Child Support Calculation Worksheet - Rhode Island
IMPORTANT: THIS IS A PREPARATION GUIDE — NOT THE OFFICIAL COURT WORKSHEET
Rhode Island requires the use of official form FC-78 (Child Support Guideline Worksheet) for child support calculations.
This template provides the substantive content and calculation methodology to help you
prepare — but you must transfer your figures to the official worksheet before filing.
The official form is available at https://www.courts.ri.gov/Forms/ or https://ocss.ri.gov/resources/forms.
Do not file this document directly with the court.
CHILD SUPPORT CALCULATION WORKSHEET
State of Rhode Island
Court: Rhode Island Family Court
Case No.: [________________________________]
Judge/Magistrate: [________________________________]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Party and Children Identification
- Calculation Model
- Gross Income Determination
- Adjustments to Income
- Child Support Obligation Formula
- Healthcare Expenses
- Childcare Expenses
- Extraordinary Expenses
- Deviation Factors
- Duration and Termination
- State-Specific Notes
1. PARTY AND CHILDREN IDENTIFICATION
Custodial Parent:
- Full Name: [________________________________]
- Date of Birth: [__/__/____]
- Employer: [________________________________]
Non-Custodial Parent:
- Full Name: [________________________________]
- Date of Birth: [__/__/____]
- Employer: [________________________________]
Children Subject to This Order:
| Child Name | Date of Birth | Age |
|---|---|---|
| [____________________] | [__/__/____] | [__] |
| [____________________] | [__/__/____] | [__] |
| [____________________] | [__/__/____] | [__] |
2. CALCULATION MODEL
Model: Income Shares Model
Number of Children: [____]
3. GROSS INCOME DETERMINATION
| Income Source | Custodial Parent (Weekly) | Non-Custodial Parent (Weekly) |
|---|---|---|
| Wages/Salary | $[________] | $[________] |
| Self-Employment Income | $[________] | $[________] |
| Bonuses/Commissions | $[________] | $[________] |
| Social Security Disability | $[________] | $[________] |
| Workers' Compensation | $[________] | $[________] |
| Pensions/Retirement | $[________] | $[________] |
| Other Income | $[________] | $[________] |
| Total Weekly Gross Income | $[________] | $[________] |
| Total Monthly Gross Income (x 4.3333) | $[________] | $[________] |
4. ADJUSTMENTS TO INCOME
Mandatory Deductions:
| Deduction | Custodial Parent (Monthly) | Non-Custodial Parent (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Insurance Premiums (child) | $[________] | $[________] |
| Pre-Existing Child Support Orders | $[________] | $[________] |
| Additional Minor Dependents Deduction | $[________] | $[________] |
| Work-Related Child Care Costs | $[________] | $[________] |
| Total Mandatory Deductions | $[________] | $[________] |
Optional Deductions (Court Discretion):
| Deduction | Custodial Parent (Monthly) | Non-Custodial Parent (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Retirement Contributions | $[________] | $[________] |
| Life Insurance Payments | $[________] | $[________] |
| Extraordinary Medical Expenses | $[________] | $[________] |
| Income Tax Adjustments | $[________] | $[________] |
| Original Marital Debts | $[________] | $[________] |
| Total Optional Deductions | $[________] | $[________] |
| Summary | Custodial Parent | Non-Custodial Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Adjusted Gross Income | $[________] | $[________] |
| Combined Monthly Adjusted Gross Income | $[________] |
5. CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION FORMULA
Step 1: Combined Monthly Adjusted Gross Income: $[________]
Step 2: Guideline Chart Amount (for [__] children): $[________]
Step 3: Add Work-Related Child Care (adjusted for tax credit): $[________]
Step 4: Total Monthly Child Support Obligation: $[________]
Step 5: Each Parent's Percentage:
- Custodial Parent: $[________] / $[________] = [____]%
- Non-Custodial Parent: $[________] / $[________] = [____]%
Step 6: Non-Custodial Parent's Monthly Obligation: $[________] x [____]% = $[________]
Step 7: Weekly Obligation (÷ 4.3333): $[________]
6. HEALTHCARE EXPENSES
| Item | Custodial Parent | Non-Custodial Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Health Insurance Premium (child) | $[________] | $[________] |
| Cash Medical Support (if applicable) | $[________] | $[________] |
7. CHILDCARE EXPENSES
| Item | Monthly Amount |
|---|---|
| Work-Related Childcare Costs | $[________] |
| Less: Tax Credit Adjustment | ($[________]) |
| Net Childcare Expense | $[________] |
8. EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSES
| Expense Description | Monthly Amount |
|---|---|
| [____________________] | $[________] |
| [____________________] | $[________] |
9. DEVIATION FACTORS
☐ No deviation requested
☐ Deviation requested based on:
☐ Financial resources of the child
☐ Financial resources of the custodial parent
☐ Standard of living the child would have enjoyed
☐ Physical and emotional condition of the child
☐ Educational needs of the child
☐ Financial resources and needs of the non-custodial parent
☐ Substantially equal parenting time (49%+ each)
☐ Other: [________________________________]
Deviation Amount: $[________] per month
Written Justification: [________________________________]
10. DURATION AND TERMINATION
Confirm the controlling support order before treating an obligation as ended. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2(b), the court may order support and education costs for a child attending high school at age eighteen and for ninety days after graduation, but not beyond age nineteen. The court may also order support beyond emancipation for a child with a severe physical or mental impairment meeting that subsection's conditions. These are court-order determinations, not automatic worksheet outcomes.
