Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines
Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016
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Like many other states, Oklahoma has child support laws to help ensure that children receive sufficient financial support. Typically, this support comes in the form of money paid by a parent who does not have physical custody of the child to the parent who does have custody. This is a quick summary of child support guidelines in Oklahoma.
How to Request Child Support in Oklahoma
There are several ways a parent can request child support. Parents can make an agreement and ask a judge to approve a child support order in a civil case such as a divorce or other family law proceedings. The majority of cases, however, begin with an "Application for Child Support Services Overview" which is submitted to the Oklahoma Central Case Registry which then assigns the case to a child support office. Once the case is assigned, child support is calculated based upon a mathematical formula and a number of additional factors such as the gross income of the parents, who has custody of the child, and any special needs, before a child support order is issued by a judge.
Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines
The following table outlines child support guidelines in Oklahoma.
Code Sections | OKLA. STAT. § 43-118 et seq. |
Who Is Responsible? | Both parents. |
How Is Support Calculated? | Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines and Computation Calculation of a percentage of the combined gross income of each parent, gross income being income from any source other than child support payments, public assistance, income of the child from any source, and payments received for care of foster children. Child support is a percentage of the combined gross income of the parents, which is then split between both parents, depending on other factors. A parent may be qualified for a child support deduction based upon support provided to other biological, legal, or adopted children born prior to the child in the current case whom the parent is supporting and legally obligated to support. |
What Is Included in a Support Order? | Medical and dental expenses, housing, food, transportation, basic public educational expenses, clothing, and entertainment. |
How Long Must a Parent Pay Child Support? | Until child turns 18 or 20 if the child still attends high school. (Child support continues indefinitely if the child cannot support themselves due to a physical or mental disability.) |
Local Resources | Oklahoma Human Services Centers Oklahoma Child Support Calculator Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines |
Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines: Related Resources
Navigating Oklahoma's child support guidelines can be daunting. If you would like legal assistance with a child support matter, you can contact an Oklahoma family law attorney. You can also visit FindLaw’s sections on Child Support, Child Support Modification, and Child Support Enforcement for more articles and information on this topic.
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