JDF 1821 Support Worksheet: How to Complete Colorado’s Unified Child Support Form

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. GoFile is not a law firm. Using our platform or reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice for your specific situation, consult a licensed Colorado attorney.

In this guide:

• What Is the JDF 1821 and Why Did It Change?
• When Do You Need This Form?
• Before You Start: The Five-Step Calculation
• Field-by-Field Walkthrough
• Common Mistakes to Avoid
• What the Final Number Means
• Related Forms You May Need
• Legacy Orders: Which Form Applies to You?
• FAQ
• Where to Get the Form and Run the Math

Last Updated: May 2026

What Is the JDF 1821 and Why Did It Change?

Colorado’s child support calculation used to require two different worksheets. Worksheet A (JDF 1820) applied when one parent had fewer than 93 overnights per year. Worksheet B (the old JDF 1821) applied when both parents had 93 or more. Pick the wrong one and your filing got bounced back.

That system is gone.

On March 1, 2026, HB 25-1159 took effect and replaced both worksheets with a single unified form — also numbered JDF 1821, but now titled “Support Worksheet (child support & maintenance).” One form for all cases, regardless of overnight count. The 93-overnight threshold, the 1.5x multiplier, the whole binary classification — all eliminated.

The form is officially available from the Colorado Judicial Branch at coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-and-forms/self-help-forms/support-worksheet-child-support-maintenance. One catch: as of May 2026, only the .docx version has been published. The PDF is still pending. If you don’t have Microsoft Word or a compatible program (Google Docs or LibreOffice will open .docx files), you may need the electronic calculator option instead — more on that below.

Here’s the part that trips people up: the Judicial Branch kept the same form number. If you filed a modification in 2023 and used JDF 1821, you used Worksheet B for shared physical care. If you file a modification today using JDF 1821, you’re filling out a completely different form with a different calculation method. Third-party form sites like pdfFiller and USLegalForms may still serve the 2013 or 2023 versions. The only reliable way to confirm you have the right form is to check the revision date printed on the first page. “R: March 2026” means the current unified worksheet. Anything earlier is the legacy version that courts will not accept for orders entered or modified after March 1, 2026.

When Do You Need This Form?

The JDF 1821 is required whenever child support is calculated or recalculated in a Colorado family law case. That includes initial orders in new cases, modifications to existing orders (whether by motion or stipulation), and any case where a parenting time change triggers a child support recalculation through the cross-modification checkbox on JDF 1406.

If you’re filing a motion to modify child support (JDF 1403) or a stipulation (JDF 1404), the completed JDF 1821 is a required attachment. It’s also required when maintenance termination under C.R.S. § 14-10-114 triggers a child support recalculation — the “& maintenance” in the form’s title exists because the maintenance adjustment is now built into the same worksheet. The filing fee for a child support modification motion is $105 plus $12 if you e-file through Colorado Courts E-Filing (CCE).

Before You Start: The Five-Step Calculation

The unified worksheet follows a five-step logic. Understanding the flow before you hit the individual fields makes the form less opaque.

1. Determine each parent’s monthly adjusted gross income (AGI). This comes from the JDF 1111 Sworn Financial Statement, which has its own step-by-step guide.
2. Combine both parents’ AGIs and look up the Basic Child Support Obligation (BCSO) in the schedule at C.R.S. § 14-10-115(7)(b). The schedule was updated under HB 25-1159 using 2023 Betson-Rothbarth/CPI data, replacing the 2010-based figures. The income cap increased from $30,000 to $40,000 combined monthly AGI.
3. Allocate the BCSO by income shares. Each parent’s share of combined income determines their percentage of the total obligation. If you earn 70% of the combined income, you’re responsible for 70% of the BCSO.
4. Apply the Parenting Time Table credit under C.R.S. § 14-10-115(8)(h). This is the biggest structural change from the old worksheets. Under the former system, a parent with 92 overnights got zero credit. Under the new system, every overnight from the first one generates a graduated credit. More overnights, higher credit — no cliff, no cutoff.
5. Add allocations for work-related child care, children’s health insurance premiums, and extraordinary medical expenses. These get divided between parents by income shares and layered onto the base calculation.

The final number is the net monthly support payment — what one parent pays the other after all adjustments.

