Child Support

The judge will use the Louisiana child support guidelines to determine the amount of support that should be paid. The guidelines are based on things like the income of both parents and the number of children to be supported. The amount suggested by the guidelines is known as the “basic child support obligation.”¹ You can read the guidelines on the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services page.

However, the judge can choose to order a higher or lower basic child support obligation than the guidelines suggest if either of the following is true:

• the amount the guidelines suggest is not in the best interests of the child; or
• the amount the guidelines suggest would not be fair to the parents.²

In addition to the basic child support obligation, the child support order will also include the following costs:

• net child care costs;
• the cost of health insurance premiums;
• extraordinary medical expenses; and
• other extraordinary expenses.³

The Department of Children and Family Services has provided a child support estimator to help you figure out how much support a judge might order in your situation. If you’d like to talk to an attorney for advice, please visit our LA Finding a Lawyer page.

¹ LA R.S. § 9:315.2(D)
² LA R.S. § 9:315.1(B)(1)
³ LA R.S. § 9:315.8(A)