How Child Support Is Calculated in Nevada (2026 Guide)

By John Quigley · NevadaAttorneyFinder.com · Updated June 8, 2026

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

If you are dealing with child support in Las Vegas, Henderson, or anywhere in Clark County, the numbers are not pulled out of thin air — they come from a formula. Since February 1, 2020, Nevada calculates child support under the guidelines in Chapter 425 of the Nevada Administrative Code (NAC 425), enacted under Chapter 125B of the Nevada Revised Statutes. This guide explains how that formula works in plain English: what counts as income, the tiered percentage schedule, how joint custody changes the math, the deviation factors a judge can use, when support ends, and how to modify an order when your circumstances change.

The big change: Nevada switched to a tiered formula in 2020

For decades, Nevada calculated child support with a flat percentage of the paying parent's income — 18 percent for one child, 25 percent for two, and so on — capped by a "presumptive maximum" tied to income brackets. That system was replaced. Effective February 1, 2020, the Nevada child support guidelines were rewritten and moved into NAC Chapter 425, adopted by the state's Child Support Guidelines Committee under the authority of NRS Chapter 125B.

The new guidelines do two important things. First, they apply marginal percentages — different rates to different layers of income — instead of one flat rate. Second, they eliminated the old hard cap per child. The result is a formula that produces a presumptive amount the court must order unless someone gives the judge a good, documented reason to deviate.

Step one: figure out gross monthly income

Everything in the Nevada formula starts with gross monthly income (GMI). Under NAC 425, gross monthly income is the total amount of income a parent receives each month from any source, calculated before taxes and most deductions. It is deliberately broad and includes far more than a paycheck:

• Wages, salaries, tips, and commissions
• Bonuses and overtime that are reasonably consistent
• Self-employment income — gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses (not personal expenses run through a business)
• Rental income, dividends, interest, and capital gains
• Pensions, Social Security benefits, and certain disability payments
• Unemployment compensation and workers' compensation

Because the definition is so broad, income disputes are common. A self-employed parent who writes off a personal vehicle, meals, or a home office as "business expenses" can expect those deductions to be challenged. If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed to dodge support, NAC 425 allows the court to impute income — to assign earning capacity based on work history, education, and the local job market rather than the parent's actual reported income.

Step two: apply the NAC 425.140 schedule

Once gross monthly income is fixed, the court applies the tiered percentages in NAC 425.140. The percentages depend on how many children the parents share, and they apply marginally across three income brackets: the first $6,000 of GMI, the portion from $6,000 to $10,000, and everything above $10,000.

• One child: 16% of the first $6,000, 8% of the portion from $6,000 to $10,000, and 4% of any portion over $10,000.
• Two children: 22% / 11% / 6% across the same three brackets.
• Three children: 26% / 13% / 6%.
• Four children: 28% / 14% / 7%.
• Five or more children: add 2% to the first bracket, 1% to the second, and 0.5% to the third for each additional child beyond four.

A quick example. Suppose the paying parent earns $8,000 a month gross and the parents have two children. The court applies 22 percent to the first $6,000 ($1,320) and 11 percent to the next $2,000 ($220), for a base obligation of $1,540 per month. Notice how the second layer of income is taxed at a lower rate — that is the marginal structure in action, and it is why high earners no longer hit a flat cap.

Step three: account for the custody arrangement

Who pays, and how much, depends heavily on the physical custody arrangement defined in your custody order. Nevada child support and child custody are governed by different statutes, but they are deeply connected — see our companion guide on how Nevada courts decide custody for the custody side of the equation.

Primary physical custody

When one parent has primary physical custody (the child lives with them more than 60 percent of the time), only the non-custodial parent pays support, calculated on that parent's own gross monthly income using the schedule above. The custodial parent's income generally does not enter the base calculation, although it can become relevant to a deviation request.

Joint physical custody and the offset

When parents share joint physical custody — each with the child at least 40 percent of the time — Nevada uses an offset method that traces back to the Nevada Supreme Court's decision in Wright v. Osburn, 114 Nev. 1367 (1998), and is now built into NAC 425. The court calculates each parent's obligation separately under the schedule, then subtracts the smaller obligation from the larger. The parent with the higher obligation pays the other the difference.

