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Child Support Worksheet Guide: Understanding Your Financial Obligations for Your Children

A comprehensive guide to understanding child support worksheets, how they calculate financial obligations, and what parents need to know during divorce or separation proceedings.

Introduction

A Child Support Worksheet is a legal document used to calculate the amount of financial support that a non-custodial parent must provide for their children following a divorce or separation. This worksheet takes into account both parents' incomes, the number of children involved, and various expenses related to raising children such as healthcare, education, and childcare costs. The purpose of this document is to ensure that children receive adequate financial support from both parents, regardless of which household they primarily reside in. Understanding how child support is calculated is crucial for both parents to ensure fair financial arrangements that prioritize the well-being of their children.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    Child support is calculated based on a formula that considers both parents' incomes, not just the higher-earning parent's income.

  2. 2

    Business owners should be prepared for additional scrutiny of their finances, as courts will look beyond reported salary to determine actual income available for support.

  3. 3

    Child support is separate from the division of marital assets in divorce proceedings, though investment income from assets will be considered in support calculations.

  4. 4

    The worksheet calculations create a presumptive amount of support, but courts can deviate from this amount if there are good reasons to do so.

  5. 5

    Child support generally continues until children reach the age of majority (18 or 21, depending on your state) or graduate from high school, whichever occurs later.

  6. 6

    In high-asset families, child support may include provisions for expenses beyond basic needs, such as private education, extracurricular activities, and future college expenses.

  7. 7

    Failing to accurately complete the worksheet with full financial disclosure can result in penalties, including potential contempt of court charges.

  8. 8

    Child support is modifiable if circumstances change substantially, so maintaining accurate financial records is important for potential future modifications.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Child Support Worksheet in Louisiana, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Child Support Worksheet guide walks through them.

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Louisiana Requirements for Child Support Worksheet

  • Louisiana Child Support Guidelines (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315-9:315.47)

    Louisiana's primary statute governing child support calculations, establishing the income shares model that considers both parents' adjusted gross income to determine support obligations.

  • Definition of Income (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315(C)(3))

    Defines what constitutes income for child support calculations, including wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, dividends, severance pay, pensions, interest, trust income, recurring monetary gifts, etc.

  • Basic Child Support Obligation (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.19)

    Establishes the schedule of basic child support obligations based on the combined adjusted gross income of both parents and the number of children.

  • Shared Custody Adjustment (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.9)

    Provides for adjustments to the basic support obligation when parents share physical custody, with specific calculations when each parent has custody for more than 73 days per year.

  • Split Custody Arrangement (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.10)

    Establishes calculation methods when each parent has sole custody of at least one child, requiring separate worksheets for each parent's obligation.

  • Health Insurance Premium Costs (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.4)

    Requires the addition of health insurance premium costs for the child to the basic support obligation, with allocation between parents proportionate to their income.

  • Extraordinary Medical Expenses (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.5)

    Provides for the addition of extraordinary medical expenses to the basic support obligation, including costs not covered by insurance exceeding $250 per year per child.

  • Child Care Costs (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.3)

    Requires the addition of reasonable child care costs to the basic support obligation when incurred due to employment or job search of either parent.

  • Child's Income (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.7)

    Allows for consideration of a child's income in determining the basic support obligation under certain circumstances.

  • Deviation from Guidelines (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.1)

    Permits courts to deviate from guideline amounts if their application would be inequitable to a party or children, requiring specific written findings.

  • Voluntary Unemployment or Underemployment (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.11)

    Allows for income to be imputed based on earning potential if a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, unless certain exceptions apply.

  • Self-Employment Income (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.2)

    Provides special considerations for calculating income from self-employment, including allowable business expense deductions.

  • Other Extraordinary Expenses (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.6)

    Allows for consideration of other extraordinary expenses agreed to by parents or ordered by the court, including private school, special education, or extracurricular activities.

  • Mandatory Use of Worksheet (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.2(A))

    Requires the use of the Louisiana Child Support Worksheet A or B (depending on custody arrangement) to document the calculation of child support obligations.

  • Federal Tax Dependency Exemption (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315.18)

    Provides for allocation of federal tax dependency exemptions between parents based on their proportionate share of income.

  • Child Support Enforcement Program (42 U.S.C. § 651-669b)

    Federal requirements for state child support enforcement programs, including establishment of guidelines and regular review of support orders.

  • Full Faith and Credit for Child Support Orders (28 U.S.C. § 1738B)

    Requires states to enforce child support orders issued by other states, preventing modification except under specific circumstances.

  • Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (Louisiana Revised Statutes 13:1801-1842)

    Louisiana's adoption of UIFSA, which governs jurisdiction over child support cases and enforcement of orders across state lines.

  • Periodic Review and Adjustment (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:311)

    Provides for review and potential adjustment of child support orders every three years or upon material change in circumstances.

  • Income Withholding Orders (Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:303)

    Requires income withholding orders for child support payments unless the court finds good cause or the parties agree to an alternative arrangement.

Frequently Asked Questions