How to Calculate Child Support in Georgia 2024 – How Much, Payments

This article (originally published November 2021) was updated to reflect Georgia child support laws and guidelines in 2024.

Calculating Child Support – the Basics

This article is an introduction and general overview of hor to calculate child support that the non-custodial parent can expect to pay each month. Every non-custodial parent is expected to participate in the financial support of their children. Even if you do not have a steady job, collect disability, workers’ comp, government assistance, etc. you are still required to pay child support.

For many people, knowing how to calculate child support in Georgia can be frustrating. The basics for estimating child support are actually relatively easy. Uncertainty enters when attempting to guess how the court may factor in deviations from guidelines.

Divorcing parents with children may want to download a child support brochure published by Georgia Legal Aid.

Determining the amount of child support payments in Georgia is based on specific guidelines within an “Income Shares Model”. The model to calculate child support involves considering the incomes of each parent, and then applying several factors. Updates to child support laws are periodically done to improve the fairness in determining child support obligations.

How to Estimate Child Support Payments

Step 1: Income Evaluation

Income evaluation requires combining the adjusted gross monthly income for the parents, and then determining the percentage of the total that each parent contributes.

Example of Income Evaluation: Monthly income for Parent “A” is $6,000 and income for Parent “B” is $4,000. This reveals that Parent “A” makes 60% of the total monthly income, and Parent “B” makes 40% of the total monthly income.

Step 2: Basic Child Support Obligation (BCSO) Table

Georgia has a Basic Child Support Obligation table which defines a base monthly amount for the number of children. You can find the monthly amount on the table that corresponds with your situation. Factor this number by the income percentage of the non-custodial spouse to determine the base amount of child support.

Example of Applying BCSO to Income: The combined adjusted gross monthly income is $10,000. Per the BCSO Table, for two children the base amount is $1,749 per month. If Parent “A”, who makes 60% of the total income, is the non-custodial parent they would be responsible for 60% of the base amount. The calculation of child support is then calculated as $1,749 (base amount) x .60 (60% obligation) = $1,049.40 (the basic child support obligation). This is not necessarily the amount of child support which is due each month. This number will be further adjusted by the factors listed below.

Georgia Child Support Calculator 2018

An alternative way to find out how much child support may be is to use the Georgia Online Child Support Calculator. Per the Judicial Council of Georgia website, this is what you can expect in using the FREE child support calculator tool:

The Georgia Child Support Calculator has been developed and made available by the Georgia Commission on Child Support as the official calculator for Georgia’s Child Support Guidelines statute found at O.C.G.A. §19-6-15. Information entered in the calculator is used to determine a presumptive amount of child support that may be deviated from to reach a final child support amount.

Factors that Can Change the BCSO Amount

Calculating Income and Deductions

Adjusted Gross Monthly Income (AGMI) includes earned or unearned income. Examples are wages, commissions, retirement or disability payments, and passive income. Your AGMI does not include public assistance but may include certain work-related benefits that lower out-of-pocket living expenses (company car, gasoline cards, etc.)

You may be able to deduct child support you pay relative to another relationship (child support paid to another ex-spouse). Self-employment taxes are another item that may be deducted from income. Children from another relationship who are living with you, that are not covered by a separate court order, may also provide an income deduction.

Deviating from Georgia Child Support Guidelines

Acceptable Deviations from Child Support Guidelines

Under Georgia law, a judge can deviate from what the normal guidelines produce as the appropriate child support amount. When the process yields a figure that does not accurately reflect a parents’ ability to pay or protect the best interests of the child a judge may change the figure. The “other expenses” listed above are examples of reasons to revise the actual amount of child support. Many divorce decree settlement agreements have language defining how such items are to be split between the parents.

A family law court may increase or decrease the amount of child support payments based on numerous factors. As for the laws, such deviations are covered in GA CODE O.C.G.A. 19-6-15. A list of factors the court may consider are:

• High Combined Income of Parents (more than $30,000 per month)
• Low Income of Non-Custodial Parent (less than $1,850 per month)
• Healthcare / Medical insurance
• Child care / dependent care tax credit
• Travel expenses
• Alimony payments
• Education expenses

Imputing Income for Hardships

Income hardship can be a justification form requesting a lower support payment. It is worth noting that the hardship must be involuntary. Being fired, laid off or unable to find suitable work are legitimate reasons. Quitting a job, refusing to find suitable employment or otherwise causing or contributing to the hardship are not acceptable. When deciding, the court usually considers whether the hardship is a short-term or long-term condition.

Adjustments for Other Expenses

Georgia law allows a judge to also consider the impact of other expenses such as work-related childcare, health insurance, extracurricular activities and special needs such as expensive medical treatments, prescription drugs, and medical equipment.

Medical and Healthcare

A proper divorce settlement has provisions that protect the basic needs of minor children. Certainly, health care and medical care needs are very important. Because the costs for health insurance are quite high, the family law court may take this into consideration when adjusting child support payments. This is especially true with minor children who have unique and special health care needs.

Amount of Parenting Time

The court generally assumes that children will spend the majority of their time with the custodial parent. This means that the custodial parent will incur the bulk of the expenses associated with raising a child. If the parenting time is closer to equal, as in joint physical custody arrangements, it can be a reason to share the expenses in a more equal manner.

Contact our law firm for help calculating child support, getting answers to questions or wanting to know how to file a child support modification. Call 678-880-9360 for an appointment with a child support specialist.

If you have questions on child support, or need to modify child support payments, we invite you to call 678-880-9360 to arrange a consultation with a child support lawyer.