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Overview of Child Support in GA
What is Child Support?
Child support is a court-ordered payment made by a noncustodial parent to the custodial parent to help cover a child’s living expenses.
These payments cover necessities like food, clothing, and shelter, as well as other expenses such as medical care, childcare, educational fees, and transportation.
Child support laws vary by state; in Georgia, the Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) will take the following steps to service your case:
Step 1
To start a child support case in Georgia, either parent can call 1-877-423-4746 for help. If you already get TANF or certain Medicaid benefits, you don’t need to apply separately. Everyone else must fill out an application and pay a $25 fee. You can apply online, download the form, or ask for it to be emailed to you by calling the same number.
Step 2
To set up or enforce child support, the state needs to know where the other parent lives or works. If you don’t have that information, it could take months to find them—especially if they’re in another state. There’s no promise they’ll be found, but sharing details like their birthday or Social Security number can help speed things up.
Step 3
Before child support or medical support can be ordered, the state must confirm who the child’s father is. If this hasn’t been done yet—or if someone disagrees about who the father is—DCSS will ask for a paternity test. This test uses either a saliva swab or a blood sample and is over 99% accurate.
Step 4
In Georgia, child support is based on both parents’ income and how many children they have. The court may also look at other things when deciding on the amount. If either parent can get health insurance for the child at a good price, that cost is included in the support decision. Usually, if the parent who doesn’t live with the child (called the noncustodial parent) can get affordable insurance, the court will order them to provide it.
Step 5
Once child support is ordered, the money is usually taken straight from the other parent’s paycheck. This is required by Georgia law in most cases and makes paying easier. It also gives the parent a record of what’s been paid. If the money isn’t taken from their paycheck, they must pay as the court says. It’s very important to keep track of all payments.
Step 6
If the parent who owes child support doesn’t pay or doesn’t pay the full amount, the state can take action to enforce the order. They might be taken to court and found in contempt, which could lead to fines or jail time. If they’re struggling to pay, the judge might place them in a special program to help, but they still have to pay all current and past-due support.
Other ways the state can enforce payment include:
- Taking money from paychecks, unemployment, or workers’ comp
- Using tax refunds to cover unpaid support
- Reporting missed payments to credit bureaus
- Suspending licenses (like driving, professional, or hunting/fishing)
- Taking lottery winnings over $2,500
- Seizing bank accounts or property
- Blocking or canceling passports if more than $2,500 is owed
These steps help make sure the child gets the support they need.
Step 7
After three years, either parent can ask the child support office to look at the support order again. If something major has changed, they can ask sooner. The request must be in writing and sent to the office handling the case. After reviewing, the office might suggest changing the amount—raising it, lowering it, or keeping it the same. They might also add medical insurance to the order.
The Role of DCSS in Georgia Child Support Cases
DCSS’s mission is to increase the reliability of child support paid by parents when they live apart from their children by:
- Locating parents;
- Establishing paternity;
- Establishing and enforcing fair support orders;
- Increasing health care coverage for children; and
- Removing barriers to payment, such as referring parents to employment services, supporting healthy co-parenting relationships, supporting responsible fatherhood, and helping to prevent and reduce family violence.
New Child Support Laws in Georgia
If you have substantial parenting time and you pay child support in Georgia, you should be aware that the laws are changing beginning 2026. The new law says that the noncustodial parent gets a credit for every night that they exercise parenting time with the minor child.
If you have 40% of the year, there is a new calculation that decreases your child support obligation based on the number of overnights you have with your children. You’ll have to use your updated income, so that could influence the equation, but it’s worth speaking with an attorney to see if this law could benefit you and your children.
How to Prepare for the New Child Support Law
If you think this law will impact you, it’s important to prepare properly. The first step is to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys, but before then, here are a few things you can provide your attorney with to make the process smoother:
- Parenting plan that has your current schedule, including holidays, visitation, etc.
- A log of actual parenting time.
- Receipts or records of expenses during your parenting time. This includes food, entertainment, extracurricular and educational activities, transportation and travel, and household and living expenses (if applicable).
Modifying Child Support Orders in Georgia
A question that frequently arises in family law cases is whether a court can modify a decree or court mandate after the judge’s initial order is made. The answer is “yes,” subject to some major limitations.
At some point after receiving the Final Order and Decree of Divorce, it is likely that the needs of you, your spouse, or your children will change. A job or career change, for instance, can alter you or your spouse’s ability to pay child support. If this is the case, it might be appropriate to petition for a modification.
To petition for a modification of child support, there must be a substantial change in circumstances, or a specified amount of time has passed. To determine if you qualify to modify your Child Support contact one of our experienced attorneys.
Contact our attorneys here to discuss modifying your child support agreement.
How Child Support in Georgia is Calculated
Income Shares Model Explained
Georgia uses the “Income Shares Model” to calculate child support. The Income Shares Model combines income from both parents to determine a base support amount, which is divided proportionally based on each parent’s earnings.
Here’s how it works:
| Income Shares Model | Model Example |
|---|---|
| The income of both parents is determined and combined. | $3,000 total monthly income. |
| A basic child support obligation is determined based on a statutory table or schedule. | $500 basic child support obligation based on statutory table. |
| A presumptive child support obligation is determined by adding other expenses such as childcare and medical expenses to the basic child support obligation. | $500 basic child support obligation + $50 childcare expenses = $550 presumptive child support obligation. |
| The presumptive child support obligation is prorated between the parents based on their percentage of the combined income. | $550 presumptive child support obligation x 66.66% = $366.30 child support obligation. |
Factors Influencing Calculation
Several factors influence how child support is calculated in Georgia:
- Income of both parents
- Parenting time
- Deviations (health insurance, extraordinary expenses, etc.)
- Other children
- Alimony
Payment and Enforcement of Child Support in Georgia
Acceptable Child Support Payment Methods
In Georgia, you can pay child support through the Georgia Family Support Registry. Typically, the Family Support Registry pulls payments directly from your paycheck, but you can send your own payments online through your bank account, credit card, or Western Union. You may also send your payments by mail to the address provided in your court order.
Child Support Payment Enforcement Methods
If a parent does not obey a support order, he or she may be found in contempt of court. A contempt action may be filed against the non-custodial parent who fails to make support payments or does not maintain the required medical insurance. Non-custodial parents found in contempt of court may be fined, sentenced to jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions About Child Support in Georgia
What happens if the paying parent moves out of state?
The child support obligation continues, and the Georgia order can be enforced in the new state through the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA).
Can child support be waived or negotiated?
Child support can’t be waived because children have a legal right to financial support from both parents. However, in some circumstances, child support can be deviated to zero dollars. This only happens in special circumstances, like extended or equal parenting time, the paying parent’s extreme financial hardship, or a significant change in the parent’s income, such as job loss or incarceration.
How long does child support last in Georgia?
In Georgia, child support payments usually stop when the minor child turns 18. However, Georgia law permits for child support payments to terminate when a child turns 18 or graduates from secondary school, whichever occurs later.
One exception to this is the “dependent adult child” rule outlined by GA Code § 19-6-15.1 (2024). A dependent adult child is an individual who has reached the age of majority and is incapable of self-support because of physical or mental incapacity that began before the individual reached the age of majority.
Read more about the dependent adult child rule here.