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Georgia child support: the 2024 table and the 2026 parenting time adjustment

Georgia rebuilt its child support guideline in two stages under Senate Bill 454. A new Basic Child Support Obligation table, the first since 2006, took effect July 1, 2024. On January 1, 2026, two former judge-by-judge deviations became mandatory worksheet steps: a parenting time adjustment that raises each parent's days to the 2.5 power, and a low-income adjustment table.

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At a glance

ModelIncome shares on combined monthly adjusted gross income, O.C.G.A. 19-6-15
BCSO tableIn effect since July 1, 2024; combined income up to $40,000 a month (was $30,000)
Parenting timeMandatory adjustment since January 1, 2026 for court-ordered parenting time: each parent's days raised to the 2.5 power
Low incomeLow-income adjustment table since January 1, 2026; at or below $1,500 a month, 19% of income for one child up to 28% for six
Add-onsHealth insurance premiums and work-related child care are part of the presumptive amount; uninsured health costs are split pro rata
Support endsAt the age of majority; a court may order support for a child still in secondary school, but not past 20
ModificationSubstantial change in either parent's income and financial status or the child's needs; generally once every two years per parent

From gross income to the presumptive amount

Georgia starts from gross income from any source, before taxes: salaries, commissions, fees and tips, self-employment income, bonuses, overtime, severance and the other categories listed in 19-6-15(f). Adjusted gross income then reflects preexisting support orders and, where the court allows, a theoretical support order for qualified children: a parent's own children who live with them and are actually supported but are not covered by another order. Stepchildren do not qualify.

The two adjusted incomes are added and looked up on the Basic Child Support Obligation table in 19-6-15(o), which now runs to $40,000 a month; above that, the court may grant a high-income deviation. The basic obligation is split by income share, and the presumptive amount includes each parent's pro rata share of health insurance premiums and work-related child care, projected over the next 12 months and averaged. Child care for a job search or training can count when it benefits the child. Each step is entered on a schedule of the Child Support Worksheet, and the Commission's online calculator fills them in.

Worked example: Georgia

  1. Parent A, the noncustodial parent, has $6,000 a month in adjusted gross income and Parent B, the custodial parent, has $4,000: $10,000 combined.
  2. The table effective July 1, 2024 lists $1,906 for two children at $10,000. Its top row, $40,000, lists $4,736 for two children.
  3. Parent A's pro rata share is 60%, or $1,144; Parent B's is 40%, or $762.
  4. Without court-ordered parenting time, Parent A would owe $1,144 a month ($13,728 a year) before insurance and child care.
  5. With 120 court-ordered days a year to Parent B's 245, the 2.5-power formula on Schedule C lowers Parent A's obligation to about $870 a month, $274 less.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Figures are rounded to the dollar and leave out the insurance, childcare, and other adjustments your case may have. Try your own numbers in CoreParent's calculator, then confirm with the state's official calculator.

How the 2026 parenting time adjustment works

The formula in 19-6-15(g) uses only court-ordered parenting time. Raise the noncustodial parent's days to the 2.5 power and multiply by the custodial parent's dollar share; raise the custodial parent's days to the 2.5 power and multiply by the noncustodial parent's share; subtract the second from the first and divide by the sum of the two powered day counts. Added to the noncustodial parent's share, that gives the Schedule C adjustment. Because days are raised to a power, a few extra days matter little at low counts and much more as the schedule approaches equal, and there is no threshold or cliff.

Days are an annual average over a two-year period, counted as overnights, or, for regular daytime time, total hours divided by 24. With several children on different schedules, the days are averaged. At equal time the parent with the lesser obligation is treated as custodial, and the result in the example is about $191 a month; when the custodial parent earns more, the adjustment can even make that parent the payer.

Uninsured health costs and deviations

Uninsured health care expenses (copays, deductibles, orthodontia, dental, asthma treatment, physical therapy, vision care, counseling, and other medical or mental health costs insurance does not pay) are not part of the monthly figure; the parents split them pro rata unless the court orders otherwise. If a parent does not pay their share, the other parent can enforce it, and child support services will pursue it once reduced to a judgment. Any deviation from the presumptive amount needs written findings explaining why the guideline would be unjust and how the deviation serves the child, and it cannot leave the custodial home unable to provide basic necessities. Since July 2024, VA disability benefits paid for the child on the noncustodial parent's record offset that parent's support.

The low-income adjustment table

Since January 1, 2026, if a parent's own monthly adjusted gross income is below the top of the low-income adjustment table for the number of children, that parent's obligation is the lesser of the presumptive amount and the table amount; the calculator makes the comparison automatically. At or below $1,500 a month, the table sets support at 19% of income for one child, 24% for two, 25% for three, 26% for four, 27% for five and 28% for six, with fixed dollar amounts above that in $50 steps. This replaced the old low-income deviation, which a judge had to choose to apply.

Age limits, modification, and involuntary income loss

Support runs to the age of majority. A court may also order support for a child who has not married or been emancipated, is enrolled in and attending secondary school, and reached majority before finishing, but not after the child turns 20.

A parent can petition to modify only on a substantial change in either parent's income and financial status or in the child's needs, and generally not within two years of a final order on that same parent's previous petition. The exceptions are a noncustodial parent who is not using, or is using more than, the court-ordered parenting time, and an involuntary loss of income of 25% or more, such as a layoff, an extended cut in hours, a loss of health or incarceration; in that case the portion of support tied to the lost income stops accruing from the date the petition is served. Child Support Services in the Georgia Department of Human Services enforces orders.

Documents you will need

Georgia child support FAQ

What changed in Georgia child support in 2026?

From January 1, 2026, the parenting time adjustment and the low-income adjustment table are mandatory parts of the calculation instead of discretionary deviations. The new BCSO table, up to $40,000 of combined monthly income, has applied since July 1, 2024.

How is the Georgia parenting time adjustment calculated?

Each parent's court-ordered days are raised to the 2.5 power and used to weight the other parent's dollar share. In our example, 120 days with Parent A brings Parent A's obligation from $1,144 to about $870 a month.

Do you pay child support with 50/50 custody in Georgia?

Often yes, if incomes differ. With equal days the formula leaves the higher earner paying half the difference between the two parents' shares, about $191 a month in our 60/40 example.

Is Georgia child support based on gross or net income?

Gross. The BCSO table is applied to combined adjusted gross income, which starts from income before taxes, adjusted for preexisting orders and any qualified children.

When does child support end in Georgia?

At the age of majority, unless the court orders support for a child still attending secondary school, which cannot continue past age 20.

Next steps

Sources

Verified against these official sources in October 2026:

Child support in every other state

All states

This is general educational information, not legal advice, and official figures change. Last verified: October 2026. Consult a licensed family-law attorney in Georgia.