Most states have child support guidelines in their statutes—often in the statutes collected in the state’s family code. These child support guidelines provide percentages and methods of calculating child support payments based on the number of children; the parents’ incomes and financial resources; the income and needs of the custodial parent; the needs of the children, including any special needs; and the standard of living for the children before the parents’ divorce or separation. The child support guidelines are just guidelines, and the court generally has discretion to order more or less child support based on the best interest of the children.

In Alaska, child support guidelines are established by Rule 90.3 of the Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure. These guidelines are designed to calculate child support payments based on various factors, including the number of children, the income of both parents, and the needs of the children. The guidelines take into account the non-custodial parent's income and the number of nights the children spend with each parent. Additionally, the guidelines consider the standard of living the children would have enjoyed had the household remained intact. While these guidelines provide a framework for determining child support, Alaska courts have the discretion to deviate from the guidelines when it is in the best interest of the children. This means that a court may order a different amount of child support if it finds that the guideline amount would be unjust or inappropriate in a particular case. Factors that may lead to a deviation include extraordinary expenses for the children, such as healthcare costs or educational needs, and significant income disparity between the parents.