Free · New Jersey · Current law
Based on New Jersey's official Income Shares formula. Enter both parents' incomes and get an estimate in under a minute.
Before taxes — wages, self-employment, bonuses
A best estimate is fine for now
Taxes, mandatory retirement, union dues…
Work or school related
Estimated monthly support
The other parent pays you, the parent with primary timesharing.
Estimate only — based on a simplified reading of New Jersey Appendix IX-F — Schedule of Child Support Awards (NJ Courts). A judge can deviate. Not legal advice.
Get a plain-English copy of this estimate, the numbers used, and a short checklist for what to review before relying on it.
New Jersey utilizes the Income Shares Model, which presumes children should receive the same proportion of parental income as if the parents lived together. The calculation involves pooling both parents' net incomes to determine a basic support amount from established schedules. This basic amount is then prorated between the parents based on their individual contributions to the combined net income. Further adjustments are made for factors such as shared parenting time, healthcare expenses, and childcare costs to arrive at the final child support order.
A substantial change in either parent's income — voluntary or involuntary — can trigger a modification.
Changes in childcare costs or the children's health insurance premiums directly adjust the support amount.
If the custody schedule changes significantly, support can be recalculated under New Jersey guidelines.
Medical conditions, disabilities, or educational needs can justify a departure from the guideline amount.
Common questions
The timeline for a divorce in New Jersey varies. An uncontested divorce without children can be finalized in about 30 days. If children are involved, an uncontested divorce typically takes 60 days due to a mandatory waiting period. Contested divorces, which involve disputes over property, alimony, or child custody, can take several months to over a year to resolve.
While it is not legally required to have a lawyer to get divorced in New Jersey, the courts and legal professionals highly recommend seeking legal counsel due to the complexity of the process. A lawyer can provide valuable guidance, ensure your rights are protected, and help navigate issues such as property division, alimony, and child custody.
Yes, New Jersey is a no-fault divorce state. You can file for divorce based on 'irreconcilable differences,' which means the differences have existed for at least six months with no reasonable prospect of reconciliation. Another no-fault ground is 'separation,' where spouses have lived apart for at least 18 consecutive months. Fault-based grounds, such as adultery or extreme cruelty, also exist but are less commonly used.
New Jersey follows the principle of equitable distribution for marital property. This means that marital assets and debts are divided fairly, but not necessarily equally (50/50), between the spouses. The court considers various factors when determining an equitable distribution, including the duration of the marriage, the age and health of the parties, their economic circumstances, and contributions to the marriage (N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23.1).
To file for divorce in New Jersey, at least one spouse must have been a resident of the state for a minimum of one year prior to filing. The only exception to this one-year residency requirement is if the grounds for divorce are adultery, in which case at least one spouse must be a New Jersey resident for any amount of time (N.J. Stat. § 2A:34-10).
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