekend schedule at the same incomes.
What changed in Indiana’s 2024 child support guidelines?
The current Indiana Child Support Guidelines took effect January 1, 2024, and it was the most significant rewrite in years. Four changes matter most:
- The schedule was rebuilt on newer data. Indiana moved to support estimates based on the Rothbarth methodology using 2013–2019 economic data, replacing figures rooted in much older data. The practical effect was higher basic obligations across most income levels — by various estimates, increases of roughly 4% to 22% depending on the bracket.
- The “6% rule” was removed. Under the old guidelines, the parent receiving support absorbed the first 6% of the child’s ordinary uninsured health-care costs before the other parent contributed. That rule is gone. Uninsured and unreimbursed medical costs are now shared in proportion to each parent’s income, with an expectation that the other parent reimburses their share within about 30 days of getting documentation.
- The low-income adjustment was reworked. The adjustment that protects a low-earning parent’s basic living expenses was rebuilt around the income of both parents and a higher floor, so very low earners are not pushed below a subsistence level by an order.
- The parenting-time credit was refined, including the new method for different overnight counts per child described above.
These changes apply to orders established or modified on or after January 1, 2024. An existing order keeps its current numbers until someone asks the court to recalculate.
How much is child support in Indiana? A worked example
Because Indiana blends both incomes, parenting time, and add-ons, there’s no single percentage to memorize. Here’s how the split works with simple weekly numbers.
Say Parent A earns $1,000 a week and Parent B earns $500, for a combined $1,500. Parent A brings in two-thirds of the total, so Parent A is responsible for two-thirds of the basic obligation and Parent B for one-third:
| Parent A | Parent B | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly income | $1,000 | $500 |
| Share of combined income | 67% | 33% |
| Share of a $250 basic weekly obligation* | ~$167 | ~$83 |
*The $250 here is illustrative only. Your actual basic obligation comes from Indiana’s official schedule, and the parenting-time credit then adjusts the paying parent’s share.
In this example, the parent with fewer overnights generally pays their share to the other parent, reduced by their parenting-time credit. Then each parent’s portion of work-related childcare and the child’s health-insurance premium is added on the same two-thirds/one-third split. For a real number, use the Indiana Judicial Branch’s free child support calculator, which applies the current schedule and the 2024 parenting-time formula and produces the official Child Support Obligation Worksheet. Treat any result as an estimate — the court has the final say.
Does Indiana child support include medical and childcare costs?
Yes, and this is where the 2024 update changed the most. Three common expenses sit alongside the basic obligation:
- Work-related childcare — daycare or after-school care a parent needs in order to work or look for work, added to the worksheet and split by income share.
- The child’s health-insurance premium — the portion that covers the child, also split by income share.
- Uninsured and unreimbursed medical costs — co-pays, deductibles, orthodontics, therapy, and the like. As of 2024, there is no 6% rule: these are shared in proportion to each parent’s income from the first dollar, and the parent who fronts a cost is generally entitled to reimbursement of the other’s share within about 30 days of providing documentation.
Because the old 6%-of-the-support-amount buffer is gone, keep clear records of every uninsured medical bill and who paid it. Our guide to documenting co-parenting expenses explains how to track reimbursements so they hold up if there’s ever a disagreement.
How do you apply for child support in Indiana?
Indiana child support services are run by the Child Support Bureau (CSB), part of the Indiana Department of Child Services, and delivered locally through each county’s elected prosecutor’s office under the federal Title IV-D program. Signing up for services is free.
You enroll through the Indiana Child Support Bureau, which provides the enrollment form and instructions; many people start with their county prosecutor’s child support division. The agency can locate a parent, establish paternity, set or modify an order, and enforce payment using tools that are only available through the IV-D program. Parents who already have a support order from a divorce or paternity case can enroll it with the program so payments are processed and tracked by the state. If your case is part of a broader custody filing, our overview of how the custody court process works explains how the pieces fit together.
