Effective April 1, 2025, California family law courts will transition from using DissoMaster to Xspouse for calculating child support and temporary spousal support. This change is prompted by the expiration of DissoMaster's certification on March 31, 2025, and its subsequent discontinuation. Xspouse, known for its enhanced accuracy and affordability, has been recertified by the Judicial Council for the 2024-2025 period and will now serve as the new standard for support calculations.

Why Is This Change Happening?

For decades, DissoMaster has been the primary tool for attorneys and judges to determine support obligations. However, with its discontinuation, the Judicial Council has selected Xspouse as the preferred replacement. The shift to Xspouse ensures that calculations remain up-to-date with legislative changes, tax updates, and Family Code amendments.

Key Features of Xspouse

Xspouse offers a range of features that legal professionals will find beneficial:

• Lower Cost: Xspouse is more affordable than DissoMaster, making it a cost-effective solution for attorneys and law firms.
• Windows Exclusive: Unlike some other legal software, Xspouse is only available on Windows, meaning users will need a Windows PC or a compatible virtual machine setup to run it.
• Comprehensive Calculations: The software provides detailed computations for child support and spousal support, ensuring accuracy based on current guidelines.
• Regular Updates: Xspouse is updated frequently to reflect changes in state and federal tax laws as well as modifications to the California Family Code.
• User-Friendly Interface: Designed for legal professionals, the interface allows for quick and easy input of financial data, generating detailed reports that attorneys and judges can rely on.

There were Major Changes in Xspouse 2024-1 Effective September 1, 2024

Xspouse 2024-1 integrated significant updates to the Family Code—the first major changes in decades. These updates went into effect on September 1, 2024, and Xspouse automatically incorporates them into calculations:

• FC §4055 (b)(3): Changes in the multiplier based on total net income ranges used for calculating the K factor in child support calculations.
• FC §4055 (b)(7): Modifications to how the threshold amount for the low-income adjustment is calculated.
• FC §4057 (b)(5): If an obligor qualifies for a low-income adjustment and the calculated child support amount exceeds 50% of their net income, Xspouse will flag this and display an alternative lower bound per the new rule.
• FC §4061 (b): The method for calculating child support add-ons will change from an automatic 50/50 split to the distribution set forth in this section of the Family Code.
• Settings Switch: Starting September 1, 2024, Xspouse includes a new switch in its Settings window that allows users to revert to pre-September 1, 2024, Family Code rules for calculations in cases where prior rules still apply.

What This Means for Legal Professionals

With the shift to Xspouse, attorneys practicing family law in California must ensure they are familiar with the new software and the upcoming Family Code changes. Given its lower cost and enhanced functionality, transitioning to Xspouse will be beneficial for practitioners handling child support and spousal support matters.

Training & Resources

To help attorneys adapt to Xspouse, the software provider offers:

• Tutorial videos
• A demonstration version
• Comprehensive user guides

These resources are available on the official Xspouse website.

Final Thoughts

The adoption of Xspouse represents a major shift in California family law. With its lower cost, regular updates, and enhanced functionality, it will streamline child support and spousal support calculations. Attorneys should prepare for this transition now to ensure seamless compliance with California's new Family Code changes and court-mandated software requirements. While it is bittersweet to see the discontinuation of DissoMaster, a tool that has served California family law practitioners for decades, there is hope that Xspouse will be an equivalent—if not superior—replacement, ensuring accuracy and fairness in support calculations for years to come.