How Louisiana calculates child support
- Each parent’s monthly gross income is reduced by child support and spousal support they owe under an order to someone who is not a party to this case.
- The parents’ combined adjusted income and the number of children give the basic obligation from the schedule in R.S. 9:315.19 (effective January 1, 2025), extrapolated between the $50 rows. The schedule builds in a self-sufficiency reserve for low-income parents.
- Net child care costs, the children’s health insurance premiums and agreed or ordered extraordinary medical and other expenses are added, and the total is shared by income percentage. The parent the children do not live with pays their share, less what they pay directly for those costs (Worksheet A).
- With shared custody (approximately equal time), the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5, each parent’s share is multiplied by the percentage of time the children spend with the other parent, expenses are shared, and the parent who owes more pays the difference (Worksheet B).
What the calculator asks
- How many children is the support for?
- Who do the children live with?
- What percentage of the time are the children with you?
- Your gross income per month
- Child support you pay each month under an order for other children
- Spousal support you pay each month under an earlier order
- The other parent’s gross income per month
- Child support the other parent pays each month under an order for other children
- Spousal support the other parent pays each month under an earlier order
- Net child care costs you pay each month
- Health insurance premium you pay for the children each month
- Extraordinary medical expenses you pay each month
- Other extraordinary expenses you pay each month
- Net child care costs the other parent pays each month
- Health insurance premium the other parent pays for the children each month
- Extraordinary medical expenses the other parent pays each month
- Other extraordinary expenses the other parent pays each month
- Do the children have income of their own, such as Social Security benefits from a parent’s earnings?
It never asks for names, Social Security numbers or account numbers, and your answers are not saved.
What the estimate leaves out
- Combined adjusted incomes below $1,050 or above $50,000 a month, and more than six children
- Split custody, where each parent is the domiciliary parent of a different child
- The credit a court may give a non-domiciliary parent with more than 73 days under a joint custody order
- Income of the child, including Social Security benefits credited to a parent
- The federal child care credit: enter child care costs net of that credit
- Deviations the court may make (R.S. 9:315.1), including for other children in a parent’s household
When a situation is outside what the calculator covers, it says so and points you to the official worksheet instead of guessing.
Official sources
- La. R.S. 9:315.19, schedule of basic child support obligations (Acts 2024, No. 86, effective January 1, 2025)
- La. R.S. 9:315.20, Obligation Worksheets A and B
- La. R.S. 9:315, economic data, principles and definitions
- La. R.S. 9:315.8, total child support obligation (Worksheet A)
- La. R.S. 9:315.9, shared custody (Worksheet B)
- La. R.S. 9:315.13, amounts between, below or above the schedule
- HB 773 of the 2024 Regular Session (Act 86), enrolled
Louisiana Obligation Worksheets A and B (La. R.S. 9:315.20) →
Ready to estimate? The calculator shows each worksheet line so you can check it against the official form.
Open the Louisiana calculator →An estimate from the published guideline formula, not a prediction of a court order. The official court worksheet and the court’s decision control. General information, not legal advice. LawCat is not a law firm.