How do I use the child support calculator in your software?

Start by uploading the official child support guidelines PDF, local court rules, and any internal calculation worksheets to your Chatref knowledge base. The AI agent will use only these documents to answer how to calculate child support and to drive the interactive calculator - no guessing, no generic internet results. Upload files, point to a live sitemap, or paste text directly. The platform learns from your content alone, so every output reflects your jurisdiction’s exact formulas.

Use custom actions to turn the AI conversation into a true family law software calculator. Map the mandatory data points the child support calculator needs (gross income, number of children, overnights, health insurance premiums, other support orders) into a step-by-step chat flow. The agent collects each figure, validates it against sensible ranges, then runs the calculation using the statutory schedules stored in your knowledge base. Custom actions can also plug the result into your internal tracking sheet or CRM.

Once your knowledge base and custom action are live, embed the Chatref widget on your firm’s site. When a client asks “how do I calculate child support?” the AI agent steps them through each required input in plain language, references the child support guidelines you uploaded, and returns a line-by-line estimate. The agent handles repeat inquiries 24/7, so your paralegals and associates are free for higher-value work, and clients get immediate answers grounded in the law - not a generic online estimator.

Every ongoing child support calculator session appears live in your shared inbox. Attorneys and paralegals can watch the chat, see what the client entered, and take over the conversation with full context if something looks off, the formula result triggers a red flag, or the client asks to speak with a person. The handoff is seamless - all prior messages and the partial calculation stay in the thread. After the session, you can tag the conversation for compliance and team review.

What information do I need to calculate child support? The AI agent will prompt for the exact figures your jurisdiction requires, typically: each parent’s gross income, number of shared children, physical custody split (overnight count), health insurance premiums, mandatory retirement contributions, spousal support payments, and child care costs. Because the agent is trained on your uploaded child support guidelines, it knows which data matters in your state and won’t ask for irrelevant details.

How accurate is the child support calculator? Accuracy depends entirely on the source documents you provide. The Chatref AI agent follows the formulas and tables in your knowledge base without making assumptions or searching the open web. As long as you upload the latest official guidelines and worksheets, the calculation will match what your firm would do by hand. We recommend a quick audit of the first few results to confirm alignment.

Can I save my calculation results? Yes. Every client session - including all inputs, intermediate steps, and the final support figure - is stored permanently in your shared inbox. You can reopen any conversation later, copy the details, or export the transcript for case files. Credit never expires and no data is deleted after inactivity, unlike platforms that purge after 14 days.

What if my calculation doesn't match the court’s? First, double-check that the correct version of the child support guidelines is uploaded and that no older worksheets are still in the knowledge base. Then have your team review the chat in the shared inbox to verify the client’s inputs. If the formula in your documents is correct and the data is accurate, the result will align. For nuanced fact patterns that require legal judgment, a human agent can take over directly from the same conversation and adjust the final recommendation.