For example, if Parent A's calculated obligation is $1,200 and Parent B's is $700, Parent A pays Parent B $500 per month. This is why a parent can have exactly equal time with the children and still owe support — equal time does not mean equal incomes.

Step four: adjustments, medical support, and add-ons

The schedule produces a base figure, but several adjustments commonly apply on top of it:

• Health insurance. Nevada requires the court to address medical support. If coverage for the child is available at a reasonable cost, the court will order a parent to carry it, and the premium attributable to the child is factored into the support arrangement.
• Unreimbursed medical expenses. Out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision costs not covered by insurance are typically split between the parents, often equally.
• Childcare. Work-related daycare is a frequent add-on or deviation factor.
• Support for other children. If the paying parent is legally responsible for children from another relationship, NAC 425 allows an adjustment so the parent is not assessed as if the children of this case were the only ones.

Low-income parents and the minimum obligation

The NAC 425 guidelines include a low-income schedule for parents whose gross monthly income falls at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline. The idea is to set a realistic obligation that does not push a low-earning parent into destitution while still requiring meaningful support. There is generally a minimum monthly obligation, but a court can adjust it where a parent genuinely cannot pay. If you are at the low end of the income scale, this is one of the most important parts of the analysis to raise with an attorney.

When a judge can deviate from the formula

The schedule amount is a presumption, not an absolute. Under NAC 425.150, the court can order more or less than the guideline figure if it makes specific written findings explaining why the deviation serves the best interest of the child. Recognized deviation factors include:

• The cost of health insurance and any extraordinary medical needs of the child
• Childcare and the cost of any special educational needs
• The age of the child
• A parent's legal responsibility to support other children
• The value of services contributed by either parent
• Any public assistance paid to support the child
• The cost of transportation for the child to and from visitation
• The amount of time the child spends with each parent
• The relative income of both households
• Any other necessary expenses for the benefit of the child

A judge cannot simply pick a number. To deviate, the court must put its reasoning on the record — which is exactly why how you present these factors, with documentation, matters so much.

How long child support lasts

Under NRS 125B.200, the duty to pay child support generally continues until the child turns 18. If the child is still enrolled in high school and not self-supporting when they turn 18, support continues until graduation or the child's 19th birthday, whichever comes first. Support for an adult child who has a serious physical or mental disability that arose before adulthood can continue beyond 18. When there are multiple children, support does not simply drop off as each child ages out — the order usually has to be recalculated for the remaining children.

Modifying an existing order

Life changes — jobs are lost, raises happen, custody arrangements shift. Nevada law lets you adjust support to match. Under NRS 125B.145, either parent may request a review of the order at least once every three years. More importantly, a change of 20 percent or more in the gross monthly income of the paying parent is treated as a substantial change in circumstances justifying a modification.

One rule trips up many parents: support can only be modified going forward from the date you file your motion. A court cannot retroactively wipe out arrears that built up while you waited. If your income drops, file promptly — do not simply stop paying and assume the court will forgive the gap. The cost of a child custody or support case is almost always less than the arrears and penalties that accumulate from inaction.

What happens if support goes unpaid

Nevada has aggressive tools to collect unpaid child support. Past-due support accrues interest and penalties, and the state and the other parent can pursue:

• Automatic wage withholding under NRS Chapter 31A
• Interception of state and federal tax refunds
• Suspension of a driver's license, professional license, or recreational license
• Liens on property and bank account seizures
• Contempt of court, which can carry jail time

Child support arrears are also generally not dischargeable in bankruptcy. The practical takeaway is the same for both sides: an order that is wrong should be corrected through the court, not ignored.

Why the formula is not the whole story

It is tempting to treat Nevada child support as a pure math problem — plug income into the schedule and read off the answer. In reality, the contested issues are almost never the arithmetic. They are what counts as gross monthly income, whether a self-employed parent's deductions are legitimate, whether income should be imputed, how overtime and bonuses are treated, and whether a deviation is warranted. Those are judgment calls, and they are where an experienced Clark County family law attorney earns their fee — by framing the income picture accurately and documenting the factors that move the number in your client's favor.

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