Maybe you just got remarried — or your ex did — and now you’re wondering if that changes how much child support you pay or receive. When a new spouse comes into the picture, especially one with income or children of their own, it’s natural to wonder whether the math shifts and whether the court will expect you to contribute more or allow you to pay less. But in Washington, changes like this don’t always lead where you think they will.
To understand what remarriage really means for your support order, you first need to know how that order got calculated in the first place.
How do Washington courts decide child support amounts?
When courts in Washington calculate child support, they focus on a few key numbers: each parent’s income and the number of children involved. They apply those figures to a statewide support table, then make adjustments for things like health insurance, daycare or other necessary expenses.
What they don’t do is factor in your new spouse’s income — not at the start, and usually not later, either. The order reflects your financial responsibility as a parent, not your household’s combined earnings.
Does remarriage change your support order automatically?
It doesn’t. Getting remarried won’t trigger any automatic change to your child support amount, no matter how much your new partner makes or how different your finances feel now. Unless something else major has shifted, the court treats remarriage as a personal decision, not a legal reason to recalculate support. Judges only start asking questions about a new spouse’s income if one parent suddenly stops working, reduces their hours or uses that new relationship to avoid paying what they should.
When can remarriage lead to a change in support?
Even though remarriage doesn’t reset the numbers on its own, it can sometimes lead to changes that justify revisiting the order. Maybe you’ve had another child and now support a larger household, or maybe your financial situation looks different after moving in with your new spouse.
In some cases, remarriage can even shift how much time the child spends with each parent, and if that change affects the cost-sharing arrangement, the court may consider adjusting support. But you can’t rely on assumptions or hypotheticals; you’ll need to show real changes that directly impact your ability to meet the financial terms of your current order.
What this means for your next steps
If remarriage has changed your financial situation or stirred up pressure to revisit the support order, don’t wait for things to adjust on their own — the court won’t make a move unless someone asks.
You’ll need to file a formal request and show exactly what’s changed and why the current support amount no longer fits. And if you’re not sure whether your situation meets the bar, it helps to talk with someone who knows the system and can help you make the strongest case possible.