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Arkansas Child Support Calculator
Estimate Arkansas child support under Administrative Order 10: combined gross income, the Family Support Chart, child care and health insurance, the $125 minimum order and the equal-time offset.
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How to Use the Arkansas Child Support Calculator
Enter what you know and press Calculate Estimate. The calculator adds both parents' gross incomes, reads the Family Support Chart and shows every step of the worksheet.
- Enter each parent's gross monthly income as Parent A and Parent B. Arkansas uses gross income, so you do not need to work out taxes.
- Choose the number of children and the parent the children live with most of the time.
- Add monthly work-related child care and the child's health insurance premium, and say which parent pays them.
- If the parents share approximately equal time, tick the equal-time box. If the paying parent has the children 141 or more overnights a year, enter that number to see a note about the court's adjustment.
Your numbers are sent with the form, not placed in the page address, and this site does not store them. The result is a planning estimate; an Arkansas court decides the actual amount.
New Arkansas Child Support Laws and Changes for 2026
Looking for new child support laws in Arkansas for 2026? The current guidelines are Administrative Order No. 10, whose income shares Family Support Chart has been required for orders entered after June 30, 2020. The Arkansas Judiciary's guidelines page still lists the chart "required July 1, 2020" with a $900 self-support reserve and a $125 minimum order, and as of this review we did not find a newer chart. This calculator follows that chart.
Check the Arkansas Judiciary website for later updates. A guideline change does not automatically change an existing order.
How Arkansas Calculates Child Support Under Administrative Order 10
Arkansas sets child support with Administrative Order No. 10, issued by the Arkansas Supreme Court. For orders entered after June 30, 2020, the guidelines use an income shares model: the chart shows the basic amount two parents with that combined income would spend on their children, and each parent pays their share. The worksheet follows these steps:
- Gross income. Each parent's gross monthly income is used "to avoid disputes over issues of deductibility". The definition is broad (wages, bonuses, self-employment earnings, many benefits, interest and dividends) and excludes means-tested benefits such as TANF and SSI.
- Deductions. Current court-ordered child support for other children is subtracted from gross income. Arrears payments are not.
- Combine the two incomes and work out each parent's percentage share.
- Basic obligation. Read it from the Family Support Chart for the combined income and number of children, then multiply by each parent's share.
- Additional expenses. The child's health insurance, extraordinary medical expenses and work-related child care are added and split by income share.
- Credit. The paying parent is credited with additional expenses they pay directly.
- Presumed order. The result is the presumed order, rounded down to the nearest whole dollar.
This calculator follows that worksheet. The chart has rows every $50, so it uses the row nearest to your combined income; the court's own tools may pick the row slightly differently, which can change the result by a few dollars.
Arkansas Family Support Chart: Sample Amounts
The chart gives the basic child support obligation for each level of combined gross monthly income. A few rows are shown below. This is the amount before each parent's share, additional expenses and credits.
| Combined gross monthly income | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children | 4 children | 5 children | 6 children |
|---|
| $1,100 | $140 | $142 | $144 | $146 | $148 | $150 |
| $1,150 | $175 | $178 | $180 | $183 | $185 | $188 |
| $1,200 | $203 | $213 | $216 | $219 | $222 | $225 |
| $1,250 | $211 | $249 | $252 | $256 | $259 | $263 |
| $30,000 | $1,952 | $2,660 | $3,145 | $3,513 | $3,866 | $4,202 |
The chart starts at a minimum of $125 for combined income up to $1,050, then rises in $50 steps to $30,000, with columns for one to six children.
Self-Support Reserve ($900) and the $125 Minimum Order
Administrative Order 10 protects very low-income parents with a self-support reserve of $900 a month and a presumptive minimum order of $125 a month. When the paying parent's gross monthly income is under $900, the $125 minimum applies unless a party rebuts it by a preponderance of the evidence.
In the shaded cells of the chart, the order is calculated using only the paying parent's income, and health insurance, extraordinary medical and child care costs are not added to the total (either parent can still raise those costs as a reason to deviate). The calculator applies the $125 minimum automatically. The plain chart does not show which cells are shaded, so for low combined incomes check the official chart.
Arkansas Child Support Examples
Example 1: The Order's own sample
Payor earns $2,000 a month and payee $1,000. Combined income is $3,000, and the chart gives $469 for one child. The payor's share is 66.67%: $312.67. The payor pays a $100 health insurance premium and the payee pays $200 of child care. The payor's share of the $300 expenses is $200, so the total is $512.67, less the $100 credit: $412 a month (rounded down).
Example 2: Same incomes, no extra expenses
Only the basic share applies: $469 × 66.67% = $312.67, or $312 a month.
Example 3: Payor under the self-support reserve
The payor earns $800 a month. Because that is under $900, the presumptive minimum order of $125 a month applies unless rebutted.
Example 4: Two children, high income
Parent A earns $10,000 and Parent B $20,000 (combined $30,000). The chart gives $2,660 for two children. Parent B's share is 66.67%: $1,773 a month, before additional expenses.
Example 5: Approximately equal time
Same incomes as Example 1, one child. Each parent completes the worksheet: Parent A's share is $156.33 and Parent B's is $312.67. The smaller is offset against the larger, so Parent B pays $156 a month (rounded down).
Examples 1 and 2 use the worked sample in the Order's forms addendum; the others are illustrations, not court rulings.
