Nevada child support calculation runs on a tiered percentage of the paying parent’s gross monthly income, with the percentage rising as the number of children rises. For one child, the paying parent owes 16% of the first $6,000 of gross monthly income, 8% of the next $4,000, and 4% of anything above $10,000. The full schedule and the adjustments that can move the number up or down live in Nevada Administrative Code Chapter 425 and Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 125B.
The Percentage Brackets by Number of Children
Nevada’s formula works like a tax bracket. Different percentages apply to different slices of the paying parent’s gross monthly income, and every bracket goes up as the number of children goes up.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Administrative Code 425 – Support of Dependent Children
- One child: 16% of the first $6,000, 8% of the next $4,000, 4% above $10,000.
- Two children: 22% of the first $6,000, 11% of the next $4,000, 6% above $10,000.
- Three children: 26% of the first $6,000, 13% of the next $4,000, 6% above $10,000.
- Four children: 28% of the first $6,000, 14% of the next $4,000, 7% above $10,000.
- Each additional child beyond four: add 2% to the first bracket, 1% to the middle bracket, and 0.5% to the top bracket.2Legal Information Institute. Nevada Administrative Code 425.140 – Schedule for Determining Base Child Support Obligation
A Worked Example
Say a parent earns $8,000 per month and has two children. The first $6,000 falls in the 22% bracket, producing $1,320. The remaining $2,000 falls in the 11% bracket, producing $220. Base obligation: $1,540. From there, custody, insurance, and any deviations the judge finds appropriate can push the final order higher or lower.
What Counts as Gross Monthly Income
Gross monthly income under NAC 425.025 is broad. It includes wages and salary, commissions, bonuses, investment income (but not principal), Social Security disability and old-age benefits, pension and retirement payments, and unemployment insurance. The catch-all sweeps in “all other income of a party, regardless of whether such income is taxable.”3Legal Information Institute. Nevada Administrative Code 425.025 – Gross Income Defined
Overtime counts if it is substantial, consistent, and measurable. Steady weekend shifts every month will likely be included; a few extra shifts during a holiday rush probably won’t.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Administrative Code 425 – Support of Dependent Children
Two categories are carved out entirely: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and public assistance like SNAP or TANF. Those programs exist to cover a parent’s basic survival needs, and Nevada excludes them from the calculation.3Legal Information Institute. Nevada Administrative Code 425.025 – Gross Income Defined
Imputed Income and the Minimum Floor
If a parent quits a job or cuts hours to lower their obligation, the court bases the calculation on the parent’s “true potential earning capacity,” looking at work history, education, skills, and the local job market.4Justia Law. Nevada Revised Statutes 125B.080 – Amount of Payment: Determination
Nevada sets a hard floor regardless: at least $100 per month per child. A court can go below that only with a written finding that the parent genuinely cannot pay. Choosing not to work does not count.4Justia Law. Nevada Revised Statutes 125B.080 – Amount of Payment: Determination
Joint Physical Custody Changes the Math
Shared custody does not simply cut the obligation in half. The court runs the standard formula for each parent separately, then subtracts the smaller obligation from the larger. The parent with the higher number pays the difference to the other.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Administrative Code 425 – Support of Dependent Children
When parents share some children but not others, the same offset logic applies. Each parent’s obligation is calculated based on the number of children they owe support for, and the higher earner pays the net difference. Nevada’s Child Support Worksheet B walks through this step by step.5Nye County Nevada. Child Support Worksheet B
Adjustments a Judge Can Make
The percentage formula produces a starting number, not necessarily the final one. Under NAC 425.150, a judge can adjust the obligation up or down based on eight specific factors:
- Special educational needs of the child, such as tutoring, private schooling, or specialized programs.
- A parent’s legal support obligations for other dependents.
- The value of services one parent contributes, such as full-time childcare.
- Public assistance already supporting the child.
- Transportation costs for visitation, especially when parents live far apart.
- The relative income of both households, though any adjustment on this basis cannot exceed the other parent’s total obligation.
- Other necessary expenses that benefit the child.
- The obligor’s ability to pay.6Legal Information Institute. Nevada Administrative Code 425.150 – Adjustment of Child Support Obligation
Every deviation requires a written explanation. A judge cannot pick a round number that feels fair; the adjustment has to tie back to one of the listed factors with specific findings of fact.
Low-Income Schedule
When a parent’s total economic circumstances make the standard formula amount unaffordable, the court uses a separate low-income schedule based on the federal poverty guidelines published annually by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. If the parent’s income falls below the lowest level on that schedule, the court can set an amount that balances the parent’s need for self-support against the obligation to the child.7Legal Information Institute. Nevada Administrative Code 425.145 – Establishment of Child Support Obligation Using Low-Income Schedule
Health Insurance and Childcare Sit Outside the Base Number
Health insurance for the child is handled separately. Both parents split the cost of medical, dental, and vision coverage equally unless a court finds extraordinary circumstances that justify a different split. Coverage must be “reasonable in cost,” defined as no more than 5% of each parent’s gross monthly income.8Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services. Medical Insurance Language
If adding the child to an existing employer plan costs less than buying standalone coverage, the court looks at the cheaper option. The plan also has to be geographically accessible, meaning it has no geographic limits or the child lives within the plan’s service area. Work-related childcare costs can factor in as a deviation under NAC 425.150’s catch-all for necessary child-related expenses.
Running the Worksheet
Nevada courts use a standardized worksheet to run the formula. You’ll want recent pay stubs to establish current monthly earnings, plus W-2 or 1099 forms from the prior year to capture income that fluctuates seasonally or comes from side work. If you pay for the child’s health insurance, bring documentation showing the premium portion attributable to the child.
The worksheet converts different pay schedules into a monthly figure. Biweekly pay gets multiplied by 26 pay periods, then divided by 12. Hourly workers multiply their wage by weekly hours, then by 52, then divide by 12.9Nevada Supreme Court. Child Support Worksheet – Joint Petitions The worksheet tells you to include employment income, Social Security, unemployment, pensions, and investment income, and to exclude SSI, SNAP, TANF, county cash benefits, and any child support received for other children.
Completed worksheets are filed with the court clerk’s office. Clark County and most other Nevada jurisdictions accept electronic filing through the Odyssey File and Serve system.10Eighth Judicial District Court. Electronic Filing Filing triggers a hearing before a judge or child support hearing master, who reviews the math and any requested deviations before issuing a formal order.
Tax Treatment
One point worth clearing up because it affects how you think about the number: child support is tax-neutral at the federal level. The receiving parent does not report it as income, and the paying parent cannot deduct it. That has been the rule since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act took effect in 2019.11Internal Revenue Service. Alimony, Child Support, Court Awards, Damages The obligation the worksheet produces is the actual out-of-pocket figure for the paying parent and the actual in-pocket figure for the receiving parent.