{"id":371644,"date":"2016-04-11T01:21:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T06:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/arkansas-law\/arkansas-child-support-guidelines.html"},"modified":"2025-06-05T09:20:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T14:20:09","slug":"arkansas-child-support-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/arkansas-law\/arkansas-child-support-guidelines.html","title":{"rendered":"Arkansas Child Support Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Arkansas Child Support Guidelines<\/h1>\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Thanks to a revision of Arkansas law, the state’s courts now base child support payments on the combined incomes of both parents. Before that, the noncustodial parent was almost always the only one contributing support payments to the custodial parent for childcare costs. Under the new guidelines, parents both contribute to child-rearing expenses.<\/p>\r\n

The state’s child support guidelines<\/a> follow a simple percentage chart. The court totals the gross monthly income of both parents and prorates it by the percentage of time each parent spends with the child. Basic child-support payments include additional child care expenses such as health insurance and school costs.<\/p>\r\n

There is a rebuttable presumption that this figure is the appropriate amount. Parents who disagree with a child support order<\/a> may present evidence of additional medical expenses or alternate timesharing agreements that justify deviating from the Arkansas child support guidelines.<\/p>\r\n

Calculation of Child Support in Arkansas<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

To determine the total child support obligation, the court considers all income available to both parents. The statute contains a broad definition of income<\/a> and may include:<\/p>\r\n