Arkansas Child Support With 50/50 or Joint Custody
If you are looking for an Arkansas child support calculator for joint custody, Administrative Order 10 treats shared time in two ways:
- Approximately equal time. Both parents complete the worksheet, and the smaller obligation is offset against the larger. The parent with the larger obligation pays the difference, and the court may deviate after considering the Order's factors. Tick the equal-time box in the calculator to see this offset.
- Less than equal time, but 141 or more overnights with the payor. The guidelines assume the payor has the children fewer than 141 overnights a year. At 141 or more, the court may adjust the worksheet amount, considering the time spent with the payor, the difference in the parents' incomes (more weight when the gap is under 20%) and who pays most fixed costs such as clothing, activities and school supplies. The adjustment is discretionary, so the calculator shows the unadjusted amount and a note.
- Split custody. When each parent has sole custody of at least one child, a worksheet is completed for each arrangement and the obligations are offset. This calculator does not estimate split custody.
Child Care, Health Insurance and Medical Costs in Arkansas
- Work-related child care incurred for employment or looking for employment is added to the worksheet if it is reasonable and not more than the level needed for quality care from a licensed provider.
- Health insurance is considered reasonable if the cost of dependent coverage is no more than 5% of the covering parent's gross income. Only the employee's share of the premium counts; if the cost of adding the child cannot be verified, the total premium is divided by the number of people covered and multiplied by the number of children.
- Extraordinary medical expenses, such as orthodontia, dental treatment, asthma treatment, physical therapy and some counseling, can be added.
The calculator includes child care and the health insurance premium. It does not include extraordinary medical expenses.
Income Above the Chart and Other Situations
- Above $30,000 combined. The highest chart amount is used, and the court may set a higher amount to meet the child's needs and the parent's ability to pay.
- Imputed income. If a parent is unemployed or underemployed, the Order looks at potential income.
- Deviations. A court may depart from the worksheet amount only with a written finding that it is unjust or inappropriate, considering factors such as education, insurance, travel and special needs.
What This Arkansas Estimate Does Not Include
- Support already ordered for other children, which reduces gross income.
- Extraordinary medical expenses and any court deviations.
- The court's 141-overnight adjustment and split custody calculations.
- Alimony. People search for an "alimony and child support calculator for Arkansas"; this tool estimates child support only.
- Arrears, interest and modification of an existing order.
The Arkansas courts also publish their own child support calculator, linked below.
Arkansas Child Support Terms
- Payor
- The parent who pays support (the parent with fewer overnights).
- Payee
- The parent who receives support.
- Family Support Chart
- The table of basic obligations by combined gross monthly income and number of children.
- Income shares
- Each parent pays the percentage of the basic obligation that matches their share of combined income.
- Self-support reserve
- The $900 monthly gross income level below which the minimum order applies.
- Presumed order
- The worksheet result, rounded down to a whole dollar.
Frequently Asked Questions About Arkansas Child Support
Is this the official Arkansas child support calculator?
No. ChildSupportCalculator.xyz is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the state or any court. It follows Administrative Order No. 10 and the Family Support Chart. The Arkansas courts publish their own calculator, linked in the resources below.
How is child support calculated in Arkansas?
Each parent's gross monthly income is combined, the basic obligation is read from the Family Support Chart, each parent pays their income percentage of it, health insurance, extraordinary medical and child care costs are added and shared, and the paying parent receives a credit for expenses they pay. The result is rounded down.
Does Arkansas use gross or net income?
Gross income. The Order uses gross income to avoid disputes over deductions. The main deduction is court-ordered support currently paid for other children.
What is the Arkansas child support minimum order?
$125 a month. When the paying parent's gross monthly income is under $900, a presumptive minimum order of $125 applies unless a party rebuts it with evidence.
How does 50/50 or joint custody affect child support in Arkansas?
For approximately equal time, both parents complete the worksheet and the smaller obligation is offset against the larger. If the payor has 141 or more overnights but less than equal time, the court may adjust the amount case by case.
How many overnights are needed for a support adjustment in Arkansas?
The guidelines assume the payor has the children fewer than 141 overnights a year. At 141 or more, the court may adjust the worksheet amount.
What is the highest income on the Arkansas chart?
$30,000 of combined gross monthly income. Above that, the highest chart amount is used, and the court may set a higher amount.
Does Arkansas child support include child care and health insurance?
Yes. Work-related child care and the child's health insurance premium are added to the worksheet and shared by income. Health insurance is considered reasonable if it costs no more than 5% of the covering parent's gross income.
Is this calculator the same as the Arkansas worksheet?
It follows the same lines (income shares, basic obligation, additional expenses, credit, rounding down), but the court's worksheet is the official form. Your actual order may differ because of deviations, other children or extraordinary medical costs.
Does this Arkansas calculator include alimony, arrears or modification?
No. It estimates a new guideline amount only. Alimony, past-due support and modification depend on your case; check with the court or an attorney.
Are there new child support laws in Arkansas in 2026?
The current guidelines are Administrative Order No. 10 with the Family Support Chart required since July 1, 2020. We did not find a newer chart as of this review. Check the Arkansas Judiciary for updates.
Official Arkansas Child Support Resources
Published: October 4, 2026
Last reviewed: October 12, 2026
Researched and reviewed by Eric John, founder and editor, using official state statutes and guidance. How we build and check our calculators · Corrections
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