How to Use the Louisiana Child Support Calculator
Enter what you know and press Calculate Estimate. The calculator follows the Louisiana child support guidelines in R.S. 9:315 to 9:315.20, using the schedule in R.S. 9:315.19 that took effect on January 1, 2025.
- Enter each parent's gross monthly income as Parent A and Parent B.
- Choose the number of children and the domiciliary parent (the parent the children live with most of the time).
- If the parents have shared custody (approximately equal time), tick the shared custody box. You can enter the other parent's overnights for the actual time split, or leave it at 0 for 50/50.
- Add monthly net child care (after the federal child care tax credit) and the child's health insurance premium, and say which parent pays them.
Your numbers are sent with the form, not placed in the page address, and this site does not store them. This is a planning estimate. A Louisiana court decides the actual amount.
Louisiana Child Support Laws and Changes for 2026
Looking for new child support laws in Louisiana for 2026? The current schedule of basic child support obligations was enacted by HB 773 (Acts 2024, No. 86) and has applied since January 1, 2025. It runs from $1,050 to $50,000 of combined adjusted monthly gross income (the earlier 2021 schedule stopped at $40,000).
Other recent changes: the former $100 mandatory minimum award was repealed effective January 1, 2024, and Acts 2024, No. 448 (also effective January 1, 2025) changed the rules on deviations and on imputing income when there is no evidence of a parent's income. We found no newer change to the schedule as of October 2026. This page will be updated if the law changes.
A change in the guidelines does not automatically change an existing order. A parent generally has to ask the court to modify it.
How Louisiana Calculates Child Support
Louisiana uses an income shares model based on gross income. Obligation Worksheet A in R.S. 9:315.20 works like this:
- Lines 1-3: each parent's monthly gross income, minus preexisting child or spousal support paid, gives the adjusted gross income. The two are added together.
- Line 4: each parent's percentage share of the combined income.
- Line 5: the basic obligation from the schedule. When income falls between two lines, the amount is extrapolated between them.
- Lines 5a-5e: add net child care, the child's health insurance premium and agreed or ordered extraordinary expenses, and subtract any deduction for the child's income.
- Lines 6-9: the total is multiplied by each parent's share. The non-domiciliary parent pays their share, minus costs they pay directly.
The guideline amount is a rebuttable presumption. A court can deviate when applying it would not be in the child's best interest or would be inequitable to the parties.
The Louisiana Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations
The schedule in R.S. 9:315.19 runs in $50 steps of combined adjusted monthly gross income, from $1,050 to $50,000, for one to six children. These are sample lines:
| Combined adjusted monthly gross income | One child | Two children | Three children |
|---|
| $1,500 | $310 | $375 | $379 |
| $2,000 | $402 | $617 | $735 |
| $3,000 | $582 | $894 | $1,089 |
| $4,000 | $761 | $1,167 | $1,421 |
| $5,000 | $933 | $1,426 | $1,730 |
| $6,000 | $1,054 | $1,609 | $1,951 |
| $8,000 | $1,210 | $1,845 | $2,234 |
| $10,000 | $1,362 | $2,053 | $2,458 |
| $15,000 | $1,767 | $2,636 | $3,121 |
| $20,000 | $2,125 | $3,149 | $3,702 |
| $30,000 | $2,637 | $3,960 | $4,722 |
| $40,000 | $3,147 | $4,695 | $5,561 |
| $50,000 | $3,737 | $5,563 | $6,576 |
Under R.S. 9:315.13: below $1,050 the court sets support from the parents' actual income and ability to pay; between two lines the amount is extrapolated; above $50,000 the court uses its discretion, but the basic obligation may not be less than the highest amount in the schedule.
Shared Custody, Joint Custody and Overnights
Shared custody (R.S. 9:315.9) means each parent has physical custody for an approximately equal amount of time. Worksheet B is used:
- The basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5.
- Each parent's share of that amount is multiplied by the other parent's percentage of time.
