Skylark Law needed a public-facing version of the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines Worksheet.
The original request focused on performance (front-end calculations were slow) and PDF export fidelity (output should match the worksheet layout).
Overview
Project Overview
Scope
- Implement a fast, multi-page Gravity Forms calculator with deterministic, testable calculations.
- Generate a worksheet-like PDF using Gravity PDF (mPDF) with a custom template.
- Maintain the calculator through major guideline updates (2018 → 2021 → 2025).
Challenge
The Challenge
- Client-side calculations across many dependent fields can become slow and fragile.
- Legal/financial math requires strict accuracy across edge cases and boundary values.
- PDF export must align closely with the official worksheet structure to be useful.
Constraints & Context
- Use Gravity Forms for the form engine and Gravity PDF for the PDF workflow.
- PDF needs to be styled to match the official worksheet (multi-page, positioned fields).
- Calculator must remain responsive while staying 100% accurate.
Solution
Our Approach
-
Moved the source-of-truth calculations into PHP hooks during the render cycle to reduce browser load and keep behavior consistent.
-
Added explicit validation and guardrails for user input, including custody/child-count rules and "N/A" handling.
-
Versioned guideline logic across major updates (2018 → 2021 → 2025), incorporating new thresholds, caps, and table rewrites.
-
Built a custom Gravity PDF template using background images and positioned fields; added 2025 "Worksheet Summary" + conditional checkmarks.
-
Documented a boundary-focused testing checklist to keep future guideline updates safe to ship.
Technologies
Tech Stack
WordPressPHPJavaScriptCSSGravity FormsGravity PDF (mPDF)
Results
Outcomes
- Client satisfaction and ongoing engagement through multiple guideline updates.
- Three major iterations shipped as the official Massachusetts worksheet evolved.
— Justin Kelsey"Yoren did a great job. Was responsive, fast, and clear with her questions and feedback. I will definitely work with Yoren again."
Ready to work together?
Let's discuss how we can help with your project.