Nebraska Child Support — Calculator, Laws & Guide (2026)

Understanding Nebraska child support laws helps both custodial and non-custodial parents know their rights and obligations. This comprehensive Nebraska child support guide covers how payments are calculated, what income counts, when support can be modified, and how orders are enforced. Whether you are going through a divorce, seeking a modification, or dealing with non-payment, this guide explains Nebraska’s child support system in plain language.

Verified against Nebraska statutes and federal OCSE guidelines as of April 2026.

Nebraska Child Support Overview

Nebraska uses the income shares model for calculating child support. This model is based on the principle that children should receive the same proportion of parental income they would have received if the family were intact. Both parents’ incomes are combined, and the support obligation is divided proportionally.

Both parents’ monthly net incomes are combined and looked up in Table 1 (Income Shares Formula Table) based on the number of children. Each parent’s share is proportional to their percentage of combined net income. For combined monthly net income exceeding 20000, the court uses the table amount at 20000 plus a percentage of income above that threshold: 10% for 1-3 children, 12% for 4 children, 13% for 5 children, 14% for 6 children. Minimum support is 50 per month or 10% of obligor’s net income, whichever is greater.

How Nebraska Calculates Child Support

The Nebraska child support calculation considers multiple factors:

1. Determine each parent’s gross income — wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, investment income, and other sources.
2. Calculate combined parental income — add both parents’ adjusted gross incomes together.
3. Apply the guideline schedule — Nebraska’s guidelines provide a base support amount based on combined income and number of children.
4. Prorate between parents — each parent’s share is proportional to their percentage of the combined income.
5. Add healthcare and childcare costs — these are added to the base amount and divided proportionally.
6. Apply adjustments — parenting time credits, other child obligations, and special circumstances may adjust the final amount.

Online calculator: Use our child support estimator below to calculate your estimated obligation.

What Counts as Income in Nebraska

Total monthly income from all sources except means-tested public assistance (including EITC) and child support received for children of prior relationships. Sources include wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, pensions, Social Security benefits, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, annuities, trust income, capital gains, and military allowances. All income is annualized and divided by 12. Gross income is converted to net by deducting: federal and state income taxes, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), mandatory retirement contributions up to 4% of gross income, union dues, previously ordered alimony, and pre-existing child support obligations for other children.

Imputed income: YES. Courts may impute income to a voluntarily unemployed or underemployed parent based on earning capacity. Factors considered include: education, work history, job skills, literacy, age, health, criminal record, employment barriers, record of seeking work, local prevailing earning levels, and availability of employment. Incarceration may not be treated as voluntary unemployment or underemployment. Courts recognize legitimate reasons for reduced income including disability, caregiving for young children, enrollment in education programs, and involuntary job loss despite diligent search.

Deviation factors: Courts may deviate from guidelines when application would be unjust or inappropriate. Permissible deviation factors include: extraordinary medical costs of either parent or child, special needs of the child, extraordinary educational expenses, significant income disparities, children with exceptional talent requiring specialized training, and parenting time arrangements exceeding 142 days per year. All deviations require specific written findings stating the guideline amount and justification for the variance. Deviations must consider the best interests of the child.

Healthcare & Childcare in Nebraska Child Support

Health insurance: The child support order must address how parents will provide for children’s health care needs through health insurance and allocation of nonreimbursed reasonable and necessary health care costs. Governed by Nebraska Supreme Court Rule section 4-215 which covers children’s health insurance, nonreimbursed health care expenses, and cash medical support in Title IV-D cases. Health care costs are addressed separately from the basic support calculation.

Childcare costs: Childcare expenses are not computed into the guidelines amount and are considered independently. The federal childcare tax credit is subtracted from actual costs: imputed at 25% of childcare expense for one child (not to exceed 62.50 per month) or 20% for two or more children (not to exceed 100 per month). Net childcare costs after the credit offset are shared proportionally between parents based on each parent’s share of combined income.

When Does Nebraska Child Support End?

In Nebraska, child support generally ends when the child reaches 19. Nebraska’s age of majority is 19, not 18. Support ends when the child turns 19, marries, dies, joins the military, or is otherwise emancipated. Moving out alone does not constitute emancipation. Any outstanding arrears balance at age 19 continues to be owed and enforced until paid in full.. However, support may continue or end earlier based on:

• The child graduates from high school (if still a minor)
• The child becomes emancipated (marriage, military service, self-supporting)
• The child has special needs requiring ongoing support
• College support: NO. Nebraska does not require parents to contribute to college costs beyond the age of majority. A parent can be ordered to pay support for a child attending college only if the child is still under 19. College attendance does not extend the support obligation past age 19.

Modifying Nebraska Child Support

When to modify: A rebuttable presumption of material change of circumstances exists when applying the guidelines results in a variation of 10% or more (but not less than 25 dollars) upward or downward from the current child support, child care, or health care obligation. The changed financial circumstances must have lasted at least 3 months and be reasonably expected to continue for an additional 6 months.

How to modify: Modifications can be requested through two paths: (1) filing a motion to modify with the clerk of the district court where the original order was issued, or (2) applying for a review and modification through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Child Support Enforcement program at dhhs.ne.gov. The DHHS review process is an administrative option that does not require hiring an attorney.

Either parent can request a modification. Changes are typically not retroactive to before the date of filing the modification request.

Nebraska Child Support Enforcement

Nebraska has multiple tools to enforce child support orders when a parent fails to pay:

• Income withholding (wage garnishment)
• real estate liens
• driver’s license suspension
• professional license suspension
• recreational license suspension
• lottery intercept
• state tax refund intercept
• federal tax refund intercept
• garnishment of bank accounts
• criminal contempt proceedings
• orders to show cause. License suspension processes may be initiated when past-due balance exceeds 3 months of support. All payments are centrally processed through the Nebraska Child Support Payment Center (State Treasurer) at childsupport.nebraska.gov.

Contact Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Child Support Enforcement Division at https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/child-support.aspx for enforcement assistance.

Additional Nebraska rules: Nebraska’s age of majority is 19, which is higher than the typical 18 in most states, meaning support obligations last one year longer. Minimum monthly support is 50 dollars or 10% of obligor’s net income, whichever is greater, except courts may set lower amounts for disability or incarceration. A basic subsistence limitation (section 4-218) protects low-income obligors from orders that would reduce their income below a threshold needed for basic living expenses. Parenting time adjustments apply when a parent has the children more than 142 days per year (Worksheet 3 for joint physical custody). The Nebraska Child Support Payment Center, operated by the State Treasurer, centrally processes all child support payments statewide and operates self-service payment kiosks at 8 locations across the state accepting cash, debit, credit, checks, and money orders.

Official Sources & Resources

• Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Child Support Enforcement Division: https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/child-support.aspx
• Federal OCSE: acf.hhs.gov/css
• Cornell LII — Child Support: law.cornell.edu
• Nebraska Guidelines Statute: Nebraska Supreme Court Rules Chapter 4, Article 2 (sections 4-201 through 4-220); statutory authority under Neb. Rev. Stat. section 42-364. Full guidelines published at https://nebraskajudicial.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-4-children-and-families/article-2-child-support-guidelines

Last verified April 2026. Contact us if you notice outdated information.

Estimate Your Child Support

Use our free child support estimator to calculate estimated monthly payments. Enter both parents’ incomes, number of children, and custody arrangement to see a personalized breakdown based on your state’s formula.

Related Guides

• Nebraska Divorce Process Guide
• Nebraska Child Custody Guide
• Nebraska Alimony Guide
• All Child Support Guides