Quick answer: Louisiana uses the income shares model of R.S. 9:315 and following. Each parent’s adjusted gross income (gross income less preexisting child or spousal support paid under an order to someone else) is combined, and the basic child support obligation is found in the statutory schedule (R.S. 9:315.19) for the number of children, in rows every $50 from $1,050 to $50,000. Net child care, the children’s health insurance premium and extraordinary expenses are added to get the total obligation, which is divided by income share. The nondomiciliary parent owes his or her share, less what he or she pays directly. With shared custody, the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5 and each parent’s amount is cross-multiplied by the other parent’s time.
How the Louisiana worksheets work
- Adjusted gross income. Gross income less preexisting support paid. See add-ons, income and deviations.
- Basic obligation. The schedule amount, with an extrapolation between rows.
- Total obligation. Add child care, insurance and extraordinary expenses; subtract the child’s income.
- Shares. Each parent pays his or her income percentage of the total.
- Shared custody. Worksheet B. See shared custody.
The full walk-through, with a worked example, is in how Louisiana calculates child support.
What this calculator checks
The schedule was read from the statute row by row ($1,050 to $50,000, one to six children) and the engine follows Worksheets A and B of R.S. 9:315.20. The joint custody credit for more than 73 days, deviations and imputed income are not included, and the guideline amount is a rebuttable presumption.
Child support across Louisiana
The guidelines apply in every Louisiana district court, from New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, Lake Charles or Metairie. Louisiana has parishes instead of counties, and child support is a continuous obligation of both parents.
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in Louisiana?
Combined adjusted gross income is looked up in the schedule in R.S. 9:315.19 for the number of children, add-ons are included, and each parent pays a share by income; the nondomiciliary parent pays his or her share less direct payments.
What is shared custody for Louisiana child support?
Each parent has physical custody for about an equal amount of time. The basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5, divided by income, and cross-multiplied by the other parent's time.
What is the top of the Louisiana child support schedule?
$50,000 of combined monthly adjusted gross income. Above that the court uses its discretion but never awards less than the highest amount on the schedule.
What happens between two rows of the Louisiana schedule?
The basic obligation is an extrapolation between the two amounts shown.
Is the Louisiana guideline amount presumed correct?
Yes, it is a rebuttable presumption, and a deviation requires specific reasons in the best interest of the child or because the guideline would be inequitable.