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What is a Deviation for Child Support in Georgia

Publish Date: 06/12/2023

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 two required Adjustments, which must be taken into consideration by the court when determining child support, are work related child care costs and the cost of health insurance premiums.

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: parenting time, high income, low income, travel expenses, life insurance, extraordinary expenses, camp and extracurricular activities, private school, mortgage, alimony, child and dependent care tax credit, other health related insurance, and non-specific deviations.

The parenting time Deviation adjusts child support upward or downward based upon the amount of time a parent spends with the child(ren). This is one of the most common Deviations.

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. In the alternative, the Court may choose to deviate child support downward if the paying parent has no earning capacity or if paying child support would cause extreme financial hardship for that parent.

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 child support Deviation to account for the cost of life insurance, extracurricular activities, private school, housing, alimony, tax credit, health related insurance (vision or dental), or other expenses related to the child(ren).

Written by: Rebekah Ann James

Categories:

Child Support
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