{"id":1151,"date":"2023-11-15T18:05:22","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T23:05:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grishamandpoole.com\/blog\/?p=1151"},"modified":"2025-12-04T10:26:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T15:26:06","slug":"new-georgia-child-support-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grishamandpoole.com\/blog\/new-georgia-child-support-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"New Georgia Child Support Laws 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Child Support Laws in Georgia 2024<\/h2>\n

This article discusses Georgia Child Support Laws<\/a> regarding calculating payments, support modifications, enforcement, collections, and how to change support payment amounts.<\/h4>\n

UPDATE 12\/01\/2025<\/strong>: Click the following link to learn about Georgia child support laws in 2026<\/a>. The new laws go into effect on January 1, 2026. Learn how the latest changes may impact your current situation.<\/p>\n

How is Child Support Calculated in Georgia<\/h3>\n

In Georgia, child support payment amounts are calculated based on the incomes of both parents and applied to a table of base support amounts. You can visit the Judicial Council of Georgia website to use a Free Georgia Child Support Calculator<\/a>. Per their website, “The Georgia Child Support Calculator has been developed and made available by the Georgia Child Support Commission as the official calculator for Georgia’s Child Support Guidelines statute found at O.C.G.A. \u00a719-6-15. 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.”1<\/sup><\/p>\n

To get a better explanantion of how monthly support amounts are calculated, you should visit the article entitled How to Calculate Child Support in Georgia<\/a>. Per the article, “Determining the amount of child support payments in Georgia is based on specific guidelines within an \u201cIncome Shares Model\u201d. 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.”2<\/sup><\/p>\n

Modification of Child Support<\/h3>\n

Support Payment Modification<\/strong> is a hot topic throughout the time children are growing up. A request for a decree modification may be made only once every two years. For example, if your divorce was made final in June of 2022, you cannot file for a modification until at least July of 2024. Either parent can file for a modification to change support payment amounts, or formally end child support when children become of legal age.<\/p>\n

Increasing and Decreasing Child Support Payments<\/h4>\n

Monthly support payment amounts can be increased if the custodial parent can prove the situation of the non-custodial parent has dramatically improved (i.e., substantial income increase, wins a lottery, receives an inheritance, etc.). The non-custodial parent may be able to get payment amounts decreased if they can prove chronic financial hardship<\/em> (i.e., loss of job beyond their control, unable to work due to disability, etc.).<\/p>\n

When conditions can be proven to directly impact the \u201cneed for\u201d or \u201cability to pay\u201d financial support, it may be wise to file a child support modification<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Child Support Enforcement & Collections<\/h3>\n

If you are having problems with a parent not paying child support you have a few option. Notably these are:<\/p>\n