Separation is hard enough without the uncertainty of money. If you're a parent in Pacific County — whether you're in Raymond, South Bend, or out on the Long Beach Peninsula — one of the first questions you'll face is child support: who pays, who receives, and how that number gets decided.

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Here's the reassuring part. Washington doesn't leave child support to a judge's gut feeling or to whoever has the better lawyer. Every case in the state runs through the same formula under RCW 26.19, and the judges and commissioners at the Pacific County Superior Court in South Bend apply the exact same schedule used from Seattle to Willapa Bay. The complicated part is what feeds into that formula — your income, your co-parent's income, the deductions that apply, and your family's specific arrangement. And as of January 1, 2026, Washington made its biggest changes to child support in decades, which means even parents with existing orders should take a fresh look.

Let's walk through how it actually works.

Washington Uses the "Income Shares" Model

The whole system rests on one principle: a child should receive roughly the same share of their parents' income that they'd have received if the family were still under one roof.

To land on a number, the court weighs three things:

1. Both parents' combined monthly net income
2. The number of children and their ages
3. Washington's Economic Table, which turns that combined income into a base support amount

From there, each parent covers their proportional share. Earn 55% of the combined income, and you're generally on the hook for 55% of the support obligation. The parent the children live with most of the time is assumed to spend their share directly; the other parent sends their share as a monthly transfer payment.

Step One: Nailing Down Net Income

If a child support case gets contentious, this is usually where — not the formula itself, but the income figures plugged into it.

The math starts with gross income, and Washington defines it broadly. It captures wages, overtime, bonuses, commissions, self-employment earnings, unemployment benefits, and more. That matters a lot in Pacific County, where a paycheck rarely looks the same two months running. If you shuck and ship oysters on Willapa Bay, run a cranberry operation on the peninsula, log, or work the tourist season in Long Beach and Ocean Park, all of that income counts — even when it's seasonal or irregular.

From gross income, the court subtracts allowable deductions to reach net income. Under the 2026 rules, those deductions now include:

• Federal income taxes and FICA
• Mandatory pension and union dues
• Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) premiums
• WA Cares Fund premiums
• Certain voluntary retirement contributions (within limits)

A word on seasonal Willapa Bay income: Oystering, cranberries, timber, and Long Beach Peninsula tourism all run on the calendar, not on steady twice-monthly deposits. Courts generally average income over a period to reach a fair monthly figure — but how they average, and which months they count, can move your support number in either direction. This is one of those places where a lawyer who actually understands how people earn a living on the Harbor and the peninsula earns their keep.

And if a parent claims no income? The court won't just take that at face value. When a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the judge can impute income — basing support on what that parent could reasonably earn given their history and the local job market.

Step Two: The Economic Table (and Why 2026 Is a Big Deal)

With both net incomes in hand, the court adds them together and finds the matching base support amount on Washington's Economic Table.

As of January 1, 2026, Engrossed House Bill 1014 reshaped that table:

• It now covers combined monthly net incomes up to $50,000 (the old ceiling was $12,000). Higher-earning families finally have a presumptive number instead of leaving it to a judge's discretion.
• The low-income floor rose from $1,000 to $2,200 in combined monthly income, paired with a stronger self-support reserve — now 180% of the federal poverty level — so the paying parent isn't driven below subsistence.
• The minimum obligation stays at $50 per child per month.

Crucially, none of this happens on its own. An existing order doesn't rewrite itself when the law changes — but the new schedule may give you grounds to petition for a modification, whether you pay or receive support.

Step Three: Add-Ons and Deviations

The Economic Table produces a presumptive figure, not always the final one. Beyond base support, parents usually split these in proportion to income:

• Health insurance premiums for the children
• Uninsured medical costs
• Daycare and work-related childcare
• Special expenses — tutoring, sports, or the travel costs of shuttling kids between distant homes

Judges can also deviate from the standard number in specific situations — a parent supporting children from another relationship, a parenting plan where the kids split significant time between both homes, or a household carrying unusual debt or resources. Deviations aren't handed out on request, though; they require documented justification, and the judge has to put the reasoning in writing.

Where Pacific County Child Support Cases Are Handled

Child support orders here run through the Pacific County Superior Court in South Bend (300 Memorial Drive), whether the support is part of a divorce, a parentage case, or a standalone petition. One local wrinkle worth knowing: Pacific County shares its Superior Court judge with neighboring Wahkiakum County, which can affect scheduling — a reason not to leave filings until the last minute.

Parents can also go through the Washington State Division of Child Support (DCS), which can establish and enforce support administratively — including wage withholding — without ever setting foot in a courtroom.

For families in Raymond, South Bend, Long Beach, Ocean Park, Ilwaco, Naselle, Chinook, and Tokeland, your case is decided close to home. But the paperwork — support worksheets, financial declarations, pay stubs, tax returns — has to be right. Botched worksheets are one of the most common reasons a parent ends up paying too much or receiving too little.

Can Child Support Change Later?

It can. Life on the coast shifts — an oyster lease changes hands, a mill cuts shifts, the tourist season runs long or short. Washington lets you modify child support when there's a substantial change in circumstances, and in some cases simply once enough time has passed since the last order. With the 2026 table now in force, plenty of parents are pulling out their existing orders to see whether the updated numbers would look meaningfully different.

If your income drops, don't just quietly stop paying — unpaid support hardens into a judgment with interest, and DCS enforcement can reach wage garnishment and even license suspension. The smart move is to file for a modification quickly.

Talk to a Family Law Attorney Who Knows Pacific County

The formula is statewide, but your case isn't. Your income history, your parenting plan, your children's needs — those are yours alone, and Pacific County has fewer family law attorneys than families who need one. Whether you're setting up support for the first time, challenging the figures on a worksheet, or wondering whether the 2026 changes touch your existing order, getting local guidance early can spare you years of paying the wrong amount.

Soriano Law LLC helps parents throughout Pacific County — from Raymond and South Bend to the Long Beach Peninsula — work through child support with clarity and confidence. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.

Parents need to be aware of the guidelines and work with legal professionals to ensure fair and just child support arrangements that prioritize the well-being of their children. Soriano Law LLC is experienced in these cases, contact us for a FREE consultation now! Call us at (360) 249-6174.