The guideline, computed in the open.
BridgeTies calculates California guideline child support under Family Code §4055 — every input, tax figure, and intermediate value shown and cited. Built for mediators, family law attorneys, and the parents in the room with them.
Download for Windows — Free- CS
- guideline child support amount
- K
- amount of both parents' income allocated for support
- HN
- high earner's net monthly disposable income
- H%
- high earner's approximate timeshare
- TN
- total net monthly disposable income of both parents
Certification status, stated plainly: BridgeTies is currently in the process of seeking certification by the Judicial Council of California under rule 5.275. Until that certification is granted, its output is not the presumptively correct guideline calculation for court proceedings — and it is available free of charge for mediation, negotiation, settlement evaluation, and education.
What it does
Guideline support, fully itemized
FC §§4055 · 4058–4059 · 4062Net disposable income built from wages, self-employment, investment and other income, with federal and California tax computation, §4059 deductions, §4062 add-ons split by income share, per-child allocation, and the low-income adjustment where it applies.
What-If scenarios, side by side
Negotiation modelingVary timeshare and spousal support across scenarios and compare each party's net spendable income in one view — the conversation mediation actually needs, with the guideline figure always anchored alongside.
Reports parties can read
PDF · cited · plain-languageCalculation, scenario-comparison, and detailed disposable-income reports, each line carrying its statutory citation. Built to be handed across the table, not decoded. See the documentation for a full walkthrough.
Methodology
- Statewide uniform guideline formula FC §4055(a)–(b)
- Income fraction (K) by statutory bands FC §4055(b)(3)
- Multi-child multipliers & per-child allocation FC §4055(b)(4)
- Low-income adjustment FC §4055(b)(7)
- Gross & net disposable income FC §§4058–4059
- Child care & uninsured health add-ons FC §4062
- Federal tax tables & credits, tax year 2026 Rev. Proc. 2025-32
- California tax & SDI, tax year 2026 FTB 2026
- §199A qualified business income deduction IRC §199A
- Child Tax Credit & EIC treatment IRC §§24 · 32
Every figure in a BridgeTies report traces to one of these sources. When the calculation makes a judgment call, the report says so — on the page, next to the number.
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit |
|---|---|
| macOS | Not currently supported — a macOS version is planned |
| Memory / disk | 4 GB RAM · approximately 400 MB free disk space |
| Internet | Required to create an account and sign in; calculations run locally |
| Account | Free account required (name and email) — this is how we keep you informed of updates and certification status |
Installing on Windows
- Download BridgeTies-Setup.exe using the button above.
- Run it. Windows SmartScreen may show "Windows protected your PC."
- Click More info, then Run anyway.
- Follow the installer, then launch BridgeTies and create your free account.
Why the warning? SmartScreen flags newly published software that hasn't yet accumulated a reputation with Microsoft. BridgeTies is in that window now; a code-signing certificate is in process. The installer is published only at californiabridgeties.com — download it nowhere else.