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 Idaho, child support guidelines are established by state statutes and are primarily found in the Idaho Code Sections 32-706 to 32-710A. These guidelines are designed to calculate child support obligations based on a number of factors, including the income of both parents, the number of children, and the needs of the children. The guidelines use an income shares model, which aims to ensure that the child receives the same proportion of parental income that they would have received if the parents were still together. The court considers the financial resources of each parent, the standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marriage not been dissolved, and the physical and emotional condition and needs of the child. While these guidelines provide a framework for determining child support, Idaho courts have the discretion to deviate from the guidelines when it is in the best interest of the child to do so. Factors that may lead to deviation include, but are not limited to, the special needs of the child, the custodial parent's income and needs, and any other relevant factors that could impact the child's well-being.