- Each parent adds their share of net child care and other expenses and subtracts what they pay directly.
- The parent owing more pays the difference, but not more than they would owe in a non-shared arrangement.
Joint custody that is not shared custody (R.S. 9:315.8(E)): if the paying parent has physical custody for more than 73 days a year (a day is at least four hours), the court may order a credit. There is no fixed formula and the parent asking for it must prove it, so this calculator does not include it.
Louisiana Child Support Examples
In each example the children live mostly with Parent B. Amounts are monthly and come from this calculator.
Example 1: One child
A earns $5,000 and B earns $3,000. The schedule amount for $8,000 and one child is $1,210, and A's 62.5% share is $756.25 a month.
Example 2: Two children with child care
A earns $6,000, B earns $4,000, and B pays $500 a month in net child care. The total is $2,053 + $500 = $2,553, and A's 60% share is $1,531.80 a month.
Example 3: Health insurance paid by the payer
Same as Example 1, but A pays a $200 premium for the child. A's share of $1,410 is $881.25, minus the $200 A pays directly: $681.25 a month.
Example 4: Shared custody, 50/50
A earns $7,000 and B earns $3,000, one child. $1,362 x 1.5 = $2,043. A owes 70% x 50% = $715.05 and B owes 30% x 50% = $306.45. A pays $408.60 a month.
Example 5: Shared custody, 160 overnights with A
A earns $6,000, B earns $4,000, two children, and B pays $400 in child care. A pays $977.78 a month.
Example 6: Income above $50,000
A earns $45,000 and B earns $15,000, two children. The top amount of $5,563 is used, and A's 75% share is $4,172.25 a month. The court can set more.
These are illustrations produced from the statutes, not court rulings.
What Counts as Income in Louisiana
Under R.S. 9:315, gross income includes income from any source, such as salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, pensions, interest, capital gains, disability benefits and spousal support received from a preexisting order. Significant expense reimbursements or in-kind payments that reduce living expenses, like a company car or free housing, also count. Self-employment and rental income is gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary expenses.
Excluded are child support received, public assistance, untaxed per diem allowances, and (at the court's discretion) extraordinary overtime. A court can determine income for a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed based on earning potential.
Frequently Asked Questions About Louisiana Child Support
Is this the official Louisiana child support calculator?
No. ChildSupportCalculator.xyz is an independent tool and is not affiliated with the State of Louisiana or its courts. It applies R.S. 9:315 to 9:315.20. A court sets the actual amount.
How is child support calculated in Louisiana?
The parents' adjusted gross incomes are added, the basic obligation comes from the R.S. 9:315.19 schedule, net child care and health insurance are added, and the total is split by income share. The paying parent subtracts costs they pay directly.
Is there a new Louisiana child support schedule?
Yes. Acts 2024, No. 86 (HB 773) replaced the schedule effective January 1, 2025. It now goes up to $50,000 of combined monthly income.
Does Louisiana use gross or net income?
Gross income. The worksheet starts from monthly gross income and subtracts only preexisting child or spousal support paid.
How does shared custody work in Louisiana?
If each parent has approximately equal time, the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5, each parent's share is multiplied by the other parent's time percentage, and the parent owing more pays the difference.
Do overnights reduce child support in Louisiana without shared custody?
In joint custody, if the paying parent has the child more than 73 days a year, the court may order a credit, but there is no fixed formula and the parent must prove it. This calculator does not include it.
Is there a minimum child support amount in Louisiana?
The former $100 mandatory minimum was repealed effective January 1, 2024. If combined income is below the lowest schedule level ($1,050), the court sets support based on actual income and ability to pay.
What if our income is above $50,000 a month?
The court uses its discretion, but the basic obligation may not be less than the highest amount in the schedule.
Is child care added to child support in Louisiana?
Yes. Net child care costs, meaning work or job search related costs minus the federal child care tax credit, are added and split by income share.
Does the Louisiana calculator need my personal details or a login?
No. This site needs no login and does not store your numbers.