How do you pay child support in Indiana?
All Indiana child support payments run through the Indiana State Central Collection Unit (INSCCU), the state’s central disbursement unit. You don’t pay the other parent directly — paying through INSCCU creates the official record that the payment was made.
The most common method is an income withholding order (wage withholding), where the amount comes straight out of the paying parent’s paycheck. Parents can also pay on their own:
- Online through the state’s child support payment portal
- By phone at (866) 972-9427
- In cash at MoneyGram locations for a small fee
- By mail with a check or money order payable to INSCCU, sent to INSCCU, PO Box 6219, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6219
Use your case or cause number on every payment. Mailed and cash payments take longer to post than wage withholding, so don’t wait until the due date if you’re paying manually.
How do you check your Indiana child support balance online?
Indiana parents can check payment history and balances through the state’s payment and case systems, and the Child Support Bureau runs a customer-service line for account questions. Call the CSB KidsLine at (800) 840-8757 (about 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday) and have your Social Security number, date of birth, name, and address ready to verify your identity.
The INSCCU site and the online payment portal are the quickest way to confirm a payment posted without calling. Inside the system you can find your case number, which you’ll need for payments and any call to the agency. To handle something in person, your county prosecutor’s child support division is the place to go.
How do you modify an Indiana child support order?
An Indiana order can be changed when circumstances change. Under Indiana Code § 31-16-8-1, a court can modify support in either of two situations:
- There is a substantial and continuing change in circumstances that makes the current order unreasonable — for example, a major income change, job loss, or a new parenting schedule; or
- The existing order is at least 12 months old and recalculating it under the current guidelines would change the amount by more than 20%.
The 20%/12-month path gives parents a clear, math-based reason to file even without a dramatic life change. You can ask the IV-D agency to review your case or file a petition with the court. One caution: support doesn’t change on its own when your income drops — the old amount keeps running until a new order is entered, so request a review promptly rather than waiting.
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Indiana?
Indiana enforces support orders with a wide set of tools, and the IV-D program can use most of them without a new court hearing. When payments fall behind, the state can:
- Withhold income directly from wages and other payments
- Suspend a driver’s license, professional license, or recreational (hunting, fishing, trapping) license
- Intercept state and federal tax refunds and lottery winnings
- Place liens on property and bank accounts
- Report the debt to credit bureaus
- Deny or revoke a U.S. passport when arrears reach $2,500
- Pursue the case in court, including a contempt action that can carry jail time of up to 180 days
If you genuinely can’t pay, the right move is to request a modification, not to stop paying — unpaid Indiana support keeps adding up, can accrue interest, and can’t be erased in bankruptcy. Many county prosecutor sites, such as the Wabash County child support division, spell out the local enforcement steps.
How long does child support last in Indiana?
Indiana ends support younger than many states, with one notable exception for education. Under Indiana Code § 31-16-6-6, a child is emancipated by operation of law at age 19, and the basic support obligation generally terminates then. A few things change that:
- Earlier emancipation: support can end before 19 if the child marries, joins the U.S. armed forces, or is at least 18, out of school for four months, and supporting themselves or able to.
- College and vocational school: even after support ends at 19, an Indiana court can order one or both parents to contribute to a child’s post-secondary education. The petition for an educational-support order generally must be filed before the child turns 19.
- A disabled child: support can continue if a child is incapable of self-support because of a physical or mental disability.
Indiana’s combination — a low age of 19 for ordinary support, but the power to order college contributions — surprises parents coming from states that simply stop at 18 with no college obligation.
