Child Support Calculations in Alabama

Alabama uses the Income Shares model under Rule 32 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration. Whether you're navigating an uncontested or contested divorce, understanding Alabama's child support calculations is essential for your financial planning—especially since Alabama's age of majority is 19, not 18.

The Income Shares Model Under Rule 32

Alabama's Income Shares approach calculates support based on both parents' combined adjusted gross income, then divides the obligation proportionally. The model estimates what an intact two-parent family would spend on the children and splits that amount by each parent's income share.

• Combined income cap: $30,000/month—above this threshold, courts use discretion and do not extrapolate from the schedule
• Schedule lookup: Use the Schedule of Basic Child-Support Obligations (effective May 1, 2022) to find the basic support amount
• Proportional split: Each parent's share equals their percentage of combined adjusted gross income

Calculating Adjusted Gross Income

Under Rule 32(B), gross income includes virtually all sources of earnings and benefits:

• Employment income: Salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, overtime, severance pay
• Self-employment: Gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses (no accelerated depreciation)
• Investment income: Interest, dividends, trust income, capital gains, rental income
• Benefits: Social Security, veterans' benefits, workers' compensation, unemployment, disability, pensions
• Other sources: Prizes, gifts, annuities, and periodic alimony received

Excluded from gross income: Child support received for other children and means-tested benefits (TANF, SSI, SNAP, general assistance).

Adjustments to gross income: Deduct preexisting child support actually paid under another order and preexisting periodic alimony paid to a former spouse. For other children not under a support order, a parent may receive an "imputed preexisting support" deduction equal to the schedule amount for that parent's income and number of other children.

Imputing Income for Voluntary Unemployment

When a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, Alabama courts may impute income based on:

• Assets and residence: Financial resources available to the parent
• Employment history: Recent work experience, skills, education, and qualifications
• Health and age: Physical ability to work
• Local job market: Available employers and prevailing wages in the area
• Criminal record: Any barriers to employment

Important: Incarceration may not be treated as voluntary unemployment under Rule 32.

Self-Support Reserve and Minimum Orders

Alabama's 2023 Rule 32 revisions added a formal Self-Support Reserve (SSR) calculation to protect low-income obligors' basic needs. Use Form CS-42 for standard cases:

• SSR amount: $981/month (based on 2021 federal poverty levels, adjusted for Alabama)
• Calculation: Income Available After SSR = Obligor's Adjusted Gross Income − $981
• 85% rule: Only 85% of income above SSR is available for support
• Minimum order: If the 85% figure is less than $50, there's a rebuttable presumption of a $50 minimum order

Zero-dollar orders: A presumption of $0 support exists only in limited circumstances—when the obligor has no gross income and receives only means-tested assistance, or has no gross income and is incarcerated/institutionalized for more than 180 consecutive days.

Shared 50% Physical Custody (SPCA)

When a court orders approximately equal parenting time (50/50), Alabama uses Form CS-42-S with a 150% multiplier:

• Step 1: Determine the Basic Child-Support Obligation (BCSO) from the schedule as if no shared custody
• Step 2: Multiply the BCSO by 150% to recognize two household expenses
• Step 3: Add work-related child care and health insurance costs
• Step 4: Calculate each parent's percentage share and subtract costs they actually pay
• Step 5: Credit each parent for one-half of the 150%-adjusted BCSO
• Step 6: The parent with the higher adjusted amount pays the difference to the other

Important: The SSR, $50 minimum, and zero-dollar order provisions do NOT apply to shared 50% custody calculations on CS-42-S.

Failure to exercise custody: If a parent, without sufficient cause, fails to exercise their 50% custody right for more than 14 days in the 12 months before a modification petition, the court may remove the SPCA, potentially retroactive to filing.

Split Custody Calculations

When each parent has primary physical custody of at least one child:

• Compute the support each parent would owe the other as if the other's children were the only children
• Order the difference (greater obligation minus lesser obligation)
• The parent with the higher obligation pays the difference

Add-Ons: Child Care and Health Insurance

Alabama adds certain costs to the basic support obligation:

• Work-related child care: Added but capped by the DHR Child Care Provider Rate Chart; the paying parent gets a dollar-for-dollar credit
• Health insurance: The child's pro-rata share of the premium is added if coverage is "reasonable" (≤10% of the responsible parent's gross income) and "accessible" (within 100 miles)
• Premium calculation: Child's share = Total premium ÷ number of covered persons × number of covered children
• Extraordinary expenses: Medical, dental, or educational expenses may be added if agreed in writing or ordered with stated reasons

The schedule assumes $250/year per child in unreimbursed medical costs; amounts above this may require deviation.

