Child Support in Louisiana: How Payments Are Calculated and Enforced

How Is Child Support Calculated in Louisiana?

Child support is one of the most pressing financial issues in any Louisiana divorce or custody case involving minor children. Louisiana uses a specific statutory formula — known as the income shares model — to calculate child support, and understanding how it works can help you anticipate your obligations or entitlements and plan accordingly.

The Income Shares Model

Louisiana's child support guidelines are found in Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:315 through 9:315.20. The income shares model is based on the concept that a child should receive the same proportion of parental income that the child would have received if the parents had remained together. The key steps in calculating child support are:

1. Calculate each parent's gross monthly income. This includes wages, salaries, commissions, self-employment income, retirement benefits, rental income, and other sources of income.
2. Combine the parents' incomes to arrive at a total combined monthly income.
3. Consult the child support schedule (set out in La. R.S. 9:315.19) to find the basic child support obligation corresponding to the combined income and the number of children.
4. Each parent's share of the total child support obligation is proportional to their share of the combined income. The non-domiciliary parent typically pays their proportional share to the domiciliary parent.

Additional Expenses Added to Child Support

The basic child support amount may be adjusted upward to account for additional expenses, including:

• Work-related childcare costs;
• Health insurance premiums for the child;
• Extraordinary medical expenses;
• Costs of extracurricular activities agreed upon by the parties or ordered by the court.

Child Support in Shared Custody Arrangements

When parents share physical custody on a relatively equal basis, Louisiana law provides for an adjusted child support calculation under La. R.S. 9:315.8. The adjustment accounts for the fact that each parent is directly incurring expenses for the child during their respective custodial time, and reduces the transfer payment accordingly.

Modifying Child Support

A child support order can be modified when there has been a material change in circumstances since the original order was entered. Common bases for modification include:

• A significant change in either parent's income (increase or decrease);
• A change in the custody arrangement;
• A substantial change in the child's needs (e.g., extraordinary medical expenses); or
• The passage of three years and a resulting difference of 25% or more between the current order and the amount that would be awarded under the current guidelines.

Enforcement of Child Support in Louisiana

When a parent fails to pay court-ordered child support, Louisiana law provides robust enforcement tools, including:

• Income assignment (wage garnishment);
• Seizure and sale of the delinquent parent's property;
• Suspension of driver's and professional licenses;
• Interception of tax refunds;
• Contempt of court, which can result in fines or incarceration.

The Rhodes Law Firm helps parents across Southeast Louisiana — including Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles Parish, St. Tammany, Livingston, and surrounding parishes — establish, modify, and enforce child support orders. We are committed to ensuring that your children receive the financial support they deserve.

Call (504) 475-0975 or schedule a free consultation today.