Reviewed August 2026
Child Support in Colorado
Colorado calculates child support under the income shares model. This model is set out in C.R.S. 14-10-115. The statute combines both parents' adjusted gross incomes into a schedule of basic support obligations. It estimates the share of income a child would have received if the parents and children had stayed in one household. The obligation is then split between the parents. It gets adjusted for extraordinary medical expenses, work-related child care, and each parent's physical care time. Colorado's district courts handle child support as part of a divorce, paternity action, or standalone petition. County child support offices help too. They work through the state's Division of Child Support Services to help parents apply for services, calculate payments, and enforce existing orders.
Virdix's document-preparation product currently prepares divorce paperwork for California and Florida cases. This page explains how child support works under Colorado law for people researching before they file. It is not legal advice, and Virdix does not prepare or file Colorado paperwork. See how Virdix works for California divorces.
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The income shares guidelines under C.R.S. 14-10-115
Colorado's guidelines calculate child support from the parents' combined adjusted gross income. This is the amount estimated to have gone to the child if the household had stayed intact. The statute then adjusts that base amount for extraordinary medical expenses and work-related child care costs. It splits the final payment between the parents based on each parent's physical care time with the child. The guidelines apply to every child support obligation set up or modified in a Colorado case. This holds no matter when the underlying case was filed.
Applying for services
Colorado's Division of Child Support Services runs the state's IV-D program through county-based child support offices. It sits inside the Department of Human Services. A parent can apply for services through the state's childsupport.colorado.gov portal. This covers help calculating payments, setting up a new order, and enforcing an existing one. The portal routes the case to the right county office.
Who hears a Colorado child support case
Colorado district courts decide child support matters. This holds whether the request comes up inside a dissolution of marriage, legal separation, paternity action, or standalone child support proceeding. The court weighs factors such as the child's financial resources, the standard of living the child would have had, and each parent's financial resources and needs. It applies the C.R.S. 14-10-115 schedule to reach the presumptive amount.
Modifying an existing order
Under C.R.S. 14-10-122, a Colorado child support order can be modified only on a showing of changed circumstances that are substantial and continuing. It can also be modified when the existing order lacks a required medical support provision. The statute sets a specific rule for the income test. If reapplying the guidelines to the parents' current circumstances would change the monthly support amount by less than ten percent, that alone does not count as a substantial and continuing change. A modification applies only to payments due after the modification motion is filed, not retroactively.
Enforcement tools
Once a Colorado support payment is due and unpaid, it automatically becomes a final money judgment. It can be enforced like any other judgment. The obligee does not need to go back to court first. County child support offices work with the state's Division of Child Support Services. Together they can pursue income withholding and intercept state and federal tax refunds against a parent who falls behind. A parent can also be held in contempt of court for failing to comply with a support order.
Sources: C.R.S. 14-10-115 (child support guidelines), C.R.S. 14-10-122 (modification and termination), Colorado Division of Child Support Services
Not independently confirmed
- Direct URL of the current online child support worksheet/calculator tool on childsupport.colorado.gov
- Whether any Colorado counties route child support to a separate juvenile or family court rather than district court
Child Support in Colorado: frequently asked questions
Does Colorado use the income shares model for child support?+
Yes. C.R.S. 14-10-115 bases Colorado child support on the parents' combined adjusted gross income. It estimates the share of income the child would have received in an intact household. It then splits that amount between the parents and adjusts for medical expenses, child care costs, and each parent's physical care time.
How do I apply for child support services in Colorado?+
You apply through Colorado's Division of Child Support Services, part of the Department of Human Services. Use the state's childsupport.colorado.gov portal. It connects you with the child support office for your county. The division can help set up a new order, calculate payments, or enforce an order that already exists.
What court hears child support cases in Colorado?+
Colorado district courts decide child support matters. This holds whether the case arises inside a divorce, legal separation, paternity action, or standalone petition. The court applies the C.R.S. 14-10-115 income shares guidelines to the parents' financial information to calculate the support amount.
When can I get my Colorado child support order modified?+
You need to show changed circumstances that are substantial and continuing, under C.R.S. 14-10-122. If reapplying the guidelines to your current situation would change the monthly amount by less than ten percent, that alone does not count as a substantial change. A modification applies only to payments due after you file the motion, not retroactively.
What happens to unpaid Colorado child support?+
Each missed payment automatically becomes a final money judgment under Colorado law. It is enforceable like any other court judgment, with no separate court hearing needed. County child support offices can also pursue income withholding and other enforcement tools. A parent can be held in contempt for failing to comply with the order.
Is there an official Colorado child support calculator?+
Colorado's Division of Child Support Services provides information on calculating payments through childsupport.colorado.gov. It is built around the C.R.S. 14-10-115 guidelines. Use the current worksheet linked from that site for an accurate estimate.
This page is general information about child support in Colorado, not legal advice for your situation. Laws, fees, and procedures change over time; confirm current details with Colorado's own courts before relying on anything here. Virdix is not a law firm and is not licensed to practice law in Colorado. Virdix does not prepare or file Colorado divorce paperwork. It is not a substitute for an attorney licensed in Colorado.
More Colorado divorce guides
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