Official State of Iowa Website

Iowa Child Support Guidelines

Iowa’s Child Support Guidelines are contained in Chapter 9 of the Iowa Court Rules. The Guidelines have detailed information on how child support is calculated, guidelines worksheets, information on deductions, and information on when and how courts can grant “variances,” meaning when a court can assign a higher or lower amount of support than the Guidelines would otherwise provide.Information icon

After a court decides child support under the Guidelines, that is the amount of child support the court should award. Rule 9.11 of the Guidelines allows the court to raise or lower the amount, but only with a written finding that using the guidelines amount would be unjust or inappropriate because:

  • Using the guidelines amount would result in “substantial injustice” to the parent paying the support, the parent receiving the support, or the child.
  • Adjustments are needed to provide for the needs of the child, or to do justice under the special circumstances of the case.
  • For circumstances under Iowa Code section 234.39, which is about responsibility for the cost of foster care services.
  • The court may “impute” income in some cases, meaning find a higher amount of income than the Guidelines otherwise would. If the court finds a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed without just cause, the court may use the parent’s earning capacity in the calculation instead of their actual income.
    • Being in jail or prison does not count as voluntary unemployment for child support purposes.
    • When deciding earning capacity, the court must consider the parent’s specific circumstances, and may include factors like employment potential and probable earnings level based on work and training history, occupational qualifications, prevailing job opportunities, availability of employers willing to hire the parent, and earning levels in the community.
    • The court may also consider the parent’s assets, residence, educational attainment, literacy, age, health, criminal record and other employment barriers, record of looking for work, and other relevant factors.
    • The court may not use earning capacity instead of actual earnings or otherwise impute income unless the court decides in writing that, if actual earnings were used, substantial injustice would occur or adjustments would be necessary to provide for the needs of the child or to do justice between the parties.

A court may also award added support over the guidelines amount because of child care expenses. Iowa Court Rule 9.11A.