Alabama Child Support Guidelines

By Kit Yona, M.A. | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq. | Last reviewed February 19, 2025

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Parents are responsible for their children's well-being. If children do not grow up in a two-parent household, child support ensures their needs are met.

Alabama courts use the child-support guidelines, Rule 32, to determine each parent's child support obligation. The amount of child support varies in each situation.

Determining child support payments requires financial disclosure and complicated child support calculations. In this article, we'll examine Alabama's child-support guidelines, discuss the factors and laws involved, and walk you through what to expect during the process.

Alabama Child Support Guidelines: The Basics

For child support, Alabama views all parental relationships as together or not together. If parents are married or in a domestic relationship, the state assumes they take care of the children's needs. If the parents aren't raising the children in a shared household, they must pay child support. It doesn't matter if the parents divorced were in a serious relationship, or had a one-night stand.

Title IV-D of 1975's Social Security Act requires that all states have a system for collecting, distributing, and enforcing child support payments. In Alabama, child support payment by check or money order goes to:

Alabama Child Support Payment Center (Central Payment Center)
P.O. Box 244015
Montgomery, AL 36124-4015

Parents can make payments online through a MyAlabama account or via Moneygram or ExpertPay. This option is available for the parent making the payment and employers.

The Alabama Central Disbursement Division (ACDD) disburses money to custodial parents. The Child Support Enforcement Program (CSE or IV-D) enforces accounts that fall into arrears (behind on payments). The CSE is part of the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

The default collection method is income withholding, which lowers the possibility of a parent falling into arrears. Once the Alabama courts issue a child support order, employers must deduct the child support payment amount from the obligor's (paying parent's) paycheck. The employer then submits the payment to the Child Support Central Payment Center.

The Calculation of Child Support Process

The Alabama child support guidelines are key in determining child support payments. Alabama courts must apply them while considering the best interests of the child. If they deviate from the guidelines, the judge must give a written explanation. The guidelines are in place to ensure child support determinations are as uniform as possible.

Alabama child support guidelines use an income shares model to calculate child support payments. This system aims to have children get the same financial support they would have in a two-parent household. This shows in the court order issued for child support. The court calculates it via the following steps:

1. Determine Gross Income and the Custody Arrangement

To begin a child support order, each parent must determine their monthly gross income. The state of Alabama has child support guideline worksheets for this. But it's important to understand which one applies to your child custody situation:

  • Sole physical custody — The custodial parent has sole physical custody, and the noncustodial parent has visitation rights
  • Joint physical custody — Each parent assumes physical custody of the child; the amount of time with each parent does not have to be equal
  • Shared custody — When each parent has physical custody 50% of the time or close to 50% of the time (used only for determination of amount of support)

For sole or joint physical custody, parents use Child Support Worksheet Form CS-42 to determine their gross income. The state amended Rule 32(C) in 2023 for parents who have shared custody. This means they each have custody about half of the time. The shared custody designation only applies to child support determination. These parents use Child Support Worksheet Form CS-42-S.

Determining gross income requires listing all sources of income (including any Social Security benefits) and giving an income statement/affidavit. After deductions, such as alimony, the remaining amount is a parent's adjusted gross income for the month.

2. Adding Gross Incomes

This is as straightforward as it sounds. The parents add their gross incomes to create a combined monthly adjusted gross income. This combined income shows the amount of income available in a two-parent household. The combined gross income of both parents gets used in the next step.

3. Determining the Basic Child Support Obligation

Apply the new total to the Alabama Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligation by cross-referencing the amount with the number of children eligible. This gives you the basic child support obligation.

Let's use an example. Parents with a combined adjusted gross income of $10,000 have three children eligible for child support. See if you can determine what they should pay via the Obligation Chart. If you came up with $1,984, you're correct.

4. Determining Each Parent's Basic Child Support Obligation

The next step is to multiply the basic child support obligation by the percentage one of the parents contributed to the combined adjusted gross income. That sounds confusing, but it doesn't have to be.

Let's use our previous example. Let's say Jackie's share of the $10,000 is $7,000. That $7,000 is 70% of the combined adjusted gross income. Jackie must pay 70% of the basic obligation.

