How Child Support Is Calculated in Vermont

Vermont's guideline is based on the percentage of combined parental income that parents in one Vermont household ordinarily spend on children, so children receive the same proportion of parental income as if the parents lived together (an income shares approach). The guideline amount is presumed correct, though the court may deviate. Sole custody for support purposes means the child spends more than 75% of nights with one parent; shared custody means at least 25% of nights with each parent. The Office of Child Support (DCF) provides an online calculator.

Apply to the Vermont Office of Child Support (OCS), part of the Department for Children and Families, by submitting the online Child Support Application, or contact OCS for a paper application and file it in person or by mail at a regional office. Services are free to parents and guardians who sign up. Applicants must be over 18 to apply online; people under 18 can call 1-800-786-3214 for help. People owed past-due court-ordered support may also be eligible.

The court may order child support to continue until the child reaches the age of majority or finishes secondary education (high school), whichever is later. The Office of Child Support says its services are for parents and guardians of children under 18 or still in high school.

Either parent, OCS, or another person entitled to or charged with support may ask the court to change a child support order by showing a real, substantial and unanticipated change of circumstances. A change that would make support vary more than 10% from the guideline amount counts as a change of circumstances, and so do receiving workers' compensation, disability or means-tested public assistance benefits, unemployment (unless already considered), and incarceration for more than 90 days (unless for failure to pay support). If the order has not been modified for at least three years, the court may waive the change-of-circumstances requirement. Orders can only be changed by the court; the Vermont Judiciary publishes forms to ask to modify or enforce a child support order, and OCS can help parents who apply for its services.

Vermont law provides wage withholding, an arrearage judgment lien, lottery offsets, credit reporting, tax refund offsets, trustee process (garnishment) and civil penalties. Driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, recreational licenses and professional or occupational licenses can be suspended, by the court or administratively by OCS, when a parent is behind by at least one-quarter of the annual support obligation; the parent gets 21 days to contest an administrative suspension. A parent who willfully fails to pay despite being able to can be held in contempt, and the court may order a work search, employment services or incarceration until the parent meets purge conditions set by the court.

Vermont's child support agency is the Office of Child Support (OCS) in the Department for Children and Families. Its services are free for parents and guardians of children under 18 or still in high school, and help with getting or paying child support; a safer approach is available for people who have experienced domestic violence. Apply through the "Apply for Child Support Services" page. Payments can be made 24/7 online with EZpay4kids or by other methods OCS lists, and parents can check their case through the Parent Login. Customer Service: 1-800-786-3214.

The Vermont Department for Children and Families, Office of Child Support (OCS), provides an online Child Support Calculator for the Vermont child support guidelines. The OCS page lists current guideline figures, including a Self Support Reserve of $1,596 per month (effective February 2, 2026) and Presumed Income of $99,513.00 (effective July 1, 2026); the guidelines calculation tables were updated January 2, 2024, with the next review due by January 2, 2028.