Alabama child support calculator
Income shares. Both incomes are added, a schedule sets what the children need, and each parent covers their share. A self-support reserve protects a low-income paying parent, and a court order for 50/50 time uses a shared worksheet.
How Alabama gets to $1,260.00
Alabama's formula (income shares), written out with your numbers. Each step names the part of the law it comes from.
Add the two incomesRule 32, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, as amended effective 1 June 2023 (archived copy of the court's PDF)
$4,000 + $6,000 = $10,000 a month. The other parent's share is $6,000 ÷ $10,000 = 60%.
60%Look up the scheduleRule 32(C)(1) and the Appendix, schedule of basic child-support obligations
The schedule's amount for $10,000 of combined income and 2 children.
$1,700.00Work out the other parent's shareRule 32(C)(2), (C)(5) and (C)(7); Forms CS-42 and CS-42-S
($1,700 + child care $400) = $2,100; $2,100 × 60% = $1,260.
$1,260.00 a month
Notes
- Versions apply by the date the case was filed, not the date of the hearing.
- Every amount is rounded to the dollar and each income share to the whole percent (Rule 32(C)(3)), so the two shares can add up to 101%.
- Not modeled: deductions for child support and alimony a parent already pays under another order (Form CS-42, lines 1a and 1b), and the discretionary deduction for other children living with a parent (Rule 32(B)(6)).
- Not modeled: the cap on child care at the Department of Human Resources' licensed-care rates, the 10%-of-income test for health coverage, benefits paid to the children on a parent's record, split custody, extraordinary medical, dental and education costs, and deviations (Rule 32(A)).
- Spousal support between the parents in this case is not deducted; Rule 32 deducts only alimony already paid to a former spouse.
Rules: Alabama guideline in force from 1 Jan 2025, checked 3 Nov 2026. Schedule imported from the statute page on 3 Nov 2026.
Quick facts (2026)
Alabama's guideline as the calculator applies it on the date the page was built.
- Guideline model
- Income shares
- Income used
- Both gross incomes
- Schedule
- 596 rows of combined monthly income, from $250 to $30,000, for 1 to 6 children
- Cap
- The schedule runs to $30,000 of combined monthly income. Above it, the court sets the amount and the schedule is not extended; the calculator shows the top row and flags it.
- Days with each parent
- Only a court order for 50/50 time changes the formula: the shared worksheet then multiplies the schedule amount by 1.5 and credits each parent with half of it (this calculator uses it from 175 to 190 days a year with the other parent). Less time than that has no formula; a court may deviate for visitation well above the usual schedule.
- Rules in force
- Alabama guideline from 1 Jan 2025, Rule 32, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, as amended effective 1 June 2023 (archived copy of the court's PDF), checked 3 Nov 2026. Next review due 1 Jan 2027.
| Combined monthly income | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250 | $52 | $80 | $96 |
| $5,200 | $807 | $1,210 | $1,441 |
| $10,150 | $1,165 | $1,713 | $1,997 |
| $15,150 | $1,566 | $2,295 | $2,666 |
| $20,100 | $1,840 | $2,734 | $3,224 |
| $25,050 | $2,137 | $3,155 | $3,696 |
| $30,000 | $2,456 | $3,599 | $4,183 |
Support by income
The guideline amount as the other parent's income rises, for 1 to 3 children, with the income of the parent the children live with held fixed and no shared custody.
| Other parent's income a month | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $281.00 | $419.00 | $497.00 |
| $4,000 | $514.00 | $760.00 | $891.00 |
| $6,000 | $693.00 | $1,020.00 | $1,190.00 |
| $8,000 | $863.00 | $1,260.00 | $1,459.00 |
| $10,000 | $1,053.00 | $1,534.00 | $1,771.00 |
| $12,000 | $1,214.00 | $1,787.00 | $2,087.00 |
| $15,000 | $1,413.00 | $2,097.00 | $2,471.00 |
Custody time, health insurance and child care
How each one enters Alabama's formula.
