Child Support Calculation Worksheet - South Dakota
IMPORTANT: THIS IS A PREPARATION GUIDE — NOT THE OFFICIAL COURT WORKSHEET
South Dakota requires the use of official form SE-481A (Child Support Obligation Worksheet Based on Income Shares) 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://dss.sd.gov/formsandpubs/docs/CS/SE481A.pdf.
Do not file this document directly with the court.
CHILD SUPPORT CALCULATION WORKSHEET
State of South Dakota
Court: [________________________________] Circuit Court
County: [________________________________]
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
Non-Custodial Parent (Parent 1):
- Full Name: [________________________________]
- Date of Birth: [__/__/____]
- Employer: [________________________________]
Custodial Parent (Parent 2):
- Full Name: [________________________________]
- Date of Birth: [__/__/____]
- Employer: [________________________________]
Children Subject to This Order:
| Child Name | Date of Birth | Age | Resides With |
|---|---|---|---|
| [____________________] | [__/__/____] | [__] | ☐ Parent 1 ☐ Parent 2 |
| [____________________] | [__/__/____] | [__] | ☐ Parent 1 ☐ Parent 2 |
| [____________________] | [__/__/____] | [__] | ☐ Parent 1 ☐ Parent 2 |
Custody Type:
☐ Primary Physical Custody (one parent)
☐ Shared Parenting (each parent has 180+ overnights/year)
☐ Split Custody
2. CALCULATION MODEL
Model: Income Shares (Net Income) per SDCL § 25-7-6.2
Number of Children: [____]
3. GROSS INCOME DETERMINATION
| Income Source | Parent 1 (Monthly) | Parent 2 (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Wages/Salary | $[________] | $[________] |
| Self-Employment Income | $[________] | $[________] |
| Regular Bonuses/Commissions/Overtime | $[________] | $[________] |
| Social Security/Pensions | $[________] | $[________] |
| Disability/Veterans Benefits | $[________] | $[________] |
| Workers' Comp/Unemployment | $[________] | $[________] |
| Investment/Rental Income | $[________] | $[________] |
| Other Income | $[________] | $[________] |
| Total Monthly Gross Income | $[________] | $[________] |
4. ADJUSTMENTS TO INCOME
| Deduction | Parent 1 (Monthly) | Parent 2 (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Income Tax (single rate) | $[________] | $[________] |
| State Income Tax | $[________] | $[________] |
| FICA (Social Security/Medicare) | $[________] | $[________] |
| Qualified Retirement (max 10% gross) | $[________] | $[________] |
| Unreimbursed Employer Expenses | $[________] | $[________] |
| Other Support Orders | $[________] | $[________] |
| Total Deductions | $[________] | $[________] |
| Monthly Net Income | $[________] | $[________] |
| Combined Monthly Net Income | $[________] |
5. CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION FORMULA
Step 1: Combined Monthly Net Income: $[________]
Step 2: Basic Support Obligation from SDCL § 25-7-6.2 Schedule (for [__] children): $[________]
Step 3: Each Parent's Percentage of Combined Net Income:
- Parent 1: [____]%
- Parent 2: [____]%
Step 4: Each Parent's Share:
- Parent 1: $[________] x [____]% = $[________]
- Parent 2: $[________] x [____]% = $[________]
Step 5: Non-Custodial Parent's Monthly Obligation: $[________]
6. HEALTHCARE EXPENSES
| Item | Parent 1 | Parent 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Health Insurance Premium (child's portion) | $[________] | $[________] |
| 8% Net Income Limit | $[________] | $[________] |
| Is coverage reasonable? | ☐ Yes ☐ No | ☐ Yes ☐ No |
☐ Parent ordered to maintain health insurance: [________________]
☐ Uninsured medical expenses: Custodial parent pays first $250/year/child; excess divided proportionally
7. CHILDCARE EXPENSES
| Item | Monthly Amount |
|---|---|
| Work-Related Child Care | $[________] |
| Parent 1's Share: [____]% | $[________] |
| Parent 2's Share: [____]% | $[________] |
8. EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSES
| Expense Description | Monthly Amount | Parent 1 Share | Parent 2 Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel for Visitation | $[________] | $[________] | $[________] |
| [____________________] | $[________] | $[________] | $[________] |
9. DEVIATION FACTORS
☐ No deviation requested
☐ Deviation requested based on:
☐ Financial condition making guideline amount unfair
☐ Educational expenses or special needs of the child
☐ Health care expenses
☐ Parental agreements for extra support
☐ Voluntary unemployment/underemployment
☐ Income of new spouse or contribution to expenses
☐ Obligation for children from new relationship
☐ Other: [________________________________]
Deviation Amount: $[________] per month
Justification: [________________________________]
10. DURATION AND TERMINATION
Child support continues until the earliest of:
- Child reaches age 18
- Child reaches age 19 if still in high school
- Child marries or is emancipated
- Child dies
- Further order of the court
11. STATE-SPECIFIC NOTES
- Income Cap on Schedule: $30,000 combined monthly net income. Above this, court sets appropriate amount per SDCL § 25-7-6.9.
- Self-Support Reserve: The schedule includes a built-in self-support reserve.
- Shared Parenting: When each parent has at least 180 overnights, use the Shared Parenting Cross Credit Worksheet per SDCL § 25-7-6.27.
- Income Imputation: SDCL § 25-7-6.26 presumes a parent can earn at least minimum wage unless disabled.
- Modification: Requires material change in circumstances.
SUMMARY OF CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION
| Component | Parent 1 | Parent 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Base Support Obligation Share | $[________] | $[________] |
| Medical Support Adjustment | $[________] | $[________] |
| Childcare Share | $[________] | $[________] |
| Deviation (if applicable) | $[________] | $[________] |
| Net Monthly Obligation | $[________] | $[________] |
Net Amount to be Paid by [________________] to [________________]: $[________] per month
Prepared By: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]
SD Bar No.: [________]
Sources and References:
About this template
- Last updated
- April 1, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- South Dakota
- Category
- Family Law
Legal authority
- SDCL § 25-7-6.1 (Child Support Obligation)
- SDCL § 25-7-6.2 (Child Support Obligation Schedule)
- SDCL § 25-7-6.3 through 25-7-6.7 (Income Definitions and Deductions)
- SDCL § 25-7-6.10 (Deviation Criteria)
- SDCL § 25-7-6.27 (Shared Parenting)
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.
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