Wyoming Child Support Laws: Guidelines and Calculations

How to Apply for Child Support in Wyoming

The Wyoming Child Support Program (WCSP) provides services to parents who need help establishing, collecting, or modifying child support. These services include locating a non-custodial parent, establishing paternity, setting up support orders, enforcing existing orders, and reviewing orders for possible changes.

Wyoming operates under the principle that a child should receive the same level of financial support they would receive if the parents never separated. This standard guides how the courts calculate and enforce support obligations.

To apply for services:

• Create a WCSP account and apply online
• Walk into any child support office in your area
• Call 307-777-6948 to speak with a child support representative

What to remember:

• Parents receiving public assistance or TANF benefits do not pay any application fees
• You must establish paternity before receiving a support order if the child's parentage is in question
• The WCSP may order the non-custodial parent to pay for or reimburse paternity testing costs
• For more information, review the WCSP booklet

How Is Paternity Established in Wyoming?

Under Wyoming law, if a mother is married at the time of conception or birth, the husband is the legal father unless he signs an affidavit disputing paternity or a genetic test proves otherwise.

Article 4 of Wyoming's Children Code (Wyo. Stat. 14-2-401) defines three main ways to establish paternity:

• Acknowledged Father: Signing the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP) form at the hospital creates a legal parent-child relationship
• Adjudicated Father: A court determines a man to be the father following a petition by either parent for genetic testing
• Alleged Father (Marital Presumption): The law presumes a child born to a married mother is the husband's child

What to remember:

• A child born to an unmarried couple does not have a legal father until paternity is established
• Paternity may be established if the father lives with the child for the first two years and openly claims to be the father
• A VAP form has the same legal effect as a court order and creates child support obligations
• You have 60 days to rescind a VAP form if you signed due to a material mistake of fact, duress, or fraud
• After paternity establishment, the father may petition for custody or visitation rights

How Is Child Support Determined in Wyoming?

Wyoming's child support guidelines use the Income Shares Model. Under Wyo. Stat. 20-2-307(a), the presumptive child support amount calculated under the guidelines is presumed correct unless evidence shows it would be unjust or inappropriate in a particular case.

The Income Shares Model is based on the economic principle that a child should receive the same proportion of parental income they would have received if the parents had remained together. Both parents' incomes factor into the calculation, and each parent's share of the total obligation is proportional to their share of the combined income.

The calculation considers:

• Both parents' net incomes
• Number of children
• Health insurance costs for the children
• Childcare expenses
• Parenting time arrangement

How the Calculation Works

The court follows these steps under Wyo. Stat. 20-2-304:

1. Determine each parent's gross income from all sources, including wages, tips, commissions, self-employment income, retirement pay, workers' compensation, disability benefits, unemployment compensation, dividends, interest, trust income, and Social Security benefits
2. Calculate net income by subtracting:
   • Federal and state income taxes, Social Security, and Medicare taxes
   • Premiums for children's health insurance
   • Mandatory retirement or pension contributions
   • Current payments for other children under pre-existing support orders
   • Legitimate, reasonable business expenses (if self-employed)
3. Combine both parents' net incomes
4. Reference the state's support table to determine the joint support obligation based on combined net income and number of children
5. Calculate each parent's share based on their percentage of the combined income

Imputed Income for Unemployed or Underemployed Parents

Under Wyo. Stat. 20-2-307(b)(xi), if a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court may base child support on that parent's potential earning capacity rather than their actual income. The court considers the parent's education level, work history, job skills, and the availability of jobs in the local area. When a parent is voluntarily underemployed, the court uses the higher of the parent's actual income, potential income, or minimum wage.

Self-Support Reserve

Wyoming's guidelines include a self-support reserve to make sure the paying parent can cover basic living expenses after paying support. Under Wyo. Stat. 20-2-304(f), if the difference between the obligor's net income and the self-support reserve is less than the calculated support amount, the support obligation is set at that difference instead.

The self-support reserve equals the federal poverty level for one person, which is $15,960 per year ($1,330 per month) for 2026 as published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Special Custody Arrangements

Wyoming's guidelines provide three ways to calculate presumptive support:

• Basic Calculation: Used when one parent has primary physical custody with no credit for overnight visitation
• Shared Physical Custody: Applies when each parent has the children overnight for more than 25% of the year (at least 92 overnights). Both parents must contribute substantially to expenses during their parenting time
• Split Custody: Applies when siblings are divided between parents, with each parent having physical custody of at least one child. A separate calculation is done for each household

Wyoming's 2025 Shared Custody Presumption (SF0117)

Effective July 1, 2025, Wyoming enacted Senate File 0117, which establishes a rebuttable presumption of shared custody in new cases. Under this law, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing, the court must enter an order of shared custody with joint legal custody and joint physical custody where children reside with each parent for substantially equal time.

This presumption can be overcome if:

• One or both parties have been found guilty of domestic violence, child abuse, or neglect
• The parties live more than 300 miles apart, making shared custody impractical
• Clear and convincing evidence shows a different arrangement is in the children's best interest

Because shared custody directly affects how child support is calculated, this law may result in lower support obligations for new cases where both parents share roughly equal parenting time.

