News
Effective January 1, 2024 there are substantial changes in the Indiana Guidelines. The 6% Rule has been eliminated. The Guideline Schedules have been changed. The Parenting Time Credit is calculated using separate Overnights for each child and the average credit is carried into the CSOW. The 2024 version of Indiana Support Master implements these changes.
May 5, 2022. The original 2022 version of Indiana Support Master contains a bug which occurs only when using alternate parent labels in place of the standard "Father/Mother" parent labels. When using alternate parent labels, the wrong parent label was used in the text line in the bottom section of the CSOW regarding payment of uninsured medical expenses. That bug has now been corrected in version 2022-B. Customers who purchased using a credit card through the automated download service have been sent an automated email informing them of this update. Customers who received an individual download after paying by check may request another download at no cost. Again, this only affects the text at the bottom of the CSOW and does not affect any calculations and only occurs when using non-standard parent labels, so most users will have no need for this update.
December 2021. Alabama has made changes to the table of child support amounts and to form CS-42 incorporating a calculation for Self-Support Reserve. All of those changes have been implemented in the 2022 version of Alabama Support Master.
July 2021. Kentucky has made extensive changes to its child support guidelines. Due to the small number of current customers, Kentucky Support Master has been discontinued. The 2021 version implements the guidelines as they existed at the beginning of 2021. It does not implement the changes which were made later in the year.
November 25, 2019. The 2020 version is being released today. This version provides the option to use non-tradional labels in place of Father/Mother.
New January 1, 2017
The majority of the 2017 discs have been mailed. However, the post office has become unusually efficient at destroying them. Our discs exceed the published standards for machinable mail. Nevertheless, the damage rate has increased this year.
For 2017 we are making the belated transition to automated downloads purchased by credit card. We have resisted this trend thinking that our customers would prefer to have a physical disc in hand. But times change. We are all accustomed to purchasing software by download and paying by credit card. We are using a company called Stripe to process credit card transactions. We are persuaded that this process is secure. If you prefer, you still have the option to purchase by check and receive a disc or a personal email and download link, but to help motivate the transition there will be a small additional charge for this service. Discs, disc duplicators, disc labels printers, disc mailers, envelopes, and stamps are no longer the preferred method.
News August 20, 2016
It seems that unexpected changes to Windows 10 caused our software to stop printing after one page. We have modified our software in response.
News November 17, 2013
We have received several reports of false alarms by anti-virus programs. In some cases, the result is that our software is blocked or removed from the customer's computer. In some cases, our software can be added to a "trusted" list or otherwise protected from the overzealous anti-virus scan.
For 2014, we are adding additional authentication to our executable files. Testing indicates that this should greatly reduce the false alarm problem.
News November 11, 2012
Our Indiana Online Calculator was not properly accepting zero for the number of children at home. That problem has been fixed. The problem affected only the online version. Zero for the number of children at home is the correct number when the only child or children are at college.
NEWS July 5, 2011
Several customers have reported that the AVG anti-virus program is giving a false alarm when scanning Indiana Support Master. This false alarm has been reported to AVG and hopefully AVG will correct their software soon. In the mean time, we understand that there is an "advanced features" screen in the AVG software which allows users to protect individual files. The program file for Indiana Support Master is called supportmaster.exe.
NEWS March 6, 2011
We have a rough draft of an online Indiana Child Support Calculator up and running. The idea was to keep it simple and not put much on each line so that hopefully it can be used on just about any type of device including phones. We have only tested on a few types of devices, so give it a spin and then drop us an email to let us know how, or whether, it worked on your device. Click below to try it now.
Click Here
Thanks for trying it.
NEWS January 3, 2011
Most of you now have your 2011 version of Support Master in Alabama, Kentucky, and Indiana. If your check was just recently mailed, we will send your 2011 CD as soon as we receive your check. If you are still using a 2010 version, it will continue to work properly during the grace period which ends February 1.
