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 Colorado, child support guidelines are established by state statutes to ensure that children receive adequate financial support from their parents following a divorce or separation. These guidelines take into account various factors such as the number of children, the income and financial resources of both parents, the financial needs of the custodial parent, the specific needs of the children (including any special needs), and the standard of living the children were accustomed to before the divorce or separation. The guidelines provide a formula for calculating the amount of child support, which typically involves a percentage of the non-custodial parent's income. While these guidelines are intended to create consistency and predictability in child support determinations, Colorado 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 under the circumstances.