Louisiana Child Support Guidelines

Louisiana Revised Statutes:

• Section 9:315.1(deviation from guidelines by court)
• Section 9:315.2 (calculation of basic obligation)
• Section 9:315.3 (child care costs; addition to basic obligation)
• Section 9:315.4 (health insurance premiums; addition to basic obligation)
• Section 9:315.5 (extraordinary medical expenses; addition to basic obligation)
• Section 9:315.6 (other extraordinary expenses; addition to basic obligation)
• Section 9:315.7 (deductions for income of the child)
• Section 9:315.8 (calculation of total child support obligation; worksheet)
• Section 9:315.16 (review of guidelines)
• Section 9:315.18 (schedule information)
• Section 9:315.19 (schedule for support)
• Section 9:315.20 (worksheets)
• Section 9:315.1.1 (determination of income; evidence)

Under Louisiana law, both parents must financially support the child until the child reaches 18, but the support may continue if (Section 9:315.22):

• The child is a full-time student in secondary school or equivalent;
• Hasn't reached 19; and
• Is dependent upon either parent.

Louisiana uses the "income shares model" to calculate child support obligations. The income shares model is based on the amount of support that would be available to the child if the parents were together and living in the same household (Section 9:315).

This amount is estimated and then divided proportionally using each parent's income; the specific calculations are made using the child support worksheet.

Custodial and Noncustodial Parents:

• If the noncustodial parent has a higher income than the custodial parent, the noncustodial parent would be responsible for the greater portion of the child support obligation (Section 9:315.8).
• If the noncustodial parent has a lower income than the custodial, the noncustodial parent would then be responsible for the smaller portion of the child support obligation (Section 9:315.8).

Joint Custody:

• Although Louisiana presumes that joint custody is in the best interests of the child, the child support guidelines don't make many allowances for joint custody (Section 9:315.8).
• The court may consider the time spent by the child with the noncustodial parent as a basis for adjustment to the amount of child support to be paid during that time and may include the continuing expenses of the custodial parent (Section 9:315.8).