Rhode Island Child Support Resources

FamilyCourtHelp is an independent educational platform. It is not a court, law firm, government agency, or government partner. We organize and link to publicly available resources published by courts and government agencies. Official requirements may change. Always confirm current requirements with the applicable court or clerk.

Rhode Island sets child support with a written guideline, and the official worksheet is how the math gets shown to the judge. Both parents' income normally goes into the calculation, along with things like health insurance for the children and child care costs.

The official guideline materials for Rhode Island are linked below, together with the verified support documents and the financial paperwork the court usually asks both sides to file. Our own calculator can give you a working estimate before you fill in the official worksheet.

Official Rhode Island child support resources

Official links below open in a new tab. You are leaving FamilyCourtHelp and opening an external government or court website.

Rhode Island child support guideline resources (courts.ri.gov): Official Rhode Island child support guideline materials, worksheets, or calculators. https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/FamilyCourt/Pages/Child-Support-Formula.aspx

Rhode Island financial affidavit and disclosure forms (courts.ri.gov): The official source for the financial disclosure paperwork most Rhode Island family cases ask both sides to complete. https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/FamilyCourt/Pages/forms.aspx

Rhode Island family law forms (official index) (Rhode Island judicial branch): The official statewide collection of Rhode Island family law forms. When a direct document link stops working, this index is where the current version lives. https://www.courts.ri.gov/PublicResources/forms

Rhode Island court self-help resources (Rhode Island courts self-help): Official self-help information for people handling their own Rhode Island family case, including instructions and plain-language guides. https://www.courts.ri.gov/selfhelp

eFileRI (Odyssey File & Serve) (RI Judiciary): Rhode Island's statewide eFileRI system covers Family Court. E-filing is required for lawyers but optional for people without lawyers, so you can e-file or bring papers to the courthouse. https://efileri.tylertech.cloud/OfsEfsp/ui/landing

Verified official Rhode Island support documents

These official documents are the worksheets and orders Rhode Island uses to set and record child support.

Child Support Guideline Worksheet (FC-78), form FC-78 (Child Support), official document: https://www.courts.ri.gov/Forms/Family%20Child%20Support%20Guideline%20Worksheet.pdf

Official link data for Rhode Island was last verified June 2026. Report anything outdated through our contact page and we will re-check the official source.

Frequently asked questions

How is child support calculated in Rhode Island?

Through the state's written guideline, applied on the official worksheet. The guideline uses income and a defined list of add-ons rather than a judge's rough guess, so filling the worksheet in honestly is the single most useful thing you can do. Open the official Rhode Island guideline materials above for the exact method.

Can the court order a different amount than the guideline?

A judge can depart from the guideline in some situations, but the order normally has to explain why. Start from the guideline number and be ready to say plainly what makes your case different.

How much does it cost to file a family case in Rhode Island?

Divorce filing fee: ~$160. If you cannot afford the fee, ask the clerk about a fee waiver or indigency application; every state has a process for requesting one.