Georgia Child Support Calculator and
Guidelines Worksheet

Georgia calculates the amount of child support using the Income Shares model and Georgia child support guidelines codified in the child support guidelines statute O.C.G.A. §19-6-15.

The Georgia Child Support Commission publishes the Georgia child support guidelines, the child support worksheet, and the child support formula used by courts statewide. Georgia's child support formula uses each parent's monthly gross income rather than net income — a simpler approach that avoids disputes over deductions.

Georgia's schedule provides a presumptive amount of child support based on combined monthly gross income (up to $30,000/month) and the number of children. Each parent's share is proportional to their percentage of combined monthly gross income, and the noncustodial parent's share becomes the transfer payment.

Health insurance and child care costs are mandatory add-ons, allocated proportionally. The schedule and official child support worksheet are published on the Georgia Child Support Commission's website.

Georgia courts may deviate from the presumptive amount of child support when specific deviation factors apply — authorized deviations include extraordinary educational expenses, special medical needs, high income of the child, travel expenses for visitation, and situations where the noncustodial parent paying child support has the child for 109 or more overnights per year (approximately 30%). The Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) provides establishment, enforcement, and modification services at no cost.

If the child is still in high school at age 18, support continues until graduation under Georgia's child support guidelines statute.

Under Georgia's Income Shares model, the calculation begins by determining each parent's gross income from all sources, including wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, rental income, and certain benefits. The court then applies allowable deductions — such as taxes, mandatory retirement contributions, and pre-existing child support obligations — to arrive at each parent's adjusted or net income.

Both incomes are combined to find the total household income available for child support.

The combined income figure is then matched against Georgia's child support schedule (referenced in Income Shares model using both parents' adjusted gross income with the Georgia Basic Child Support Obligation table), which provides a base obligation amount for the number of children involved. For example, under a typical Income Shares schedule, parents with a combined monthly income of $8,000 and two children have a presumptive obligation of $1,400 per month.

Each parent's share is then calculated in proportion to their contribution to the combined income — if one parent earns 60% of the total, they are responsible for 60% of the base obligation.

Additional expenses are layered on top of the base obligation. Health insurance premiums for the child, work-related childcare costs, and extraordinary expenses (such as special education or medical needs) are typically added to the base figure and divided proportionally between the parents.

The custodial parent's share is assumed to be spent directly on the child, while the non-custodial parent's share becomes the child support payment.

The number of children is the most direct factor in any Georgia child support calculation under the child support guidelines in Income Shares model using both parents' adjusted gross income with the Georgia Basic Child Support Obligation table. The basic child support obligation increases with each additional child, though not in a strictly linear fashion.

The amount of child support also depends on each parent's monthly gross income, which includes wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, and other recurring sources. The noncustodial parent's share is calculated based on their proportion of the combined monthly gross income.

Health care and child care costs play a major role. The parent who carries the child's health insurance receives a credit or offset, and unreimbursed medical expenses exceeding a threshold are typically split between the parents.

Child care costs necessary for employment or education are added to the basic child support obligation and divided proportionally between parents.

Children with special needs — whether physical, developmental, or educational — can significantly increase the amount of child support. Georgia courts operating under O.C.G.A.

§ 19-6-15 have discretion to deviate upward from the guideline amount when a child requires therapies, specialized schooling, or ongoing medical treatment that exceeds ordinary expenses. Similarly, extracurricular activities and private school tuition may be considered, though courts vary in how they treat these costs.

High-income cases present unique challenges. Where Georgia's schedule under Income Shares model using both parents' adjusted gross income with the Georgia Basic Child Support Obligation table sets a maximum combined income threshold, courts exercise independent discretion above that cap rather than applying the standard table.

When a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, Georgia courts may impute income — assigning an earning capacity based on the parent's education, work history, job market conditions, and prior earnings — to prevent artificially lowering the child support amount by choosing not to work or accepting a lower-paying job without justification.

Georgia's child support obligation generally continues until the child reaches the age of majority under state law — check O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 for the specific cutoff age, which may extend beyond 18 in certain circumstances such as a child still in high school or college.

Support may also end earlier if the child becomes emancipated through marriage, military service, or court order.

Either parent may petition the court under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 to modify a child support order when there has been a material change in circumstances. Common triggers include:

• A significant income change for either parent (a material change in circumstances — such as a significant income shift, change in custody arrangement, or change in the child's needs — is generally required to modify the existing order; the exact threshold under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 controls for Georgia)
• Loss of employment or onset of a disability
• A significant change in the child's medical, educational, or developmental needs
• A substantial change in the custody or parenting-time arrangement

The parent seeking modification bears the burden of proving that circumstances have genuinely changed since the last order.

Modifications in Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 are not automatic — even when circumstances change, the existing order remains in effect until a court enters a new one.

Filing promptly matters because modifications typically take effect from the date of the petition, not retroactively to when the change occurred. Parents who delay filing risk accumulating arrears under the original order that cannot be forgiven, since federal law prohibits retroactive reduction of child support arrears.