NEWS November 17, 2010
The 2011 version of Indiana Support Master is just about ready to ship. The major change for 2011 involves the health insurance premiums. Inputting these numbers will be simpler. Experience has shown that the HIPW is rarely the deciding factor for paying health insurance premiums. In the 2011 version, health insurance premiums are input in the Numbers Dialog along with the other numbers. The HIPW is still prepared, but the premium numbers appear on the Child Support Obligation Workshett regardless of whether or not the HIPW tests are satisfied. This is not considered a deviation from the Guidelines. The Adjustments Dialog is no longer used to override the HIPW tests. If you enter numbers for health insurance premiums, the assumption is that you wish those numbers to be used in the Child Support Obligation Worksheet.
NEWS October 14, 2010
BEWARE!
There have been fresh reports of incorrect, or at least misleading results from the calculator provided by the Indiana Judicial Center. That software asks for overnights for both the custodial and non-custodial parents. If those numbers do not add up to 365, then that software assumes that neither parent has custody and both parents will be paying child support to some third party!
NEWS December 19, 2009
Indiana Support Master version 2010-D is now the newest version. If you have an earlier version such as 2010-A, 2010-B, or 2010-C you may wish to install a patch to upgrade to version 2010-D. There are two good reasons to do this. First, if you have a case in which the total incomes are greater than $10,000 per week and you are calculating support for exactly two children, version 2010-A and 2010-B had a decimal point error in that specific instance. Line 4 was being shown as 1% of Line 3. It is supposed to be 10%. The calculation was correct for one child or for three or more children. The error only appeared in the case of exactly two children. That decimal place error is corrected in version 2010-C and in version 2010-D.
The other good reason is that version 2010-D allows you to override the limitations on health insurance premiums from the HIPW. Several people requested the ability to do this. If you override the HIPW, the amount on the child support worksheet will be shown as a deviation.
If you have an earlier CD and wish to download the patch, go to the Indiana Support Master Features page.
NEWS November 29, 2009
We are now mailing the CDs containing the 2010 version of Indiana Support Master. We are mailing out the CDs in the order that we receive checks.
We will be getting caught up during the next week or so.
Here is an example of the new HIPW:
Health Insurance Premium Worksheet
NEWS November 25, 2009
The 2010 version of Indiana Support Master is completed. It includes all of the changes in the Indiana Child Support Guidelines which become effective January 1, 2010. There have been several changes. Child support for low income parents has been lowered. Child support for high income pareents has been increased. There is a new Health Insurance Premium Worksheet to help determine whether a parent should be ordered to pay health insurance premiums as a part of child support.
We plan to start mailing out the 2010 CDs prior to December 1, 2009.
NEWS October 11, 2009
Version 2009 B of Alabama Support Master has been released. This is a free upgrade for all current users of Alabama Support Master and new CDs have been mailed. The changes were based on suggestions from users. The Alabama child support calculation is now easier than ever. The software now will prepare two different CS-41 Affidavits. It also now prepares the CS-47 Information Sheet. There is now a single data entry dialog for each one of the five forms.
NEWS September 15, 2009
The Indiana Supreme Court has ordered extensive changes to the Indiana Child Support Guidelines. There will be a new worksheet for medical insurance and changed support calculations for higher income parents. These changes become effective January 1, 2010. The 2010 version of Indiana Support Master will implement these changes. We expect the 2010 version to be released by December 1.
NEWS May 7, 2009
The new Alabama Support Master is now ready for release.
NEWS January 26, 2009
The grace period for the 2008 version is about to expire.
If you are still using the 2008 version, please upgrade to the 2009 version promptly to avoid any interruption in service.
NEWS December 2, 2008
The 2009 version is coming soon.
Current users will be receiving a reminder message this month. The 2009 version should start shipping this week. We plan some improvements.
NEWS June 28, 2007
Negative Child Support Upheld
On June 27, the Indiana Supreme Court decided Grant v Hager.
A trial court may award negative child support if it makes appropriate findings. Reason has prevailed. Expect this issue to be addressed by the Domestic Relations Committee.
