NAVIGATING THE CHANGE FROM DISSOMASTER TO XSPOUSE

Written by Maya Galicia-Canto, Esq.^*

Beginning April 1, 2025, many California family law courts will transition from using DissoMaster to Xspouse for calculating child and spousal support. This change follows Thomson Reuters’ decision to discontinue DissoMaster as of March 31, 2025. Consequently, the Judicial Council of California has announced that DissoMaster will not be recertified for use in California courts beyond this date.¹ In response to the Judicial Council’s announcement, family law practitioners have begun transitioning from DissoMaster to Xspouse. To support this shift, attorneys and bar associations have developed guides and trainings to help practitioners learn the new system.

This article reviews the statutory framework authorizing California courts to use software to calculate support orders. It also offers background on Xspouse, compares it to DissoMaster, and outlines available resources—both paid and free—for learning how to use Xspouse.

THE STATUTORY FRAMEWORK FOR SUPPORT CALCULATORS