The Georgia Low-Income Adjustment
If a Georgia parent’s monthly adjusted gross income is below the top of the low-income adjustment table for the number of children, his or her obligation is the lesser of the presumptive amount and the table amount, which is 19% to 28% of income at $1,500 or less.
The rule
When a parent’s monthly adjusted gross income, for the number of children in the case, is less than the highest amount shown in the low-income adjustment table, that parent’s child support obligation is the lesser of his or her presumptive amount and the amount from the table (O.C.G.A. 19-6-15(i.1)). The official calculator makes the comparison automatically. The adjustment replaced the former low-income deviation on January 1, 2026.
The caps
At or below $1,500 of monthly adjusted gross income the cap is a percentage of income: 19% for one child, 24% for two, 25% for three, 26% for four, 27% for five and 28% for six. Between $1,550 and $3,950 the table lists a dollar cap in $50 steps, for example $295 at $1,550 for one child and $381 at $2,000. The table stops at $2,450 for one child, $2,950 for two, $3,350 for three, $3,550 for four, $3,750 for five and $3,950 for six, and above those incomes the adjustment does not apply.
An example
The father has $1,600 of gross monthly income, the mother $400, and they have one child with no court-ordered parenting time. The combined income of $2,000 gives a basic obligation of $390.00 and the father’s pro rata share of 80.00% is $312.00. The low-income adjustment table limits a parent with $1,600 of income and one child to $304.00, so the father pays $304.00 a month.
Who it applies to
It applies to the paying parent, whether that parent is the noncustodial or, after a parenting time adjustment, the custodial parent. It compares that parent’s own adjusted gross income with the table, not the combined income.
Rows between the table’s steps
The table lists incomes in $50 steps and the statute does not say how to read an income that falls between two rows. The calculator uses the nearest row and says so; the official calculator is the authority for the exact figure.
Questions to bring to an attorney
Ask whether the paying parent’s income is below the table’s top row for your number of children, and whether the court is likely to deviate in addition to the adjustment.
Try it
Enter a low income for the paying parent in the Georgia child support calculator and see the low-income adjustment line appear.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Georgia low-income adjustment?
A limit on the obligation of a parent with a low income: the lesser of the presumptive amount and the amount from the low-income adjustment table.
What percentages cap Georgia low-income child support?
19% of income for one child, 24% for two, 25% for three, 26% for four, 27% for five and 28% for six, at $1,500 a month or less.
When does the Georgia low-income adjustment stop applying?
When the parent's monthly adjusted gross income reaches the top of the table for the number of children: $2,450 for one child, up to $3,950 for six.
Did Georgia keep the low-income deviation?
No. It was replaced by the low-income adjustment effective January 1, 2026.
Does the Georgia low-income adjustment use combined income?
No. It compares the paying parent's own adjusted gross income with the table.
Official sources
- O.C.G.A. 19-6-15, effective January 1, 2026 (Georgia Child Support Commission)
- Georgia Basic Child Support Obligation table (Child Support Commission)
- Commission guide: Parenting Time Adjustment and Low-Income Adjustment
- Georgia Child Support Calculator (official)
A local family law attorney can review your situation — many offer a free consultation.
This is general information, not legal advice. It is based on the cited Georgia statutes, rules and court opinions, and every case turns on its own facts. Confirm how the law applies to your situation with a licensed Georgia attorney.