How is Child Support Calculated?
A parent's child
support obligation is calculated using Georgia's online Child Support Worksheet.
The monthly gross income of both parents is entered into the Child Support Worksheet and
the calculator determines the child support obligation of each parent according
to the total yearly income and the number of children supported. Usually, the
non-custodial parent pays child support to the parent who has primary custody
of the child(ren).
Child Support Adjustments
The basic child
support obligation may be altered by required Adjustments or discretionary Deviations.
The four required adjustments, which must be taken into consideration by the
court when determining child support, are parenting time, work related child care costs, the
cost of health insurance premiums, and low income.
Child Support Deviations
A discretionary
Deviation from the basic child support obligation, may be ordered by the court
if the deviation is found to be in the best interest of the child(ren) for whom
child support is being determined. These deviations are: high
income, other health related insurance, life insurance, child and dependent care tax credit, travel expenses, alimony, mortgage, permanency plan or foster care plan, extraordinary expenses (camp, extracurricular activities, private school, etc.), and non-specific
deviations.
A common deviation which can be included in the calculation of child support is a deviation for the cost of the child's private school tuition and other expenses. It is also common to include the costs of camp, music, sports, or other extracurricular activities. If the combined income of both parents exceeds $40,000.00 per month, the court may deviate child support upward to account for the high income lifestyle. Travel expenses may be taken into account as a deviation if court ordered visitation will incur significant travel expenses. The court may also order a deviation from the child support calculation to account for the cost of life insurance, housing, alimony, tax credit, health related insurance (vision or dental), or a number of other expenses related to the child(ren).
Written by: Rebekah Ann James