NEWS December 15, 2006
We have been mailing the 2007 CDs since the first of December. A problem with the supplier of the plastic cases for the CDs has put us behind schedule. We have switched suppliers and we are now mailing CDs again. We hope to be caught up within a week. We apologize for the delay. Your 2006 version will continue to work till February.
NEWS November 19, 2006
The 2007 version of Indiana Support Master is nearly ready to release. The main change for 2007 will be the addition of a second Post Secondary Education Worksheet. The Guidelines call for filling out Section One only of a PSEW when there are two or more children in college. The 2007 version will allow you to do that. This does not change the child support calculations. It does allow you to separately identify the colleges expenses when there is more than one child in college.
NEWS September 26, 2006
The Indiana Court of Appeals on August 29 issued its opinion in the case of Grant v Hager. The Court ruled that the Guidelines "preclude" the trial court from exercising its discretion to award child support to a parent who has fewer overnights of parenting time than the payor parent. That is, a trial court is precluded from ordering negative child support. A Petition to Transfer is pending in the Indiana Supreme Court where it is hoped that reason will prevail.
NEWS January 10, 2006
We have rewritten the web site. We hope you like it.
The Free Worksheet Reader is now available for downloading. This software can be used as a demo. It works the same as Indiana Support Master except that it does not accept data input. It will open, display, and print Worksheets.
NEWS January 1, 2006
The turn around time for the 2006 CDs is now the same day we receive your check.
NEWS November 22, 2005
We are shipping the 2006 CDs. With Thanksgiving weekend almost here, there will be some additional delays. Expect at least three weeks turn around time to receive your 2006 CD.
You may have tried to attach a saved worksheet to an email only to find that the recipient cannot open or print the worksheet unless the recipient has Support Master. The solution is Free Worksheet Reader - coming soon. Anyone will be able to download the Free Worksheet Reader to enable them to open and print worksheets you have created.
NEWS January 12, 2005
We are currently sending out CDs the same day we receive checks. The grace period ends at the end of January. If you have not sent in your check for the 2005 update, don't delay.
We have been gratified by the overwhelmingly positive response to the 2005 version. Thank you for using Support Master!
NEWS November 27, 2004
We started shipping the 2005 CDs on Novemver 22. Our turnaround time is currently a week, which means your total turnaround time - from the time you mail your check to the time you receive your CD - is about 2 weeks. This will come down as we get caught up.
New for 2005
Clickable worksheets. If you are in My Computer looking at a list of files, you can double-click a worksheet or an arrearage file and the system will attempt to open them for you. The worksheets have a .wks filename extension which is also used by other software. You may have to choose SupportMaster from a list.
Negative Child Support. If the parenting time credit is greater than the support obligation, the software will do the subtraction for you and show a negative number on Line 8. This would be paid by the other parent, if the Court allows.The Guidelines do not expressly allow for negative child support. Line 8 can be changed to $0.00 in the Adjustments Dialog.
Non-Payor Blank. In previous versions, the software showed the calculated support for both parents. The Payor parent pays money. The Non-payor parent provides in-kind support. The software now will blank Line 8 for the Non-payor parent. If you wish to show the child support calculation for both parents, you can do that in the Adjustments Dialog.
Overnights Shown. The number of overnights used in the calculation is now shown on the Child Support Obligation Worksheet to avoid any misunderstanding of how the calculation was done.
NEWS November 9, 2004
All of the invoices for the 2005 version have now been mailed. All current customers in good standing can receive the new CD for only $25. Customers who received the 2004 version on approval will need to decide soon whether to purchase. The 2004 version will stop working in February 2005. Customers who don't receive an invoice, or who have changed mailing address in the last year, or who have merged or split, should contact us so that we can be sure to get the 2005 version to you promptly.
The 2005 version will contain several new conveniences. The most notable is the user option regarding the preferred method to handle negative child support. More news about the 2005 version will be posted soon.