Child Support
Utah Code 81-6-202 — the guidelines are a rebuttable presumption, and a departure needs findings
The court or administrative agency applies the child support guidelines as a rebuttable presumption in setting or modifying temporary or permanent child support. The guidelines' provisions, the amounts they produce and the worksheets that go with them are presumed correct unless rebutted.
Who handles this in Utah: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Utah directory.
Before a court enters or modifies an order, each party files a proposed award worked out under the guidelines. Where there was no earlier order, arrears are set under the guidelines too.
Departing from the guidelines. A written finding, or a specific finding on the record, that following the guidelines would be unjust, inappropriate or not in the child's best interest rebuts the presumption in that case, and the order is then a deviated order.
The guidelines' tables and income rules are in the sections that follow this one. How they apply to a particular household are questions for a licensed Utah attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Utah Code 81-6-202 — Determination of amount of child support -- Application of child support guidelines
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Utah attorney.