Child Support

In Georgia, child support payments are calculated based on a formula. Specifically, Georgia law (through the Georgia Child Support Commission) provides a Child Support Worksheet that is in the form of an Excel Spreadsheet for calculating child support. The child support calculations are based on a number of factors which include (but are not limited to):

– the gross income of both parents
– self-employment taxes
– health insurance premiums
– actual income, or the income earning potential of the parents

It is important to note that the Child Support Worksheet also provides for several deviations / adjustments to the calculations based on a case’s specific circumstances that can have the effect of increasing or lowering the amount of child support a parent may be required to pay. These can include, but are not limited to:

– travel expense related to visitation
– any pre-existing child support orders
– whether either parent is supporting another child
– extracurricular activities of the child(ren)
– child care expenses for the child(ren)

Child support in Georgia must be paid until the child reaches eighteen (18) years of age, dies, marries, or becomes emancipated. If a child is in secondary school, payments may last until the child reaches the age of twenty (20).