Field-by-Field Walkthrough

Header Fields

The top of the form asks for your case information: court (District Court or Denver Juvenile Court), case number, the names of both parties, and whether this involves a marriage or a parental responsibilities case. Then list every child on the order with their full name and date of birth. These fields must match your original case filing — if you’re in Jefferson County, 1st Judicial District, Case No. 2021DR03847, that’s what goes here.

Gross Monthly Income (Line 1)

This is where most mistakes happen.

Line 1 asks for each parent’s gross monthly income from all sources. Not take-home pay — gross, before taxes and deductions. The number should match what you reported on your JDF 1111 Sworn Financial Statement, Section 1 total. Colorado defines gross income under C.R.S. § 14-10-115(5), and the definition is broader than what shows up on a W-2. It includes salary, wages, tips, commissions, bonuses, overtime, unemployment benefits, workers’ compensation, Social Security, pension distributions, rental income, and self-employment income.

If you’re on unemployment at $2,400/month, that’s your Line 1 number. If you’re doing freelance work on the side pulling another $800, your Line 1 is $3,200. The form is signed under oath on both sides. Underreporting income on a sworn document is perjury under Colorado law.

A common error: entering your net paycheck amount instead of your gross. Your pay stub shows both — use the gross figure, the bigger number at the top before deductions.

Adjustments to Income

The worksheet allows specific adjustments that reduce your adjusted gross income before the BCSO lookup. These typically include maintenance (alimony) paid to the other parent in this case, child support paid under a prior order for other children, and certain tax adjustments.

If you’re paying maintenance to your ex and filing to modify child support at the same time, the maintenance amount you pay reduces your AGI on the worksheet, and the maintenance your ex receives increases theirs. This is why the form is now titled “Support Worksheet (child support & maintenance)” — the maintenance adjustment is built into the same form instead of living on a separate line.

Combined Income and BCSO Lookup

Add both parents’ adjusted monthly incomes together. Then find that combined number in the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations at C.R.S. § 14-10-115(7)(b). Read across to the column matching your number of children.

For example, if your combined monthly income is $15,700 and you have two children, the 2026 schedule produces a BCSO of approximately $2,646. That number is substantially higher than what the old 2010-based schedule produced for the same income — the updated schedule uses 2023 economic data. This matters because the higher BCSO can offset other changes in the calculation, sometimes in ways parents don’t expect.

The schedule caps at $40,000 combined monthly income. Above that, the court has discretion, but the presumptive obligation cannot be less than the amount at $40,000.

Income Shares Allocation

Divide each parent’s adjusted income by the combined total. That percentage is each parent’s share of the BCSO.

Say Parent A earns $11,117/month and Parent B earns $4,583/month. Combined: $15,700. Parent A’s share: 70.8%. Parent B’s share: 29.2%. Applied to a $2,646 BCSO, Parent A’s allocated obligation is $1,874 and Parent B’s is $772.

Parenting Time Table Credit

This section replaces everything the old Worksheet A/B system did — and it works differently.

Under the former law, if you had fewer than 93 overnights, your credit was zero. If you had 93 or more, you switched to Worksheet B with a 1.5x multiplier and an offset calculation. There was a cliff at 93 overnights that could swing support by hundreds of dollars.

Under HB 25-1159, the Parenting Time Table at C.R.S. § 14-10-115(8)(h) assigns a credit percentage for every overnight from the first one through 365. The credit scales gradually — more overnights, higher percentage. There is no cliff.

You use the court-ordered overnight count here, not your informal arrangement. If your order says Parent A has approximately 90 overnights per year, that’s the number for the worksheet even if the actual practice has shifted. Changing the number on the worksheet requires a formal modification of the parenting plan.

At 90 overnights, the Parenting Time Table produces approximately a 12.7% credit. At 120 overnights, roughly 21.8%. At 182 overnights (week-on/week-off), the credit is around 50%. The difference between 90 and 120 overnights alone can change the support amount by $150–$250/month depending on income levels. Under the old system, those same overnights might have changed nothing (if both counts were under 93) or changed everything (if one crossed the 93 line).

Each parent gets a credit applied to their allocated obligation. The obligor’s credit reduces what they owe. The obligee’s credit reduces what’s offset against the obligor. The net payment is the difference between the two adjusted obligations.

Health Insurance Premium

If one parent carries the children on their health insurance plan through an employer or individual policy, the children’s share of that premium gets added to the calculation and allocated by income shares. The parent who pays the premium gets credit for their expenditure.

