If you are going through a divorce in Georgia, especially if you have chosen to represent yourself, it is very likely that you have reviewed and possibly began to complete a child support worksheet. Georgia's child support worksheet is very complex and includes not only the worksheet, but also several schedules or attachments to the worksheet that aid in ensuring the final child support amount is fair and in the best interest of the child or children involved in the case.
One of these schedules is Schedule D, which is where the Mandatory Deviations to child support are found. There are two mandatory deviations that must be applied to the presumptive child support amount if applicable. These deviations are found on lines 1 and 2 of Schedule D and are labeled:
Child Care Expenses Necessary for Parents Employment, Education or Vocational Training
Health Insurance Premiums Paid for the Children
These deviations are also known as the Work Related Child Care Expense Deviation and the Health Insurance Premium Deviation. The two above listed deviations are referred to as mandatory deviations because if either of these expenses are incurred by either parent, these expenses must be taken into consideration when determining the final child support obligation of the non-custodial parent. See O.C.G.A. ยง 19-6-15(h). What this means practically is that these expenses must be included on the child support worksheet. For a more in-depth discussion regarding each of these two mandatory deviations, see the article on our main website entitled "Mandatory Deviations from the Presumptive Child Support Amount."