What is added to the basic obligation?

Health care coverage costs and work-related childcare costs are added to the basic obligation before the proportional split between the parents is applied.

How is child support enforced in Virginia?

Through DCSE, which uses income withholding as the primary method. Withholding orders are initiated when a payment is delinquent by an amount equal to or exceeding one month's obligation, or when either parent requests withholding regardless of arrears. Other tools include tax intercepts, driver's license suspension, passport denial, asset seizure, liens, and show cause actions.

Virginia, United States

Virginia Child Support: A Parent's Guide

Q: How is child support calculated in Virginia?

Under the Income Shares Model in Va. Code § 20-108.2: both parents' gross incomes are combined, the total is cross-referenced with the Schedule of Monthly Basic Child Support Obligations, and the resulting amount is divided proportionally based on each parent's share of the combined income.

Q: What counts as gross income for the calculation?

All income from all sources: wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, dividends, pensions, interest, Social Security benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment benefits, disability insurance, veterans' benefits, spousal support, rental income, and more.

Q: What changed with the combined income cap in 2025?

As of July 1, 2025, Senate Bill 805 raised the combined monthly gross income cap from $35,000 to $42,500 and increased guideline amounts across all income levels for the first time since 2014.

How child support works in Virginia, in plain English: the income shares guidelines, modification, and DCSE enforcement.

Legal sources reviewed: August 10, 2026

On this page

In short: Virginia uses the Income Shares Model, and as of July 1, 2025, the combined monthly income cap and guideline amounts rose for the first time since 2014. The Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) administers modification, income withholding, and a broad set of additional enforcement tools including passport denial and asset seizure.

This is an educational overview written for parents, not lawyers. It isn't legal advice. For anything beyond general understanding, talk to a licensed Virginia family law attorney.

What Virginia generally provides

Under Va. Code § 20-108.2, Virginia calculates child support using the Income Shares Model: both parents' gross incomes are combined, the total is cross-referenced with the Schedule of Monthly Basic Child Support Obligations, and the resulting amount is divided between the parents in proportion to their respective incomes, estimating the resources that would have been available to the child had the parents stayed together.

Important terminology

Schedule of Monthly Basic Child Support Obligations: Virginia's statutory guideline table, keyed to combined gross income and number of children.
DCSE: the Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement, responsible for enforcement and much of the modification process.
Combined monthly gross income cap: the ceiling on the guideline schedule, raised from $35,000 to $42,500 effective July 1, 2025.

How the calculation works

Combining gross income

Virginia's gross income definition is broad, covering wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, dividends, pensions, interest, Social Security benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment benefits, disability insurance, veterans' benefits, spousal support, rental income, and more. The combined figure is matched against the statutory schedule.

Adding health care and childcare costs

Health care coverage costs and work-related childcare costs are added to the basic obligation from the schedule before the proportional split based on each parent's income share is applied.

The 2025 guideline increase

Effective July 1, 2025, Senate Bill 805 raised the combined monthly gross income cap from $35,000 to $42,500 and increased guideline amounts across all income levels, the first such increase since 2014.

Requesting or defending a modification

A modification generally requires showing a change in the underlying facts (income, custody, or needs) that affects the schedule outcome, processed through DCSE or the court depending on how the original order was established. See the child support calculator and guideline finder for jurisdiction-specific calculation sources and guidance.

How enforcement works

Income withholding is Virginia's primary enforcement mechanism, administered through DCSE. Withholding orders are initiated when a payment is delinquent by an amount equal to or exceeding one month's obligation, or when either parent affirmatively requests withholding regardless of whether arrears exist. In all initial and modified administrative support orders, DCSE must initiate an income withholding order unless the parties have agreed to a written alternative payment arrangement. Beyond withholding, DCSE's enforcement toolkit includes tax refund intercepts, driver's license suspension, passport denial, asset seizure, property liens, and show cause (contempt) actions.

Common questions

Does my old order reflect the current income cap? Not automatically, orders calculated before July 1, 2025 used the prior $35,000 cap and lower guideline amounts, so it's worth checking whether a modification is warranted if your combined income is near that range.

Can withholding start without a missed payment? Yes, either parent can request withholding begin even without arrears, it isn't strictly tied to a delinquency.

What if my co-parent isn't paying? Contact DCSE, part of the Virginia Department of Social Services, which handles the fuller range of enforcement tools beyond wage withholding.

Practical considerations

Because the 2025 cap and guideline increase was the first change since 2014, an order that predates it may be meaningfully out of step with current guideline amounts, worth reviewing with DCSE or a Virginia family law attorney if it's been a while since your order was calculated. For the custody rules that shape the parenting-time side of these calculations, see the Virginia custody guide.

Official Virginia resources

FAQ

Questions, answered

This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Family law varies by individual circumstances and may change over time. Consult a qualified attorney or appropriate official resource for advice about your situation.