Louisiana Family Law – Child Support in Louisiana
As with most states, child support in Louisiana is not a one-sided arrangement. State law requires that both parents contribute to the physical, mental, emotional, financial and educational well-being of children that resulted from the relationship. In general, the non-custodial parent, defined as the parent who spends less than one-half of their time with the children, carries the responsibility of making child support payments. The parent that retains custody of the child is also responsible for child support. However, the law assumes that the custodial parent already spends the requisite amount directly on the children.
Guidelines for Child Support in Louisiana
The Louisiana Child Support Guidelines serve as a starting point for determining payment amounts. These guidelines provide a fee schedule for child support in Louisiana derived from the non-custodial parent’s income level and number of children resulting from the marriage or relationship. The fee schedule outlines the standard amount of child support that must be shared between the parents in proportion to their individual income levels.
Gross Income for Child Support in Louisiana
Several factors go into calculating payments for child support in Louisiana. The primary factor is the non-custodial parent’s adjusted gross income. Gross income includes wages, salary, sales commission, and pension benefits for working parents. Unemployed parents must include unemployment benefits, disability benefits and worker’s compensation payments when calculating gross income. Any outstanding child support or alimony payments are deducted from gross income to give the adjusted gross income amount.
Custody and Child Support in Louisiana
Louisiana law recognizes three different types of child custody: sole, split and shared. Each custody type determines the amount and payments made for child support in Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services provides two worksheets that parents can fill out to determine the amounts for child support payments. Parents in a sole custody or split custody case fill in their income information in Worksheet A, while those in a shared custody case complete Worksheet B. These worksheets give the parents an accurate estimate on child support payments, but the family law judge determines the final amounts.
Changes to Child Support in Louisiana
Due to changes in the financial landscape attributable to damages from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, many Louisianans suffered devastating losses to jobs, property and other assets. These damages have inhibited the abilities of many parents to pay their child support in Louisiana. Attorneys can advise family law judges to consider changing child support payment orders to reflect these incidents. These changes allow the affected parents to meet their obligations without adding a further financial burden.
For more information about child support in Louisiana, call us today at 1-888-CLAIM-68 (1-888-252-4668). A knowledgeable and friendly member of our intake staff will conduct an initial interview about your case. We will take down your answers connect you with the attorney that is most helpful in working on your specific case. You can also complete the “Free Case Evaluation” form located at the top of this page.