As the other parent, Adrian owes 30%. The basic obligation amount due each month is $1,984, so Jackie would pay $1,388.80 monthly (70% of $1,984). Adrian's obligation is $595 per month (30% of $1,984).

But this is not the final amount, as there are other costs to consider in the last step.

5. Getting the Final Child Support Obligation Amount

After calculating each parent's basic child support obligation, certain costs get added. Work-related childcare and health insurance costs get determined by applying the same percentages used in step four. Parents using shared custody will also have a shared physical custody obligation. This is Line 5 on the CS-42-S worksheet.

The guidelines' support amount can push a parent's income below the self-support reserve (poverty level). The courts can lower a parent's payment to a minimum of $75 monthly. Parents struggling to meet their obligations should speak with the CSE caseworker or an Alabama family law attorney.

Alabama Child Support Guidelines: Chart

Understanding how the Alabama child support guidelines work can help you in many ways. You'll know what to expect during a child support hearing. It can make applying for a modification much easier. The table below recaps Alabama's child support guidelines for easy reference.

Alabama child support guidelines code statutes and references

 

Code of Alabama

Title 30 — Marital and Domestic Relations

Chapter 3 — Child Custody and Support

Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration — Rule 32 — Child Support Guidelines
Types of physical custody for determining child support in Alabama

 

Alabama custody arrangements often determine which parent gets child support payments and which parent makes them. They include:

  • Sole physical custody — The custodial parent has sole physical custody, and the noncustodial parent has visitation rights
  • Joint physical custody — Each parent assumes physical custody of the child; the amount of time with each parent does not have to be equal
  • Shared custody — When each parent has physical custody 50% of the time or close to 50% of the time (used only for determination of child support)

The shared custody classification is only used to determine child support obligations. It is not used as a type of actual physical custody.

(Alabama Code Section 30-3-151; ARJA Rule 32 — Child Support Guidelines; Order on Rule 32 (2023))
Alabama child support guideline factors

The primary concerns of the Alabama child support guidelines are meeting the child's needs and their continued well-being. This includes providing enough support for food, shelter, clothing, health insurance premiums, extraordinary medical expenses, reasonable childcare expenses, educational expenses, and all other requirements.

With this in mind, the court will also try to ensure child support payments are not unjust or inappropriate for the parents.

(ARJA Rule 32 — Child Support Guidelines)
Possible reasons for deviation from the Alabama child support guidelines

The court may deviate from the child support guidelines for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:

  • A switch from sole or joint physical custody to shared physical custody
  • Extraordinary costs of transportation for visitation
  • College education expenses incurred before the child reaches the age of majority
  • Income or assets received by or on behalf of a child in the child support order
  • Any other facts or circumstances that the court finds are in the child's best interests

(ARJA Rule 32 — Child Support Guidelines)
Basic steps for calculating child support in Alabama

 

Calculating child support in Alabama follows an income shares model:

  1. Each parent determines their monthly gross income, including all sources of income and allowable deductions.
  2. They add gross incomes together to form a combined gross income.
  3. They look up the amount on the Alabama Schedule of Basic Child-Support Obligations and cross-reference with the number of children eligible for child support to find the child support obligation.
  4. They calculate each parent's obligation by multiplying the total child support by each parent's percentage share of their combined gross income.
  5. After applying the gross percentage share multiplier, they add other costs, such as healthcare premiums.

In most cases, the noncustodial parent makes child support payments to the custodial parent.

(Alabama Code Section 30-3-195; ARJA Rule 32 - Child Support Guidelines; Order on Rule 32 (2023))

Disclaimer: Alabama state laws change through the passage of new legislation, higher court rulings that include federal decisions, ballot initiatives, and other means. While we strive to provide the most up-to-date information possible, consult a family law attorney to confirm current Alabama laws.

Alabama Child Support Guidelines: Resources

Speak With an Attorney

Your court-recommended child support order is to cover child care costs and other expenses, but sometimes it's not enough. If you need legal advice about altering the child support amount in your order, speak with an experienced Alabama child support attorney. Put their expertise to work for you.

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