In Wisconsin, child support is calculated using a set of guidelines published in the Wisconsin Administrative Code. These guidelines were formerly published in Chapter HSS 80 and DWD 40, and many people still refer to them as the "HSS 80" or "DWD40" guidelines".
With the reorganization of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, these guidelines are now in the regulations for the Department of Children and Families, found in Chapter DCF 150. You can see DCF 150 in the Law Library. To view DCF 150 or the rest of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, you can also go to the Wisconsin Revisor of Statutes Site.
In general, the guidelines require a person paying child support to pay a percentage of their gross income (income before deductions) as child support. The guidelines are:
DCF 150 provides formulas for calculating child support for situations where all the children live with one parent, where they spend substantial time with both parents, or where each parent has some of the children.
There are several online sites that allow you to calculate your child support by filling in certain information. One such site can be found at www.dwd40calculator.com.
For payment information on your child support account, you should call the Wisconsin Child Support Collection Trust at 1-800-991-5530. You should have your PIN number ready when you call.
Child support payments should be sent to:
Wisconsin Support Collection Trust FundTo ensure that your payment is properly applied, you should include the appropriate payment coupon.
There is a $35 Receiving and Disbursing fee due with the first child support payment each year. This is a processing fee charged by the state.
For child support enforcement services, you may contact your lawyer, or you may contact the Green County Child Support Enforcement Agency at:
Child Support EnforcementFor more information, try the Department of Children and Families' web page Child Support Information for Parents & Guardians
The obligation to pay child support continues until age 18, or until age 19 if the child is pursuing a high school diploma or equivalent.
To terminate support at that time, the payor can hire an attorney to do the necessary paperwork, or may contact the Green County Child Support Agency and ask that the child support order be terminated. The Child Support Agency must be provided with proof that the child is 18 years old and has graduated from high school, or the date the child will be graduating.
While current support for the specific child will end, any support obligation for other children will continue. In addition, any wage assignment will not end until all debts have been paid in full, including receiving and disbursing fees.
For general information on child support enforcement, you may want to view the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families page entitled "What Happens If I Don't Pay Child Support?". For more child support information on the web, check out the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families' Child Support page.
When the earnings of a person who is responsible for child support cannot easily be determined by the court, the average wage for Green County may be used. The 2008 version of the Green County Workforce Profile can be found here.