Adjustments to Child Support Guideline

§48-13-202. Application of expenses and credits in determining child support.

In determining the total child support obligation, the court shall:

(1) Add to the basic child support obligation any unreimbursed child health care expenses, work-related child care expenses and any other extraordinary expenses agreed to by the parents or ordered by the court; and

(2) Subtract any extraordinary credits agreed to by the parents or ordered by the court.

(3) Deduct from a parent’s adjusted gross income the reasonable monthly amount of a student loan payment actually being paid to the lending institution that originally issued the loan by a parent for a student loan debt owed in his or her own name and for his or her own educational expenses; provided that the total amount of the student loan payment deducted may not exceed 25 percent of the parent’s total gross income determined before the deduction. The family court shall have discretion to exclude all or a portion of the student loan deduction if the parent with the student loan debt is in child support arrears, if the parent is not current or is in arrears on the student loan payment, if the student loan is being paid by a third party and not the parent, or if the child is not receiving or expected to receive a financial benefit from the education associated with the student loan expenses incurred. If the student loan deduction is awarded:

(a) The parent shall have a duty to immediately disclose to the court, the BCSE, and any other party any changes in the monthly amount of the student loan payment, including any payment deferrals or student loan forgiveness.

(b) The court may require a parent to annually disclose to the court, the BCSE, and any other party a statement showing a history of student loan payments for the prior year.

(c) Failure to timely make the disclosures above may be a basis for the court to modify child support to exclude the student loan deduction, including retroactively to the first of the month following any unreported change.

§48-13-401. Basic child support obligation in basic shared parenting.

For basic shared parenting cases, the total child support obligation consists of the basic child support obligation plus the child’s share of any unreimbursed health care expenses, work-related child care expenses and any other extraordinary expenses agreed to by the parents or ordered by the court less any extraordinary credits agreed to by the parents or ordered by the court.

§48-13-402. Division of basic child support obligation in basic shared parenting.

For basic shared parenting cases, the total basic child support obligation is divided between the parents in proportion to their income. From this amount is subtracted the payor’s direct expenditures of any items which were added to the basic child support obligation to arrive at the total child support obligation.

§48-13-404. Additional calculation to be made in basic shared parenting cases.

In cases where the payor parent’s adjusted gross income is below $2,600 per month, an additional calculation in Worksheet A, Part II, §48-13-403 of this code, shall be made. This additional calculation sets the child support order at whichever is lower.

(1) Child support at the amount determined in Worksheet A, Part I, §48-13-403 of this code; or

(2) The difference between 80 percent of the payor parent’s adjusted gross income and $997, or $50, whichever is more.

§48-13-602. Adjustment for child health care.

(a) A child support order shall provide for the child’s current and future medical needs by providing relief in accordance with the provisions of article 12-101, et seq., of this chapter.

(b) The payment of a premium to provide health insurance coverage on behalf of the children subject to the order is added to the basic child support obligation and divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted gross income. The amount added to the basic child support obligation is the actual amount of the total insurance premium that is attributable to the number of children due support. If this amount is not available or cannot be verified, the total cost of the premium should be divided by the total number of persons covered by the policy. The cost per person derived from this calculation is multiplied by the number of children who are the subject of the order and who are covered under the policy.

(c) After the total child support obligation is calculated and divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted gross income, the amount of the health insurance premium added to the basic child support obligation is deducted from the support obligor’s share of the total child support obligation if the support obligor is actually paying the premium.

(d) Extraordinary medical expenses shall be added to the basic child support obligation and shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted gross income.

§48-13-603. Adjustment for obligor’s social security benefits sent directly to the child; receipt by child of supplemental security income.

(a) If a proportion of the obligor’s social security benefit is paid directly to the custodian of his or her dependents who are the subject of the child support order, the following adjustment shall be made. The total amount of the social security benefit which includes the amounts paid to the obligor and the obligee shall be counted as gross income to the obligor. In turn, the child support order will be calculated as described in sections 13-401 through 13-404. To arrive at the final child support amount, however, the amount of the social security benefits sent directly to the child’s household will be subtracted from the child support order. If the child support order amount results in a negative amount it shall be set at zero.

(b) If a child is a recipient of disability payments as supplemental security income for aged, blind and disabled, under the provisions of 42 U.S.C. §1382, et seq., and if support furnished by an obligor would be considered unearned income that renders the child ineligible for disability payments or medical benefits, no child support order shall be entered for that child. If a support order is entered for the child’s siblings or other persons in the household, the child shall be excluded from the calculation of support, and the amount of support for the child shall be set at zero.