How do we calculate child support payments?

There is absolutely a way to make this calculation;  most family court lawyers have the software in their office computers to take the necessary numbers, including both incomes, and produce a child support guidelines worksheet, which shows the answer and the calculations needed to get there.  The final version, of course, is up to the court.

The calculations are based on the child support guidelines, which is a table with the total child support amount, for any given amount of combined parental income and number of children.  With that table, the income numbers off the parties' paystubs and the parenting time arrangement, it's really quite straightforward.