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Parents who do not live with their minor children full-time must contribute financially to their support, as all parents should provide for their children’s basic needs. Georgia courts may issue enforceable orders requiring non-custodial parents to make payments to the parent providing the primary home for the children.
Calculating child support in Atlanta, GA, can be complicated. Contact one of our firm’s family law attorneys to ensure you understand all the variables when determining a child support amount.
Georgia requires parents to determine child support using published guidelines. The guidelines provide a basic support obligation based on the parents’ combined gross income and the number of minor children they share.
The state provides an online support calculator to estimate child support. First, the parents must determine their combined gross income. When making this calculation, parents must include all income, such as:
The gross income figure is critical, so it is wise to speak with one of our family law professionals in Atlanta, GA, to ensure your child support calculations are correct.
The guidelines provide a basic child support obligation based on the number of children receiving support and the co-parents’ combined gross income. The paying parent must pay a percentage of the basic obligation equal to their proportional contribution to the couples’ combined gross income. For example, if the basic obligation is $500 and the paying parent makes 60 percent of the couple’s combined gross income, the paying parent’s child support obligation is $300.
Once the parents have calculated the basic child support obligation, they must consider how deviations may impact the final number. The Official Code of Georgia § 19-6-15(b)(7) lists multiple adjustments parents may make when determining the final child support amount.
Each parent must contribute to the premiums when the children have coverage through a parent’s health or dental insurance. This adjustment for insurance premiums is a mandatory deviation.
When a parent has work-related childcare expenses, the other parent must help with this cost. In most cases, this occurs through an adjustment to the child support amount. However, when childcare expenses are inconsistent throughout the year, parents can instead arrange for separate payments for these expenses.
Georgia courts also allow deviations in other circumstances. When the paying parent has a low income and the guidelines amount would cause them financial hardship, the court may allow a lower payment. Likewise, judges may impose a higher child support amount when the parents’ combined monthly gross income exceeds $40,000.
A deviation may be appropriate when parents generally share equal time with the children. Georgia courts also permit deviations when a child has extraordinary educational or health care needs. Judges have broad discretion to allow deviations from the guidelines amount when doing so is fair and serves the children’s best interests.
A parent wishing to take advantage of a non-mandatory deviation must petition the court for approval and provide evidence showing why the deviation is appropriate. One of our firm’s family law attorneys in Atlanta, GA, can prepare the petition and supporting documents to obtain a deviation from the child support calculations.
Child support payments can have a big impact on your finances, whether you are making them or receiving them. A mistake in determining the correct amount can be costly.
There are multiple factors to consider when calculating child support in Atlanta, GA. Work with one of our skilled legal professionals to ensure your calculations are correct or to manage other issues regarding child support payments. Reach out to our intake team today.