How do I calculate the Basic Child Support Obligation?
Basic expenses include an average amount to cover child-rearing expenses which are comprised of housing, food, and transportation. The share of total expenditures devoted to clothing and entertainment is also included in the Basic Child Support Obligation (BCSO). The share of total expenditures devoted to clothing and entertainment is also included in the BCSO, but is relatively small compared to the other three items. Basic educational expenses associated with the academic curriculum for a public school education (such as fees, books, and local field trips) are also included in the BCSO. The BCSO does not include the child’s health insurance premium, work-related childcare costs, the child’s uninsured medical expenses, special expenses, or extraordinary educational expenses because of the highly variable nature of these expenses among different families. The first step to calculate the BCSO is to obtain the gross income of each parent. Gross income includes all income form any source
