How is child support calculated in Louisiana?

Louisiana child support is governed by La. R.S. §§ 9:315 to 9:315.47, the Louisiana Child Support Guidelines, an Income Shares model.

1. Income Shares Calculation (R.S. § 9:315.2)

Determine each parent's monthly gross income (R.S. § 9:315(C)(3)) — salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, dividends, severance, pensions, Social Security, workers' comp, unemployment, prizes, gifts. Excludes means-tested public assistance.

Subtract allowable adjustments — preexisting child support actually paid, spousal support actually paid.

Combine adjusted gross incomes.

Read the Basic Child Support Obligation from the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations at R.S. § 9:315.19.

Add net childcare costs (R.S. § 9:315.3), health insurance premium for the child (R.S. § 9:315.4), extraordinary medical (R.S. § 9:315.5), expenses of school, and transportation expenses for the child.

Pro rate by each parent's income share.

2. Joint Custody Formula (R.S. § 9:315.8)

When joint custody is awarded, the court considers physical custody arrangements and may adjust support. Shared custody under R.S. § 9:315.9 applies when each parent has the child for approximately equal time:

Calculate as if sole custody.

Multiply by 1.5.

Each parent pays their share for the time the other parent has the child.

The lower amount is subtracted from the higher → that's the net obligation.

3. Split Custody (R.S. § 9:315.10)

When each parent has primary custody of at least one of the children, separate calculations are run.

4. Duration (La. C.C. art. 224 and La. R.S. § 9:315.22)

Support continues until the child:

Reaches age 18, OR

Reaches age 19 if attending secondary school full-time, OR

For a mentally or physically disabled child, indefinitely (R.S. § 9:315.22(D)).

There is no general post-secondary educational support obligation.

5. Income Cap

The Schedule extends to combined adjusted gross of $40,000/month. Above that, the court determines support on a case-by-case basis considering the child's needs and the standard of living.

6. Modification (R.S. § 9:311)

Modification requires a material change in circumstances. A statutory rebuttable presumption of material change exists when guideline recalculation produces a difference of 25% or more from the existing order (or the order is more than 3 years old). DCFS conducts periodic Title IV-D reviews.

7. Imputation of Income (R.S. § 9:315.11)

Voluntary unemployment/underemployment allows imputed income equal to the parent's income earning potential, unless the parent is physically/mentally incapacitated or caring for a child of the parties under age 5.

8. Deviation (R.S. § 9:315.1)

The guideline amount is presumed proper. Deviation requires specific written findings — extraordinary medical, special-needs child, very high or low income, or other circumstances making strict application not in the child's best interest.

This is legal information, not legal advice.