Days with each parent
Only a court order for 50/50 time changes the formula: the shared worksheet then multiplies the schedule amount by 1.5 and credits each parent with half of it (this calculator uses it from 175 to 190 days a year with the other parent). Less time than that has no formula; a court may deviate for visitation well above the usual schedule. Child support with 50/50 custody in Alabama (2026): Form CS-42-S.
Health insurance and child care
Yes. Work-related child care and the children's health insurance are added to the schedule amount and shared by income; each parent is credited with what they pay.
Alabama's formula, step by step
The steps in the order the calculator runs them, each with the part of the law it comes from. The worked example under the calculator shows them with numbers.
Start from monthly incomeRule 32, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, as amended effective 1 June 2023 (archived copy of the court's PDF)
Start from each parent's monthly gross income.
Add the two incomesRule 32, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, as amended effective 1 June 2023 (archived copy of the court's PDF)
Add the two incomes and work out each parent's share of the total. Incomes are rounded to the dollar and each share to the whole percent, so the two shares can add up to 101%.
Look up the scheduleRule 32(C)(1) and the Appendix, schedule of basic child-support obligations
Look up the basic obligation for both parents in the schedule, by combined monthly income and number of children: 596 rows from $250 to $30,000, for 1 to 6 children. Below $250 the first row applies; between rows the nearer row applies, the higher one from halfway. Above $30,000 the court sets the amount; the calculator shows the top row and flags it.
Work out the worksheetRule 32(C)(2), (C)(5) and (C)(7); Forms CS-42 and CS-42-S
Add child care and the children's health insurance to the schedule amount; the other parent owes their income share of the total, less the child care and health insurance they pay. Every amount is rounded to the dollar. The self-support reserve caps it at 85% of that parent's income above $981 a month (from 1 May 2022), with a rebuttable minimum of $50. When a court order gives each parent about half the time (this calculator uses 175 to 190 days a year with the other parent), the shared worksheet applies instead: the schedule amount times 1.5 plus both parents' costs is split by income, each parent is credited with their own costs and half the shared amount, and the parent who owes more pays the difference. The reserve and the minimum do not apply.
Caps and dated figures
Percentages are written in the rule file. Caps, reserves and minimums move on their own calendar, so each is a dated value; the calculator uses the one in force on the date it computes for.
| Figure | Value | In force | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-support reserve | $981 a month | from 1 May 2022in force | Rule 32, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, as amended effective 1 June 2023 (archived copy), checked 3 Nov 2026 |
Not confirmed yet
- Nothing in Alabama's formula is marked unconfirmed.
Compare Alabama
The sample family above in every state the calculator covers. Each state reads only what its formula uses.
| State | Guideline model | Support a month | Paid by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | Income shares | $1,334.40 | the other parent |
| Texas | Percentage of net resources | $1,239.21 | the other parent |
| New York | Combined income, up to a cap | $1,625.25 | the other parent |
| Florida | Income shares | $1,422.16 | the other parent |
| Georgia | Income shares | $1,383.60 | the other parent |
| Alabama | Income shares | $1,260.00 | the other parent |
- Georgia vs Alabama child support: which state is higher? (2026)For most families without shared time, Georgia's guideline is higher. Both states start from the two parents' gross incomes, but their tables differ: for two children with incomes of $4,000 and $6,000 a month, it is $1,143.60 in Georgia and $1,020.00 in Alabama. Georgia lowers support for every court-ordered day with the other parent, while Alabama changes its formula only for a court order of 50/50 custody. At low incomes the order can flip, because Alabama's self-support reserve and Georgia's low-income table cut in at different points.
- Virginia child support calculatorIncome shares. Both incomes are added, a schedule sets what the children need, and each parent covers their share. Shared custody starts after 90 days a year with each parent.
- Texas child support calculatorPercentage of net resources. A set percentage of the paying parent's income after tax: 25% for two children.
- New York child support calculatorCombined income, up to a cap. A percentage of both incomes up to $193,000 a year, split by income share. Above the cap, the court decides.