Estimate Your Alabama Child Support

Use our calculator below for an estimate. For official calculations, use the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts forms and schedule.

Deviations from Guidelines

Rule 32 makes the guideline amount a rebuttable presumption. Courts may deviate if they find the guideline amount unjust or inappropriate, with written reasons. Deviation factors include:

• Extraordinary visitation: Parenting time substantially in excess of customary visitation (but not 50%)
• Transportation costs: Extraordinary costs borne mainly by one parent
• College expenses: Pre-majority education costs
• Child's assets: If the child has significant assets or unearned income
• Tax exemption: When allocation differs from federal assumptions
• Excess child care costs: If costs exceed DHR schedule by 20% or more
• Training/education: Parent's child care for job training that benefits the child

Duration of Support: Age 19 Majority

Alabama is one of few states where the age of majority is 19, not 18:

• Standard termination: Support ends at age 19 (Alabama does NOT have a separate "until high school graduation" rule—majority itself is 19)
• Emancipation before 19: Can occur through marriage, military service, or judicial relief of disabilities of nonage
• Disabled adult child: Support may continue indefinitely for an adult child whose disability renders them dependent
• Post-minority college: Per Ex parte Christopher (2013), courts cannot order college support after age 19 absent legislative authorization; parties may still agree to it

Modification Standards

Either parent may request modification when circumstances have substantially changed:

• 10% presumption: A rebuttable presumption favors modification when the guideline result differs by more than 10% from the existing order
• Material change required: The change must be substantial and continuing since the last order
• Prospective only: Modifications are effective from the date the petition is filed, not retroactively
• DHR review: Alabama DHR will review orders at most once every 36 months upon request, unless there's a significant change (windfall, severe medical crisis)

Enforcement and Arrears Interest

Alabama uses the Department of Human Resources Child Support Enforcement Division and multiple enforcement tools:

• Income withholding: Default method; automatic wage garnishment for most orders
• Arrears interest: 7.5% simple interest per year for judgments entered on or after September 1, 2011 (12% for older judgments)
• Interest rebate: Possible if obligor pays arrears and stays current for 12 months—but every recipient must agree in writing
• Tax refund intercepts: Federal and state (thresholds: $150 for TANF cases, $500 for non-TANF)
• Credit reporting: Arrears over $1,000 reported to credit agencies
• License suspension: Driver's, professional, and recreational licenses may be suspended
• Passport denial: Federal threshold of $2,500 in arrears
• Liens and bank levies: Through Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM)
• Contempt: Civil or criminal contempt proceedings; federal prosecution possible for willful interstate evasion

Social Security and VA Benefits Credit

When benefits are paid to the child based on the obligor's eligibility:

• Credit allowed: Social Security (retirement/survivor/disability), VA, and Railroad Retirement benefits paid to children based on the obligor's record are credited against the support obligation
• Benefits exceed support: If the benefit exceeds the calculated support, the order is $0
• No credit for: SSI paid to the child, adoption subsidies, or benefits not based on the obligor's record

Common Calculation Mistakes

• Forgetting the SSR: Always calculate Income Available After SSR ($981) and apply the 85% rule
• Using wrong form for 50/50: Shared custody requires CS-42-S, not standard CS-42; don't apply SSR or minimums
• Miscalculating health premium share: Use the per-capita method: total premium ÷ covered persons × covered children
• Ignoring the $30,000 cap: Don't extrapolate above the schedule—courts use discretion
• Assuming 18 is majority: Alabama support continues to age 19, not 18
• Expecting college support: Courts cannot order post-minority college expenses absent agreement

Key Takeaways

• Income Shares under Rule 32: Both parents' adjusted gross income determines the child's support needs
• $30,000 combined income cap: Court discretion above this threshold; no extrapolation
• Self-Support Reserve: $981/month; only 85% of income above SSR is available for support
• $50 minimum order: Rebuttable presumption when 85% figure is below $50
• Shared 50% custody: Use CS-42-S with 150% multiplier; SSR and minimums don't apply
• Age 19 majority: Support continues to 19, not 18; no automatic college support
• 7.5% arrears interest: Simple interest for judgments since September 1, 2011
• 10% modification threshold: Creates rebuttable presumption for change

For more information about Alabama divorce processes, see our Alabama divorce timeline and filing checklist. For property division information, review our Alabama marital property guide.