Families navigating this process should contact a Georgia family law attorney to confirm the specific modification threshold and filing procedures that apply to their order.

Georgia has multiple enforcement mechanisms under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 to ensure child support is paid.

The most common tool is income withholding (wage garnishment), which is now mandatory for most new and modified child support orders. Under an income withholding order, the obligor's employer deducts the support amount directly from their paycheck and sends it to the state disbursement unit.

This approach removes the obligation from the paying parent's discretion and provides the custodial parent with reliable, timely payments.

When wage garnishment is insufficient or the obligor is self-employed, Georgia can pursue additional enforcement actions:

• Intercepting federal and state tax refunds
• Placing liens on real and personal property
• Suspending driver's licenses and professional or occupational licenses
• Denying or revoking passport applications for arrears exceeding $2,500
• Reporting delinquent obligors to credit bureaus

Each tool creates significant practical consequences that apply without a separate court hearing.

In severe cases, Georgia courts may hold a non-paying parent in contempt of court, which can result in fines, community service, or incarceration. Repeated willful failure to pay can lead to criminal prosecution under both state and federal law.

The Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act makes it a federal crime to willfully fail to pay child support for a child living in another state when the arrearage exceeds $5,000 or has been unpaid for more than one year. The federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSE) can assist custodial parents with enforcement at no cost.

To contact the Georgia child support program directly, use the OCSE state programs directory.

The amount of parenting time each parent exercises directly affects the child support calculation in Georgia. When the non-custodial parent has the child for a significant number of overnights — typically 25% or more of the year (approximately 92 overnights in many jurisdictions) — Georgia's guidelines under Income Shares model using both parents' adjusted gross income with the Georgia Basic Child Support Obligation table apply a shared-custody or parenting-time adjustment that reduces the non-custodial parent's obligation.

A parent who has the child more often incurs more direct expenses for housing, food, and daily needs, so the transfer payment to the other parent reflects that shared financial responsibility.

In cases where parents share custody equally (50/50), Georgia courts typically still calculate support based on the income differential between the parents. The higher-earning parent generally pays support to the lower-earning parent, even in a true 50/50 arrangement, because the child's standard of living should be roughly comparable in both households.

The amount is usually significantly lower than in a traditional custody arrangement as calculated under Income Shares model using both parents' adjusted gross income with the Georgia Basic Child Support Obligation table. Even small changes in the overnight count — such as moving from 120 to 128 overnights — can cross a threshold that triggers a meaningful change in the support calculation.

Use the Georgia Custody Time Calculator to track overnights precisely and determine which parenting time threshold applies to your schedule.

The Georgia child support calculator estimates child support under Georgia's Income Shares model using the child support guidelines administered by the Georgia Child Support Commission. The official Georgia child support calculator — made available by the Georgia Child Support Commission as the official calculator — lets parents enter basic information about both parents' incomes and the number of children for whom support is being determined to determine a presumptive amount under the BCSO table.

The Georgia Child Support Commission publishes official worksheets courts use, including the Basic Child Support Obligation (BCSO) table and the parenting time adjustment worksheet. Georgia's child support guidelines are updated periodically; the Georgia Child Support Commission website reflects the most current tables.

Child support in Georgia may deviate from the presumptive amount when the court finds a deviation factor under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(i).

Common deviation factors include extraordinary medical expenses, special educational needs, travel expenses for visitation, and the financial resources available to the child. The new parenting time adjustment under Georgia's SB 454 (effective July 2025) replaced the prior parenting time adjustment calculation — Georgia courts now use the updated parenting time adjustment when the noncustodial parent has 109 or more annual overnights.

The Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) administers the Georgia child support program and can assist custodial parents with establishing orders and enforcing payments.

This support calculator has been developed as a free estimation tool based on Georgia's Income Shares model under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15.

A final child support order is entered by the court after calculating the presumptive amount — child support can continue past the child turns 18 or graduates from high school if they are still enrolled in secondary school. The court may also extend support for children with special needs beyond the standard age cutoff.

When modifying child support in Georgia, either parent must demonstrate a substantial change in circumstances since the last order was entered. The court always considers the child's best interests when entering or modifying a child support order.

When seeking to modify child support in Georgia, either parent may file a petition and ask the court to recalculate support — filing with the court promptly matters because modifications generally take effect from the petition date. Income deduction orders (income withholding orders) are standard: the court may issue an income deduction order directing the employer to deduct support automatically so payments continue without the obligor acting each month.

Once the income deduction order is entered, the amount may vary slightly if income fluctuates, but the base obligation is fixed. The court has authority to adjust the presumptive amount upward or downward from the BCSO table based on deviation factors under O.C.G.A.

§ 19-6-15(i). Back to court is not required for routine enforcement through DCSS — custodial parents can create an account with the Georgia Division of Child Support Services to track payment history and request a modification review without returning to court.

Low-income parents may qualify for legal aid services in Georgia. Experienced family law attorneys — including Atlanta family law practitioners — can advise on recent changes to O.C.G.A.

§ 19-6-15 following the Senate Bill 454 amendments.