- Florida child support calculatorIncome shares. Both incomes are added, a schedule sets what the children need, and each parent covers their share. Incomes are counted after tax, and substantial time-sharing starts at 73 overnights a year with each parent.
- Georgia child support calculatorIncome shares. Both incomes are added, a schedule sets what the children need, and each parent covers their share. Every day of court-ordered parenting time adjusts the amount, and a low-income table caps it for a paying parent on a low income.
Questions about Alabama child support
How is child support calculated in Alabama?
Income shares. Both incomes are added, a schedule sets what the children need, and each parent covers their share. A self-support reserve protects a low-income paying parent, and a court order for 50/50 time uses a shared worksheet. The calculator on this page shows every step with your numbers and the part of the law it comes from.
How much is child support in Alabama for 2 children?
It depends on the incomes. For 2 children; the parent the children live with earns $4,000 a month and the other parent $6,000, before tax; 0 days a year with the other parent; child care of $400 a month, paid by the parent the children live with, the guideline amount is $1,260.00 a month, paid by the other parent to the parent the children live with, with the rules in force on 3 Nov 2026.
Is there an income cap in Alabama?
The schedule runs to $30,000 of combined monthly income. Above it, the court sets the amount and the schedule is not extended; the calculator shows the top row and flags it.
Does time with each parent change child support in Alabama?
Only a court order for 50/50 time changes the formula: the shared worksheet then multiplies the schedule amount by 1.5 and credits each parent with half of it (this calculator uses it from 175 to 190 days a year with the other parent). Less time than that has no formula; a court may deviate for visitation well above the usual schedule.
Are child care and health insurance included?
Yes. Work-related child care and the children's health insurance are added to the schedule amount and shared by income; each parent is credited with what they pay.
Is this the amount a court will order?
This is an estimate of the guideline amount. A court can order a different amount, and an existing order only changes when it is modified.
Is child support different in Birmingham, Huntsville or Mobile?
No. Rule 32 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration sets one guideline for every court in Alabama, with the same schedule, self-support reserve and worksheets, so the amount is worked out the same way in Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, Mobile or anywhere else.
Alabama guides
Every scenario of Alabama's guideline, explained with figures from the same engine.
- Child support at high incomes in Alabama (2026)Alabama's schedule runs to $30,000 of combined monthly gross income. Above that, Rule 32(C)(1) leaves the amount to the court's discretion, and the Committee Comments say the schedule should not be extrapolated, so there is no guideline formula. The calculator shows the top row of the schedule and marks the result as not a guideline figure.
- How much is child support in Alabama by income? (2026)In Alabama the amount depends on both parents' incomes and the number of children. With the parent the children live with earning $4,000 a month and no extra costs, a parent earning $6,000 pays $693.00 for one child and $1,020.00 for two.
- Child support for more than one child in Alabama (2026)Alabama's schedule gives a figure for 1 to 6 children at each combined income, and each extra child adds less than the one before. With incomes of $4,000 and $6,000, the other parent pays $693.00 for one child, $1,020.00 for two and $1,190.00 for three.
- Self-employment and imputed income for child support in Alabama (2026)For a self-employed parent, Alabama counts gross receipts minus the ordinary and necessary expenses the IRS allows, except accelerated depreciation, investment tax credits and other expenses the court finds inappropriate (Rule 32(B)(3)). Significant business perks that reduce living costs count as income. A court imputes income to a parent it finds voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, and calculates support on it (Rule 32(B)(5)).
- Child support with 50/50 custody in Alabama (2026): Form CS-42-SWhen a court orders shared 50/50 physical custody, Alabama uses Form CS-42-S: the schedule amount is multiplied by 1.5, child care and health insurance are added, each parent owes their income share of the total less their own costs and half the shared amount, and the parent who owes more pays the difference. Anything short of about half the time uses the ordinary worksheet; a court may deviate for extra time, but there is no formula for it.