Isolate the children’s portion only. If your family plan costs $850/month but covering just yourself would cost $400, the children’s share is $450. Don’t enter the full family premium.

Work-Related Child Care

Child care costs incurred so a parent can work, look for work, or attend job training get allocated by income shares. Summer camps, before/after-school programs, and daycare all count if they’re work-related. Recreational programs generally don’t unless they serve a dual child-care function.

Extraordinary Medical Expenses

Under the old law, the first $250 per child per year was excluded — only expenses above that threshold got shared. HB 25-1159 eliminated that threshold entirely. Starting March 1, 2026, extraordinary medical expenses are shared from the first dollar, allocated by income shares. The definition also expanded to cover more categories of uninsured medical, dental, and mental health costs.

Self-Support Reserve (SSR)

This is new. The old worksheets had a “low-income adjustment” that kicked in at certain income levels. HB 25-1159 replaced it with the Self-Support Reserve.

For 2026, the SSR is $1,831.83/month. That figure comes from 29 hours per week × 50 weeks × Colorado’s $15.16/hour minimum wage, divided by 12 months. If the obligor’s adjusted gross income minus their calculated child support obligation would drop them below $1,831.83/month, the worksheet reduces the support amount so the obligor retains at least the SSR.

The SSR only protects the obligor (the paying parent). It does not apply to the obligee.

Final Support Amount

The bottom of the worksheet produces the net monthly child support payment. This is the obligor’s adjusted obligation minus the obligee’s adjusted obligation. One number. That’s the guideline amount the court uses as the presumptive child support.

In our example: Parent A’s adjusted obligation ($1,874 minus $238 Parenting Time credit = $1,636) minus Parent B’s adjusted obligation ($772 minus $666 credit = $106) equals a net payment of approximately $1,530/month. If Parent A’s current order is $1,650/month, the new worksheet shows a $120/month reduction.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

After walking through every field, these are the errors that trip up the most filers.

Using the wrong version of JDF 1821. Third-party form sites still host the pre-2026 Worksheet B version. If the form says “Shared Physical Care” or has a line asking whether both parents have 93+ overnights, you have the old version. The current form says “Support Worksheet (child support & maintenance)” with a revision date of March 2026.

Entering net income instead of gross. Line 1 asks for gross monthly income from all sources — before taxes, before 401(k), before health insurance deductions. This is the most common single error on the worksheet and it ripples through every calculation below it.

Using informal overnights instead of the court order. The Parenting Time Table credit uses the court-ordered overnight count. If your parenting plan says 90 overnights but the actual arrangement has shifted to 120, the worksheet uses 90. The only way to use 120 is to modify the parenting plan through a separate filing (JDF 1406 or JDF 1423).

Forgetting that the BCSO schedule changed. Parents who ran the old worksheet in 2022 or 2023 and want to “update” their numbers sometimes assume only the income figures change. The entire BCSO schedule was replaced with 2023 economic data. The new schedule produces different base obligations — often higher — for the same combined income. Running the new worksheet on old assumptions will give you a wrong number.

Skipping the maintenance adjustment. If either parent pays or receives maintenance (alimony), it adjusts AGI before the BCSO lookup. Leaving this line blank when maintenance exists throws off the entire calculation.

What the Final Number Means

The worksheet output is the guideline amount — the number the court presumes is the correct child support. Courts can deviate from it in limited circumstances under C.R.S. § 14-10-115(3)(a), but the worksheet figure is the starting point and the default.

For modifications, the output matters in a specific way: compare it to your current order. If the new number differs from the existing order by 10% or more, the 10% threshold under C.R.S. § 14-10-122 is met, creating a presumption that a “substantial and continuing” change in circumstances exists.

A common misconception: the 10% applies to the worksheet output (the guideline support amount), not to the income change. Your income might drop 8%, but if the new worksheet number differs from the current order by 12%, the threshold is met. The reverse is also true — a 15% income change doesn’t guarantee a 10% guideline change because other variables (the new BCSO schedule, the Parenting Time Table credit, maintenance adjustments) all affect the final number.

In our example, the $120/month reduction from $1,650 to $1,530 is a 7.3% guideline change — below the 10% threshold. The higher 2026 BCSO schedule ($2,646 vs. the lower amount under the old 2010-based schedule) largely absorbs the benefit of the new Parenting Time Table credit at 90 overnights. The math can be counterintuitive.

Related Forms You May Need

The JDF 1821 doesn’t get filed alone. Depending on your situation, these are the companion forms that typically travel with it.

