Quick answer: In Alabama, each unpaid child support installment is a judgment that earns interest from its due date: 7.5% a year on judgments entered on or after September 1, 2011, and 12% or 6% on older ones. Partial payments go to principal first, then interest.
This Alabama child support arrears calculator adds up the unpaid principal and the simple interest on each installment under Ala. Code 8-8-10 and 8-8-11. A parent who is delinquent can ask a court to rebate interest after paying the past-due amount and 12 months of current support, but each person owed interest must agree in writing. Past-due support stays collectible after the child turns 19, and a parent who owes more than $2,500 can be certified for passport denial under federal law.
Alabama child support arrears and interest at a glance
| Rule | What Alabama says |
|---|---|
| Interest rate | 7.5% a year on judgments entered on or after Sept. 1, 2011 (Ala. Code 8-8-10) |
| Older judgments | 12% (Nov. 13, 1981 to Aug. 31, 2011) and 6% (before Nov. 13, 1981), per the Department of Human Resources |
| When interest starts | On each installment from its due date, because each is a judgment |
| Partial payments | Applied to principal first, then interest (Ala. Code 8-8-11) |
| Interest rebate | Only after paying past-due support and 12 months of current support, with written agreement of each person owed interest (Ala. Code 30-3-6.1) |
| After the child turns 19 | Arrears from minority, and the interest on them, can still be enforced (Ala. Code 30-3-60) |
How do child support arrears work in Alabama?
- Rates and method. See the Alabama child support interest rate.
- Collection. See what happens if you do not pay child support in Alabama.
- Time limits and forgiveness. See whether Alabama child support arrears expire or can be forgiven.
What does this arrears calculator check?
You enter the monthly support, the number of installments unpaid and when the judgment was entered. The calculator figures simple interest on each unpaid installment from its due date at the rate that applies, applies any payments to the oldest installments first, and shows the total. It does not model interest that ran on an installment before a payment covered it, a repayment agreement or fees; the official balance is the one the state or the clerk keeps. To change the amount going forward, see the Alabama child support modification calculator, and for when the obligation stops, the Alabama child support end date calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the interest rate on child support arrears in Alabama?
7.5% a year on judgments entered on or after September 1, 2011 (Ala. Code 8-8-10). The Department of Human Resources applies 12% to judgments entered between November 13, 1981 and August 31, 2011 and 6% to earlier ones.
Is Alabama child support interest compounded?
Section 8-8-10 sets a rate per annum for judgments and says nothing about compounding. This calculator uses simple interest on each unpaid installment from its due date.
How are partial payments applied to Alabama child support arrears?
To principal first and then to interest, under Ala. Code 8-8-11.
Can Alabama interest on child support arrears be waived?
A court can rebate interest only in the cases Ala. Code 30-3-6.1 allows: after the past-due amount, or 12 months of a repayment agreement, and 12 months of current support, with the written agreement of each person owed interest.
Do Alabama child support arrears end when the child turns 19?
No. Arrears that accrued during the child's minority, and the interest on them, can still be enforced afterward.
Official sources
- Ala. Code 8-8-10: interest on money judgments
- Ala. Code 8-8-11: application of partial payments
- Ala. Code 30-3-6.1: rebate of interest on delinquent child support
- Ala. Code 30-3-60: definitions, including post-majority enforcement of arrearages
- Alabama Department of Human Resources: interest rates on child support judgments
- 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(9): support installments are judgments