Our Blog

How Is Child Support Calculated In Alabama?

• August 16, 2021
• Cloud, Ryan & Rouse, LLC
• LEAVE A COMMENT

Partners or spouses splitting can be very heartbreaking, especially if children factor into the equation. Parents face many legal determinations regarding children when they break up, including child support. Seek help from a Huntsville child support attorney. 

Every parent in Alabama has the legal responsibility to provide financial support for their child, and this is true whether parents are married, in a relationship, or living apart. Child support is a system designed to provide children with the material support that they would’ve had if the family had remained together. It is paid in monthly installments by one parent – often the non-custodial parent – to the other when deemed necessary by the courts. 

Calculating the exact amount of such child support can be a complicated and, sometimes, contentious undertaking, and not one you should handle alone. Find out the process that goes into calculating the amount of child support in Alabama, and why you should approach that process with the assistance of a trusted Huntsville child support attorney.

Factors That Go Into Calculating Child Support

A wide range of variables will affect the amount of child support that the non-custodial parent is required to provide. Those variables include:

1. The number of children
2. Each parent’s income
3. Daycare, health insurance, and other childcare expenses
4. Any alimony or child support expenses from prior marriages

The state provides guidelines for factoring in these variables to determine how much child support – if any – should be ordered. This does not always result in a fair amount, however, as each situation is different. You always want your child support attorney to review any calculations to make sure they are fair given the circumstances.

Child Support Calculations Might Stray from the Guidelines 

The guidelines provided by Alabama law generally provide a fair amount of child support given the situation. There are some circumstances, though, that might justify straying from these guidelines. These include:

1. A showing that the guidelines would result in an unjust support order
2. One parent has extraordinary costs related to the child’s transportation to comply with the visitation schedule
3. The parent who would pay support has much greater custodial rights than the other
4. One parent has income that would justify a much higher support award than the guidelines would provide for
5. Any other circumstance that leads a judge to find that a different child support amount is supported by the evidence

Another option is for parents to come to a fair and reasonable agreement regarding child support that the court approves. You should never agree to a support order without your attorney first reviewing it to ensure it is in line with your rights. Our legal team regularly helps clients with child support determinations, whether you reach an out-of-court agreement or need to take the matter before a judge. 

Choose Our Huntsville Child Support Attorneys for Your Case

If you need assistance with a child support case or any other family law matter, look no further than our legal team at Cloud, Ryan & Rouse, LLC. We help clients in all different types of situations, so please use our online contact form or call us at 256-289-7287 to set up your appointment today.