Grounds for Deviation

Under Wyo. Stat. 20-2-307(b), judges may deviate from the guidelines based on:

• The child's age
• Special health care or educational needs
• Necessary expenses including daycare and transportation for visitation
• Either parent's ability to provide health insurance
• Time the child spends with each parent
• Either parent's responsibility for supporting other children
• Value of services contributed to raising the child
• Pregnancy and childbirth expenses (if parents were never married)
• Whether either parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed

How to Calculate Child Support in Wyoming

Wyoming provides official tools for calculating child support:

• Wyoming Child Support Calculator on the Self-Service Portal
• Child Support Computation Form (DIVCP-13) from the Wyoming Judicial Branch

Both parents' net incomes are required for the calculator to produce an accurate estimate. Calculator results are estimates only. The court makes the final determination based on a full review of the financial evidence.

What to remember:

• Net income means gross income minus Social Security, children's healthcare costs, mandatory pension deductions, existing child support orders, and personal income taxes
• If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court may impute potential earning capacity
• The support table amounts reflect the combined cost of raising children at different income levels

How to Modify Child Support in Wyoming

Parents may petition the court for a change to a support order when there has been a material change in circumstances.

Under Wyo. Stat. 20-2-311(a), if applying current guidelines would result in a 20% or greater change from the existing order amount, the court shall consider this sufficient grounds for modification. The petition must be filed at least six months after the current order was entered or last adjusted.

Examples of material changes:

• Significant increase or decrease in either parent's income
• Job loss or reduced work hours
• Change in custody arrangement
• Incarceration
• Beginning to receive government assistance (TANF/POWER, Medicaid, SNAP, or SSI)
• Change in the child's needs (medical, educational, or other)

Modification requirements:

• The parent requesting the change carries the burden of proof
• A condition that existed when the order was created does not count as a material change
• State law requires the WCSP to review and adjust orders every three years upon request
• Beginning to receive POWER, Medicaid, SNAP, or SSI benefits is automatically considered a substantial change, regardless of the 20% threshold or six-month waiting period

To request modification:

• Visit a local child support office
• Contact your caseworker
• Call 307-777-5300 or toll-free at 888-570-9914
• Download the modification forms from the Wyoming Judicial Branch
• Work with a family law attorney

What Happens If You Do Not Pay Child Support in Wyoming?

Wyoming law requires all support orders to include income withholding, meaning employers collect child support directly from wages, salaries, and bonuses. If income withholding fails or is insufficient, the court or WCSP may use these enforcement tools:

• License Suspension: Driver's licenses, professional licenses, and recreational licenses may be suspended
• Financial Institution Data Match: Automated enforcement to locate and seize assets in bank accounts
• Passport Denial: Passports may be denied or revoked for arrears exceeding $2,500
• Federal Tax Intercept: The IRS may intercept federal tax refunds to cover past-due support
• State Tax Intercept: State and local tax returns may be intercepted
• Credit Bureau Reporting: Delinquent support is reported to major credit bureaus
• Garnishment and Liens: Bank accounts may be garnished and liens placed on real property, vehicles, and other assets

Criminal Non-Support vs. Contempt of Court

Criminal Non-Support: Under Wyoming law, willful failure to pay court-ordered child support is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $750.

Contempt of Court: If the non-custodial parent refuses to pay, the custodial parent may petition the court to hold them in contempt. The judge will summon the non-paying parent for a "show cause" hearing where they must explain their failure to pay. Possible outcomes include:

• Community service
• Establishment of a payment plan
• Modification recommendations
• Imprisonment (in serious cases)

What to remember:

• To avoid jail, a judge may order the parent to pay a portion of owed arrears immediately
• Serious cases may be referred for federal prosecution under the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act if the parent owes more than $5,000 or has not paid for more than one year
• Federal prosecution can result in felony charges with up to two years in prison

When Does Child Support End in Wyoming?

Under Wyo. Stat. 14-1-101 and 20-2-313, the obligation to pay child support ends when the child:

• Reaches age 18 (the age of majority in Wyoming)
• Is otherwise emancipated by a court
• Turns 20 if still a full-time high school student (support continues through graduation or age 20, whichever comes first)
• Gets married
• Dies

Support may continue beyond age 18 for children who are unable to support themselves because of a physical or mental disability.

Parents may also agree to continue support beyond high school, such as for college expenses. These agreements should be in writing, signed by both parties, and submitted to the court for inclusion in an official order to be enforceable.

Emancipation in Wyoming

Wyoming allows minors to petition the court for emancipation. Once granted, the minor gains the legal rights of an adult, including the ability to:

• Enter into contracts and lease property
• Make independent legal and financial decisions
• Live independently

Emancipation may also occur through marriage or by enlisting in the U.S. military. Once a child is emancipated, the obligation to pay child support ends.

Arrears After Termination

The end of the support obligation does not erase past-due child support. If the paying parent owes arrears when the child turns 18 (or when support otherwise ends), the WCSP and the court will continue enforcement efforts until the balance is paid in full.

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