- Health insurance and child care in Alabama child support (2026)Alabama adds the children's share of the health insurance premium and work related child care to the basic schedule amount, splits the total by income, and credits each parent with what they pay. Child care counts up to the cost of licensed care on the Department of Human Resources' schedule, and health insurance is reasonable in cost up to ten percent of the paying parent's gross income.
- Child support at low incomes in Alabama (2026): the self-support reserveAlabama protects a paying parent on a low income with a self-support reserve of $981 a month: support is capped at 85% of that parent's income above the reserve. When that leaves less than $50, a $50 minimum is presumed. A parent with no income who receives only means-tested assistance, or who is incarcerated or institutionalized for more than 180 days, is presumed to owe nothing.
- Back child support (arrears) in Alabama: interest, enforcement and jail (2026)In Alabama, child support judgments entered on or after 1 September 2011 carry interest at 7.5 percent a year, and older ones at 12 percent or 6 percent depending on the date (Code of Alabama § 8-8-10; Department of Human Resources). The Department of Human Resources (DHR) collects arrears through income withholding, state and federal tax refund intercepts, credit reporting, liens, license suspension and passport denial, and a court can jail a parent for contempt. Support can be modified only for installments that accrue after a petition to modify is filed, interest can be rebated only with the written agreement of the person owed it, and arrears stay owed after the child turns 19.
- Changing a child support order in Alabama (2026)An Alabama child support order changes only when a parent files a petition to modify and proves a material change in circumstances that is substantial and continuing since the last order. If the guideline amount differs from the existing order by more than ten percent, there is a rebuttable presumption that the order should be modified. The new amount applies only to payments due after the petition was filed (Rule 32(A)(3)).
- How long child support lasts in Alabama (2026)Child support in Alabama runs until the child turns 19, the age of majority set by Code of Alabama § 26-1-1. Since the Alabama Supreme Court's decision in Ex parte Christopher in 2013, a court cannot order a parent to pay educational support for a child over 19.
- All Alabama guidesAlabama uses an income shares guideline, Rule 32 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration. Both parents' monthly gross incomes are added, the Rule 32 schedule gives the basic amount for that income and number of children, work related child care and the children's health insurance are added, and the other parent pays their income share of the total, less what they already pay. A self-support reserve protects a paying parent on a low income, and a court order for 50/50 custody uses a shared worksheet.
Versions
When a state changes its formula, the rule file gets a new version with the date it starts. Results use the version in force on their date.
United States, version from 1 Jan 2025in force
- This is an estimate of the guideline amount. A court can order a different amount, and an existing order only changes when it is modified.
Alabama, version from 1 Jan 2025in force
- Versions apply by the date the case was filed, not the date of the hearing.
- Every amount is rounded to the dollar and each income share to the whole percent (Rule 32(C)(3)), so the two shares can add up to 101%.
- Not modeled: deductions for child support and alimony a parent already pays under another order (Form CS-42, lines 1a and 1b), and the discretionary deduction for other children living with a parent (Rule 32(B)(6)).
- Not modeled: the cap on child care at the Department of Human Resources' licensed-care rates, the 10%-of-income test for health coverage, benefits paid to the children on a parent's record, split custody, extraordinary medical, dental and education costs, and deviations (Rule 32(A)).
- Spousal support between the parents in this case is not deducted; Rule 32 deducts only alimony already paid to a former spouse.
Sources
Every law, chart and table the formula and its figures come from, with the date each was last checked.
- Rule 32, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration, as amended effective 1 June 2023 (archived copy of the court's PDF)
- Supreme Court of Alabama, order of 14 January 2022: Rule 32, Form CS-42 and the Schedule of Basic Child-Support Obligations, effective 1 May 2022 (archived copy)
- Supreme Court of Alabama, order of 3 March 2023: shared 50% physical custody and Form CS-42-S, effective 1 June 2023 (archived copy)
- Administrative Office of Courts: Schedule of Basic Child-Support Obligations effective 5/1/2022 (archived copy)