To use the Arkansas child support chart, add both parents’ gross monthly income together, find that combined figure on the state’s Family Support Chart, read across to the column for your number of children, and split the resulting obligation between the parents in proportion to each one’s share of the combined income. Arkansas switched to this Income Shares Model on July 1, 2020, so the paying parent’s income is no longer the only number that matters. The chart covers combined gross incomes from $800 through $30,000 per month and runs from one child through six.
Figuring Out Each Parent’s Gross Income
The chart uses gross monthly income, not take-home pay. The chart figures already build in federal and state income tax and FICA withholding, so entering net income undercounts the obligation.1Supreme Court of Arkansas. Administrative Order No. 10 – Child Support Guidelines
Under Administrative Order No. 10, income is defined broadly. It covers wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, workers’ compensation, disability benefits, pension or retirement payments, unemployment compensation, and interest. VA disability and similar benefits count too.2Arkansas Judiciary. Administrative Order Number 10 – Arkansas Child Support Guidelines Pay stubs, tax returns, and benefit statements are the documentation courts expect.
If a Parent Is Unemployed or Underemployed
A parent cannot lower support by quitting a job or taking a lower-paying one on purpose. If the court finds earnings are reduced “as a matter of choice and not for reasonable cause,” it can impute income based on earning capacity, work history, education, job skills, and local job opportunities. Any parent ordered to pay support will be attributed income at least equal to minimum wage.2Arkansas Judiciary. Administrative Order Number 10 – Arkansas Child Support Guidelines
Reading the Family Support Chart
The chart lists combined monthly gross income down the left side and shows the basic child support obligation for one through six children across the top. A few representative rows:3Arkansas Judiciary. Family Support Chart of Basic Child Support Obligations
- $5,000 combined gross: $737 for one child, $1,081 for two, $1,307 for three
- $10,000 combined gross: $1,074 for one child, $1,501 for two, $1,802 for three
- $20,000 combined gross: $1,639 for one child, $2,197 for two, $2,629 for three
- $30,000 combined gross: $1,952 for one child, $2,660 for two, $3,145 for three
Those numbers are the total the parents together are expected to spend on the children at that income level. They are not what one parent pays the other. And they do not include work-related childcare, the child’s health insurance premium, or out-of-pocket medical costs above $250 per child per year. Those get added into the worksheet separately.
Running the Calculation Step by Step
The Arkansas Judiciary publishes a free online calculator that produces a completed worksheet as a PDF.4Arkansas Judiciary. Child Support Calculator The math it runs works like this:
- Determine each parent’s monthly gross income and add them together.5Justia. Arkansas Code Title 9 Administrative Order Number 10 Child Support Guidelines – Section V
- Divide each parent’s gross income by the combined total to get each parent’s share as a percentage.
- Find the combined income on the chart and read across to the column for the correct number of children. That figure is the basic child support obligation.
- Add the child’s health insurance premium, work-related childcare, and out-of-pocket medical expenses over $250 per child per year.6Arkansas Judiciary. Review of the Arkansas Child Support Guidelines
- Multiply the total (basic obligation plus add-ons) by each parent’s income percentage. The noncustodial parent’s share is the presumptive support amount.
- Credit the paying parent for any of the add-on expenses they are already paying directly, such as an insurance premium.
A Worked Example
Say one parent earns $2,000 gross per month and the other earns $1,000. Combined gross income is $3,000. The higher earner’s share is roughly 67% and the lower earner’s is about 33%.7Arkansas Judiciary. Child Support Sample Language and Calculation Look up $3,000 on the chart for the right number of children, add any qualifying extras, then multiply the total by each percentage. If the higher earner is the noncustodial parent, they pay 67% of the total to the custodial parent.
The Self-Support Reserve Floor
The guidelines protect a low-earning parent’s basic needs. When gross income falls below $900 per month, the self-support reserve applies and the minimum support order is $125 per month regardless of what the chart otherwise shows.3Arkansas Judiciary. Family Support Chart of Basic Child Support Obligations At the lowest chart incomes, every figure defaults to that $125 minimum.
When a Judge Can Depart From the Chart Amount
The chart figure is presumptive, meaning the court treats it as correct unless someone shows it shouldn’t apply. A judge can deviate, but only with written findings explaining why the worksheet amount would be unjust or inappropriate.8Justia. Arkansas Code Title 9 – Section II – Use of the Guidelines
Administrative Order No. 10 identifies factors that can justify a different amount:2Arkansas Judiciary. Administrative Order Number 10 – Arkansas Child Support Guidelines
- Medical or dental costs beyond ordinary care, such as braces, glasses, therapy, or counseling
- Special education needs, including tutoring or specialized schooling
- Extended time the child spends with the noncustodial parent, including shared or joint custody
- The cost of procuring and maintaining life or health insurance for the child
- Creating or maintaining a trust fund for the child
- Support obligations to other dependents, even without a court order
Transportation costs for visitation and the family’s accustomed standard of living are also on the list. Whatever the reason, the departure has to be spelled out on the record.
Changing the Amount Later
Support orders can be revisited when circumstances change. Under Arkansas Code § 9-14-107, a change of 20% or more in either parent’s gross income counts as a material change of circumstances that supports a modification petition.9Justia. Arkansas Code 9-14-107 – Change in Income Warranting Modification A change in either parent’s ability to provide health insurance can also qualify. Even without a specific triggering event, either party can request a formal review every three years.
A modification is not automatic. The court compares the current order to what the chart would produce under the new numbers. If the gap doesn’t meet the 20% threshold, or if a justified deviation in the original order still fits the family’s situation, the judge can decline to change anything. When a modification is granted, it takes effect from the date the petition was filed, not earlier, so delay means the old amount keeps running.
When the Obligation Ends
Support terminates automatically when the child turns 18, unless the child is still in high school. In that case, it continues through graduation or the end of the school year after the child turns 19, whichever comes first.10Justia. Arkansas Code 9-14-237 – Termination of Child Support Support also ends if the child marries, is emancipated by a court, or if the parents marry each other.
Support can be extended past those cutoffs by court order. The most common situation is an adult child with a mental or physical disability that prevents self-support, provided the disability existed before the child reached the age of majority. Before assuming payments stop on a child’s 18th birthday, check the order’s specific language.