11. STATE-SPECIFIC NOTES
- Weekly to Monthly Conversion: Multiply weekly income by 4.3333.
- Interest on Arrearages: R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.5 allows 12% per annum interest on child support arrears.
- Limited community-service authority: Section 15-5-16.2(f) allows the court, on the specified findings, to order community service or appropriate work activities for an able-bodied absent parent obligor in a proceeding involving a child receiving the cited public assistance or past-due support in such a case. It is not an income-imputation rule.
- Shared Custody: When both parents have at least 49% parenting time, a different formula applies.
- Modification: Requires a substantial change in circumstances (R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2(c)(2), § 15-5-16.7(c)); Rhode Island sets no fixed percentage for a court modification. The Office of Child Support Services refers an order for administrative review at a 15% Guidelines deviation or 36 months since entry/last review (218-RICR-30-00-1.22.2), and § 15-5-16.7(b) provides a three-year review without proof of changed circumstances.
SUMMARY OF CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION
| Component | Monthly | Weekly |
|---|---|---|
| Base Child Support | $[________] | $[________] |
| Childcare Adjustment | $[________] | $[________] |
| Healthcare/Medical Support | $[________] | $[________] |
| Deviation (if applicable) | $[________] | $[________] |
| Total Obligation | $[________] | $[________] |
Paid by [________________] to [________________]: $[________] per week / $[________] per month
Prepared By: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]
RI Bar No.: [________]
Sources and References:
- RI Office of Child Support Services — Guidelines
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2
- RI Family Court Administrative Order 2023-02
About this template
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Rhode Island
- Category
- Family Law
Legal authority
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2 (Child Support)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-9-1 (Duty of Parent to Pay Support)
- R.I. Family Court Administrative Order 2023-02 (Current Guidelines)
- R.I. Family Court Administrative Order 2012-05 (Guidance on Guidelines)
Family law covers the paperwork that shapes divorce, custody, child support, adoption, guardianship, and other family matters. These filings are emotional and high-stakes, and they also have to meet strict procedural rules for service, financial disclosure, and parenting plans. Clean, accurate paperwork keeps the focus on getting a workable outcome for the family instead of getting derailed by technical problems that delay hearings or force amended filings.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
The statutes this template relies on are listed under Legal authority.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2(a) (checked September 23, 2026): "In a proceeding for divorce, divorce from bed and board, a miscellaneous petition without the filing of divorce proceedings, or child support, the court shall order either or both parents owing a duty of support to a child to pay an amount based upon a formula and guidelines adopted by an administrative order of the family court."
R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2(b) (checked September 23, 2026): "The court may, if in its discretion it deems it necessary or advisable, order child support and education costs for children attending high school at the time of their eighteenth (18th) birthday and for ninety (90) days after graduation, but in no case beyond their nineteenth (19th) birthday. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the court, in its discretion, may order child support, in the case of a child with a severe physical or mental impairment still living with or under the care of a parent, beyond the child’s emancipation as defined above."
R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2(c)(2) (checked September 23, 2026): "The decree may be made retroactive in the court’s discretion only to the date that notice of a petition to modify was given to the adverse party if the court finds that a substantial change in circumstances has occurred; provided, that the court shall set forth in its decision the specific findings of fact that show a substantial change in circumstances and upon which findings of facts the court has decided to make the decree retroactive."
R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-5-16.2(f) (checked September 23, 2026): "In any proceeding to establish support, or in any case in which an obligor owes past-due support, for a child or children receiving public assistance pursuant to chapter 5.1 of title 40 [repealed], the court or its magistrate, upon a finding that an able-bodied absent parent obligor is unemployed, underemployed, or lacks sufficient income or resources from which to make payment of support equal to the public assistance payment for the child or children, or is unable to pay the arrearages in accordance with a payment plan, may order that parent to perform unpaid community service for at least twenty (20) hours per week through community service placements arranged and supervised by the department of human services or to participate in any work activities that the court deems appropriate."
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