JDF 1111 — Sworn Financial Statement. Required for every child support case. Both parents complete one. Your gross income on the JDF 1821 must match what you report on the JDF 1111. We cover this form’s 12 pages separately — it’s where most of the preparation time goes.

JDF 1104 — Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Financial Disclosures. Filed alongside the JDF 1111 confirming you’ve exchanged required financial documents (tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements) with the other parent. The JDF 1104 guide covers it field by field.

JDF 1403 — Motion to Modify Child Support. Filed when the other parent hasn’t agreed to the change (stipulation vs. motion explains the two paths). The completed JDF 1821 and JDF 1111 are required attachments.

JDF 1404 — Stipulation to Modify Child Support. Filed when both parents agree on the modification. Same attachments as the motion path — JDF 1821 and JDF 1111 are still required even when you agree, because the court reviews the worksheet independently.

JDF 1117 — Support Order. The proposed order form that the court signs if the modification is approved. Some counties require it with the initial filing; others have the court generate it.

Legacy Orders: Which Form Applies to You?

If your existing child support order was calculated before March 1, 2026, the court used Worksheet A or Worksheet B at the time. That calculation is what produced your current support amount, and it stands until modified.

If you’re filing a modification now — regardless of when the original order was entered — you use the new unified JDF 1821 (March 2026 revision). The modification date controls, not the original order date.

Be prepared for the numbers to look different than you expect. The old schedule and the new schedule can produce different base obligations for the same incomes. The old worksheet gave zero credit for 92 overnights; the new one gives credit for every overnight. These differences compound. Running the new worksheet on the same incomes and overnights as your original order will often produce a different result — sometimes higher, sometimes lower. The only way to know is to complete the form.

FAQ

Does Colorado still use Worksheet A and Worksheet B?

Not for new orders or modifications filed after March 1, 2026. HB 25-1159 replaced both with a single unified worksheet — JDF 1821 (March 2026 revision). If your existing order was calculated under Worksheet A or B, that calculation stands until you file a modification. At that point, the court uses the new unified worksheet.

Where do I download the current JDF 1821?

From the Colorado Judicial Branch self-help forms portal at coloradojudicial.gov. As of May 2026, only the .docx version is available — the PDF is still pending. Do not download JDF 1821 from third-party form sites unless you verify the revision date reads “R: March 2026.”

Can I use the Colorado Support Calculator instead of filling out the worksheet manually?

The Colorado courts point filers to the Colorado Support Calculator (Family Law Software) as an electronic option. It runs the same calculation. You still need both parents’ income figures and the court-ordered overnight count as inputs. Whether you use the calculator or the manual form, the output is the same guideline number.

My old order used Worksheet A. Will the new worksheet give a different number for the same incomes?

Likely yes. The 2026 BCSO schedule uses updated economic data and produces different base obligations than the 2010-based schedule. The new Parenting Time Table also gives credit for every overnight, where Worksheet A gave zero credit below 93 overnights. These changes can push the number in either direction depending on your specific incomes and overnight count.

What if I don’t have the other parent’s income?

You still need a number for the other parent’s income column. If you don’t have current income information, you can use your best estimate based on what you know — their last known salary, their occupation, publicly available information. But the court will use the income reported on their JDF 1111 Sworn Financial Statement, filed under oath. If the other parent refuses to provide financial disclosure, the process for compelling it is covered in what to do when your ex won’t provide financial disclosure.

Where to Get the Form and Run the Math

The authoritative source for the JDF 1821 is the Colorado Judicial Branch self-help forms portal: coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-and-forms/self-help-forms/support-worksheet-child-support-maintenance. Download the March 2026 revision directly from there — not from third-party sites that may serve outdated versions.

If completing the worksheet manually feels overwhelming, the Colorado courts also point filers to the Colorado Support Calculator (Family Law Software), an electronic tool that runs the same calculation. It’s not a shortcut around understanding the inputs, though — you still need your income figures, the other parent’s income, and the court-ordered overnight count.

The BCSO schedule and the Parenting Time Table are both published in the statute at C.R.S. § 14-10-115. The full text of HB 25-1159 is available at leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1159.

For what HB 25-1159 changed and why — the policy background, the transitional rules, and the five biggest shifts — see the overview of Colorado’s new child support law. Parents whose original orders were calculated under the old system can read the Worksheet A vs. Worksheet B explainer.

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