Official Indiana child support resources
Every link below goes to an official Indiana source — the Child Support Bureau, the Judicial Branch, INSCCU, or the state statutes. Bookmark the ones you’ll use.
| Resource | What it’s for | Official link |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana Child Support Bureau | Open a case, enroll an order, find your county office | in.gov/dcs/child-support |
| Official Child Support Calculator | Estimate support and generate the worksheet | Indiana Judicial Branch calculator |
| Child Support Rules and Guidelines | The full guidelines and worksheet rules | rules.incourts.gov |
| INSCCU | The state’s payment processing center | insccu.com |
| Online Payment Portal | Make and track payments | Pay online |
| CSB KidsLine | Account and case questions | (800) 840-8757 |
| Pay by phone | Make a payment by phone | (866) 972-9427 |
| I.C. § 31-16-6-6 | Emancipation and educational support | iga.in.gov |
| I.C. § 31-16-8-1 | Modifying an order (20% / 12-month rule) | iga.in.gov |
If you and the other parent can agree on the numbers, a written agreement reviewed by the court is faster and cheaper than a contested case; our guides to reaching a custody agreement without a court fight and how a 50/50 schedule affects support are good starting points. Comparing states? See our guides to child support in Colorado, which uses a similar income-shares formula, and child support in Texas, which uses a very different percentage model. For how every state’s rules compare, see our child support by state overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in Indiana?
Indiana uses the income-shares model. Both parents’ weekly adjusted incomes are added together and matched to the state support schedule to find a basic obligation, which is then split between the parents in proportion to their incomes. A parenting-time credit adjusts the paying parent’s share based on overnights, and work-related childcare and health-insurance costs are added on the same proportional split. The Indiana Judicial Branch’s free official calculator does the math using the current guidelines.
How much is child support for one child in Indiana?
There’s no flat percentage — the amount depends on both parents’ combined weekly income, the parenting schedule, and add-ons like childcare and health insurance. The 2024 guideline update raised most obligations, so figures from before 2024 are likely too low. The only reliable number comes from running your actual incomes and overnights through Indiana’s official calculator.
Did Indiana child support change in 2024?
Yes. New guidelines took effect January 1, 2024. They rebuilt the support schedule on newer economic data (raising most obligations), removed the old “6% rule” so uninsured medical costs are now shared by income proportion, reworked the low-income adjustment, and refined the parenting-time credit. The changes apply to orders set or modified on or after that date.
Do you still pay child support with 50/50 custody in Indiana?
Possibly, but often less. Indiana factors both parents’ incomes and their overnights into the worksheet, and the parenting-time credit grows as overnights approach equal. When parents split time equally and earn similar incomes, the support transfer can be small or close to zero. When one parent earns significantly more, that parent usually still pays something even with equal time, because the formula evens out the children’s standard of living between two homes.
At what age does child support end in Indiana?
Usually 19. Indiana emancipates a child by operation of law at 19, so basic support generally ends then — younger than the 21 some states use. Support can end earlier if the child marries, joins the military, or becomes self-supporting after 18, and it can extend for a child with a qualifying disability.
Does Indiana child support cover college?
Not as part of basic support, but separately, yes. Basic child support ends at 19, but an Indiana court can issue an educational-support order requiring one or both parents to help pay for college or vocational school. The petition for that order generally must be filed before the child turns 19, so timing matters.
Is there an official Indiana child support calculator?
Yes. The Indiana Judicial Branch offers a free online child support calculator that applies the current guidelines and produces the Child Support Obligation Worksheet accepted by all 92 county courts. You enter both parents’ weekly income, health-insurance and childcare costs, and annual overnights, and it estimates the weekly amount. Treat the result as an estimate — the court makes the final decision.
What happens if you don’t pay child support in Indiana?
The state can withhold wages, suspend driver’s, professional, and recreational licenses, intercept tax refunds and lottery winnings, place liens, report the debt to credit bureaus, deny a passport once arrears reach $2,500, and pursue contempt that can carry up to 180 days in jail. Unpaid support keeps accruing and can’t be discharged in bankruptcy, so request a modification if you can’t keep up rather than letting a balance build.
Note: This article is general information, not legal advice. Child support laws and amounts change, and individual cases vary. For decisions about your specific situation, consult a family-law attorney licensed in Indiana.
