What is the average child support payment in Georgia, and how is it calculated?
Key Takeaways
- Child support is a financial obligation that one parent pays the other to help cover the costs of the child’s needs, such as food, clothing, housing, education and medical care.
- It’s nearly impossible to calculate an average child support payment, as every case is unique.
- Georgia courts determine child support obligations by looking at several factors, including the child’s age and any special needs, each parent’s gross income, which parent is the custodial parent and which parent pays for the child’s healthcare and education.
- You can modify child support payments if there has been a substantial change in circumstances or if a certain amount of time has passed.
What is child support?
Child support is a payment that one parent makes to the other to help pay for the costs of raising and caring for the child. Most often, the parent who has less parental time pays child support to the other parent. However, this isn’t always the case. Child support payment typically lasts until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school—whichever occurs last.
What is the average child support payment in Georgia?
Because each child support case is unique, it’s nearly impossible to calculate an average child support payment. Still, consulting an experienced Georgia family law attorney may help you get an idea of what you may expect to pay or receive. They can discuss the specifics of your case and likely have handled many cases like yours.
You can also access an online child support calculator on the Georgia Child Support Commission’s website.
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How is child support calculated in Georgia?
Georgia courts use the Georgia child support worksheet to calculate child support. This workout takes into account several factors, including but not limited to whether a parent:
- Is the custodial parent
- Covers the child on their health insurance plan
- Pays childcare costs such as daycare, private school tuition or tutoring
- Has any other children living in the home
- Is under a child support obligation for other children
- Has “extended” parenting time with a child that results in the parent facing expenses beyond what is traditionally expected
The worksheet also considers:
- The child’s age
- Each parent’s gross income, including income from alimony, retirement income, self-employment income, judgments from personal injury cases, unemployment benefits, capital gains, trust income, income from investments, bonus, commission, alimony, military stipends and more
- Any extraordinary medical expenses or any other special expenses for the child
- Whether a parent is considered a “low-income” earner
- Whether a noncustodial parent incurs travel costs associated with visiting the child
Can you modify child support after a divorce?
There are two circumstances that may warrant a change in child support payment in Georgia.
The first is if there has been a substantial change in circumstances. Most often this means the change impacts a child’s needs or a parent’s financial situation. For example, if a parent loses their job or gets a significant raise, it may justify a modification to the child support order.
The other circumstance is if a certain amount of time has passed. Someone can only request a modification of a child support order in Georgia once every two years. So, whether or not there’s been a significant change in circumstances, if it’s been two years since the entry of the original divorce decree or any prior modification, anyone can petition to modify the order.
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