Child Support If You Make $1,000 a Week in Montana
Montana reprices its Melson allowances every year under ARM 37.62, and at $1,000 a week those updated figures are what the stages run on.
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Guideline child support scenarios at $1000 a week
The paying parent earns $1000 a week ($4,333.33 a month) in every cell below. The other parent's monthly income changes across rows, and the number of children changes across columns; both genuinely change the result.Every figure is computed with the real Montana guideline engine, the same one behind the full calculator, not a lookup table built for this page.
| Other parent's income | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| No reported income | $811.00 | $1,230.00 | $1,587.00 |
| $2,000 a month | $769.00 | $1,166.00 | $1,503.00 |
| $4,000 a month | $603.00 | $912.00 | $1,176.00 |
| $6,000 a month | $534.00 | $806.00 | $1,038.00 |
Every dollar figure is a monthly amount, the presumptive guideline result before add-ons like child care or health insurance and before any court deviation. "Not available" means the engine behind this site declined to compute that specific combination rather than guess; the reason is shown next to it.
Allowances that move each year
Montana Melson formula protects a personal allowance for each parent and a primary allowance for the children, and ARM 37.62 provides for these figures to be updated annually. The 2026 tables used on this page carry the current values, which is why the numbers reflect this year rather than an older schedule.
At $1,000 a week, $4,333.33 a month, the allowances are protected first, and the remaining income drives the standard-of-living portion. For one child the obligation runs from $811 down to $534 as the other parent income rises, with the two and three-child columns showing larger figures.
How the allowances sit behind the table
Each cell below is the Melson result after protecting the personal and primary allowances. The allowance values come from the 2026 Montana tables, so the numbers are current-year figures.
The fixed baseline holds the payer at zero days, so the parenting-day allocation does not layer on top of these allowance-driven results.
What this estimate includes
- The 2026 Montana personal and primary allowance values
- The Melson stages applied after those protections
- Results for 1, 2, or 3 children across four other-parent incomes
What it leaves out
- The parenting-day allocation above 110 days
- Older allowance values from prior guideline years
- Child care and health insurance add-ons
Worth knowing
The annual update means Montana numbers can shift from year to year even with the same income. This page uses the 2026 tables, and a different year would carry different allowances.
Because the allowances are protected first, a low-income payer in Montana can end up with a small obligation even when the other parent earns nothing, which is the Melson design in action.
Frequently asked questions
What are the personal and primary allowances?
They are the amounts Montana protects first in the Melson formula, one for each parent personal support and one for the children primary needs, before any support is allocated from remaining income.
How often do they change?
ARM 37.62 provides for the allowances and tables to be updated annually, so the figures on this page reflect the 2026 values rather than an older schedule.
Does the other parent income change the result at $1,000 a week?
Yes. For one child the obligation falls from $811 to $534 as the other parent income rises from none to $6,000 a month, with the two and three-child columns moving more.
Why do the allowance updates matter?
Because they change the amount protected before support is calculated. A higher allowance leaves less income for the support stages, so the updated values directly shape the result.
Is the baseline still zero days?
Yes. The payer is held at zero days, so the parenting-day allocation above 110 days is not applied on this page.
Where can I find the current allowance values?
The 2026 Montana guideline tables are linked in the sources for this page, and the full Montana calculator applies the current values.
About the numbers on this page
Every figure in the table above comes from running the real Montana child support engine on this site, the same engine and data pack behind the full Montana child support calculator. Nothing on this page is a separate estimate or a reimplementation of the math. See the sources below for the statutes and official worksheets behind the Montana guideline.
Reviewed by SupportDecode Editorial Team Page content reviewed Sources Methodology Update log
Changelog: page first published as part of the child support by income series. Material changes are dated in the update log.