If you are in the process of getting divorced and you and your spouse share children, the subject of child support will inevitably arise at some point. It is natural to be wary of the potential payment obligations, especially if your income is considerably higher than your spouse’s. Fortunately, it is possible to alleviate much of this anxiety simply by understanding how the state of Alabama calculates child support.

How Is Child Support Determined in Alabama?

The Income Shares Model

The state of Alabama relies on the Income Shares Model to calculate child support obligations. Under this model, the court will combine the gross income of both parents, reference the Schedule of Basic Child-Support Obligations, add any additional expenditures like extraordinary medical bills or work-related childcare, and then divide the total amount between the two parents in proportion to their individual incomes. Because it is assumed that the custodial parent will spend his or her financial obligations directly on the children, only the noncustodial parent will actually make payments.

Possible Deviations

The court recognizes that every family’s financial circumstances are different. As a result, the above calculations may not necessarily result in an ideal figure. Thus, the court may deviate from the formula in certain scenarios. Possible deviations include shared physical custody arrangements and couples who have extraordinary costs of transportation for visitation purposes, which is common among divorced military couples. The court may also take into account excessive education expenses.

If you are in the process of pursuing divorce and you have questions about support obligations or child custody in Alabama, turn to Donna C. Crooks Attorney At Law. This compassionate divorce attorney is proud to represent clients throughout Enterprise , Ozark, Troy, Geneva, Elba, Abbeville, Dothan and other Wiregrass cities. Because of her firm’s proximity to Fort Rucker, military divorces are her specialty. Visit the practice online to learn about the various legal services they provide, or call (334) 598-9534 to schedule an initial consultation to discuss child support today.