The guideline number tracks your income

California guideline support is keyed to actual income, so when your income falls, the formula spits out a lower figure. That much is mechanical. What complicates things is everything around the formula: the order already in place, the income the court might still attribute to you, and the timing of any change.

To see the raw effect, open the calculator, enter your current income (or $0 if you have none), and compare it against a run using your old income. The gap between the two is the pure mathematical impact of losing the job.

One thing people miss: unemployment benefits, severance, and disability payments all count as income under FC section 4058. If money is coming in, it belongs in the calculation.

The court can impute income

A lower number on paper doesn’t always translate into a lower order, because the court can impute income to a parent it considers voluntarily unemployed or underemployed. Under FC section 4058(b), it weighs:

  • Your earning capacity
  • Your education and work history
  • Job openings in your area
  • The effort you’ve put into finding work

Whether imputation actually happens turns largely on whether you lost the job through no fault of your own, along with the specifics of your case. Involuntary layoffs are treated differently from quitting.

Why the old order keeps running

Here’s the part that trips people up. Your existing order stays in force until a judge changes it. It does not adjust on its own the day your paycheck stops. Anything you fail to pay in the meantime becomes arrears, and arrears carry interest at 10% a year under FC section 685.010.

To change the order, you file a Request for Order (FL-300) with an updated Income and Expense Declaration (FL-150). The change generally takes effect from the filing date, not the hearing date, which is the reason to file promptly rather than wait for your court date.

The low-income adjustment may kick in

If your net disposable income drops below $2,929 a month (the 2026 threshold tied to California minimum wage), the court may apply the low-income adjustment under FC section 4055(b)(7), which pulls the guideline amount down further. The calculator applies it automatically when your net falls under the line, so a run at your current income will show whether you’ve crossed it.