How long child support lasts in Georgia (2026)
Child support in Georgia lasts until the child reaches the age of majority, 18, or marries, becomes emancipated or dies, whichever comes first (O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(e)). A court may order support for a child who has turned 18 but is still enrolled in and attending secondary school, and has not married or become emancipated, but not past the age of 20.
When does child support end in Georgia?
O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(e) says the duty to support a minor child continues “until the child reaches the age of majority, dies, marries, or becomes emancipated, whichever first occurs”. In Georgia that is generally 18.
Can support continue after 18?
Yes, for high school. In an order entered on or after 1 July 1992 in a divorce, separate maintenance, legitimacy or paternity case, the court may, in its discretion, direct either or both parents to support a child who:
- has not married or become emancipated;
- is enrolled in and attending a secondary school; and
- reached the age of majority before finishing it.
That support cannot be required after the child turns 20.
Does it cover college?
Not under § 19-6-15(e): the extension is for secondary school.
Does the amount change as children grow up?
The guideline does not change with a child’s age, but it does with the number of children. For one child against two, with the same incomes:
| Other parent's income a month | 1 child | 2 children |
|---|---|---|
| $4,000 | $575.00 | $861.50 |
| $6,000 | $771.00 | $1,143.60 |
| $8,000 | $976.72 | $1,450.74 |
What this guide does not cover
Support for an adult child with a disability, agreements to pay college costs, and arrears that remain after support ends. The figures are estimates, not legal advice.
Run your own numbers
This guide's example: in Georgia, 1 child; 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. The guideline amount is $771.00 a month. Change any number in the calculator and every step of the formula updates.
Open this family in the Georgia calculatorQuestions
What age does child support end in Georgia?
At 18, the age of majority, or earlier on marriage, emancipation or death. A court may extend it while the child is still in high school, up to 20.
Does child support continue through college in Georgia?
Not under § 19-6-15(e). The extension covers secondary school only, and ends at 20 at the latest.
Does child support stop automatically at 18 in Georgia?
The duty ends at the age of majority unless the order extends it for a child still in secondary school. What happens to payments in a particular case depends on the order's own terms.
Sources
- O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(e), Duration of child support responsibility, as in force on 1 January 2026, Georgia Child Support Commission copy (archived)
- Georgia child support: how long child support lasts (generally until 18), secondary source
- Figures on this page are computed by the Coparent Math engine with Georgia's rules in force on 3 Nov 2026 unless a table says otherwise, from:
- O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 as in force on 1 January 2026 (Georgia Child Support Commission copy, archived), checked 3 Nov 2026
- Georgia Basic Child Support Obligation Table effective 1 July 2024 (Georgia Child Support Commission, archived), checked 3 Nov 2026
- Georgia Child Support Commission: 2024 updates to the child support guidelines (archived), checked 3 Nov 2026
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In the same hub
- Back child support (arrears) in Georgia: interest, enforcement and jail (2026)In Georgia, child support expressed in a money amount accrues interest at 7 percent a year, starting 30 days after each installment is due, without any need to turn it into a judgment first; the court can apply, reduce or waive past-due interest after weighing four factors (O.C.G.A. § 7-4-12.1). The Division of Child Support Services collects arrears through income withholding, liens and bank levies, state and federal tax refund intercepts, license suspension, credit reporting and passport denial, and a court can find a parent in contempt, with a fine or jail. Past-due support cannot be reduced retroactively, and Georgia child support judgments entered after 1 July 1997 do not go dormant.
- Child support at high incomes in Georgia (2026)Georgia's table runs to $40,000 of combined monthly gross income, up from $30,000 before 1 July 2024. Above it, the court sets the basic obligation at the highest amount in the table, and the court or jury may deviate upward for high-income parents (O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(i)(2)(A)). There is no percentage for the income above the table.
- How much is child support in Georgia by income? (2026)In Georgia the amount depends on both parents' incomes, the number of children and court-ordered parenting time. With the parent the children live with earning $4,000 a month, no parenting time and no extra costs, a parent earning $6,000 pays $771.00 for one child and $1,143.60 for two.
- Child support for more than one child in Georgia (2026)Georgia's table gives one figure for all the children in the case, for 1 to 6 children, and each extra child adds less than the one before. With incomes of $4,000 and $6,000 and no parenting time, the other parent pays $771.00 for one child, $1,143.60 for two and $1,345.20 for three.
- Self-employment and imputed income for child support in Georgia (2026)For a self-employed parent, Georgia counts gross receipts minus the ordinary and reasonable expenses needed to produce the income, leaving out excessive promotional, travel, vehicle or personal expenses, depreciation on equipment, home office costs and accelerated depreciation (O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(f)(1)(B)). Half of self-employment tax is then deducted. A court can impute income when there is no reliable evidence of income, or when a parent is willfully or voluntarily unemployed or underemployed (§ 19-6-15(f)(4)).
- Health insurance and child care in Georgia child support (2026)Georgia adds work related child care and the children's share of the health insurance premium to the guideline amount, divides them between the parents by income, and credits each parent with what they pay (O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(h)). Child care is averaged to a monthly amount, only what parents actually pay counts, and uninsured medical costs are shared outside the monthly amount.
The same topic in other states
- 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.
- How long child support lasts in Florida (2026)Florida orders entered since 1 October 2010 must end child support on the child's 18th birthday, unless the court finds the child, dependent in fact and between 18 and 19, is still in high school and performing in good faith with a reasonable expectation of graduating before 19, or the parents agree to continue support (Fla. Stat. § 61.13(1)(a)1). A court may also require support past 18 for a child whose dependency comes from a mental or physical incapacity that began before 18 (§ 743.07(2)).
- How long child support lasts in New York (2026)In New York, parents must support a child until the child turns 21, not 18 (Family Court Act § 413(1)(a)). Support can end earlier if the child is emancipated, for example by marrying, joining the military, or being 18 or older and working full time. For an adult with a developmental disability who lives with and depends on a parent, support can be ordered until 26.
- How long child support lasts in Texas (2026)Texas child support usually lasts until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later (Texas Family Code § 154.001). Support past 18 requires the child to be enrolled in high school and meeting attendance requirements (§ 154.002). It ends earlier if the child marries, is emancipated by court order, dies or starts active military service, and it can continue indefinitely for a child with a disability (§§ 154.006 and 154.302).
- When child support ends in Virginia (2026)Virginia child support generally ends when the child turns 18. It continues past 18 for a child who is a full time high school student, not self supporting, and living in the home of the parent receiving support, until the child turns 19 or graduates from high school, whichever comes first (Code of Virginia § 20-124.2 C). A court can also order support for an adult child with a severe and permanent disability that began before 18, and parents can agree to extend support.
Comparisons
- Florida vs Georgia child support: which state is higher? (2026)Neither is always higher. Without shared time the two are close at middle incomes: for two children with incomes of $4,000 and $6,000 a month, the guideline is $1,192.96 in Florida and $1,143.60 in Georgia. Time with the other parent makes the bigger difference: Georgia lowers support for every court-ordered day, while Florida changes nothing until 73 overnights a year and then drops faster. At low incomes Georgia's low-income table can bring support below Florida's.
- 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.