Ark. Child Support Sample Language & Calculation

Sample Calculation

Step 1: The gross income of both parents is determined and combined. Payor parent

earns $2,000 and (payee parent earns $1,000, for a $3,000 combined gross income. Each

parents’ share of income is then determined based on their percentage of the combined income.

Payor earns 66.66% of the income, and payee earns 33.33% of the income.

Step 2: The basic child-support obligation is determined by looking at the Chart for

the $3,000 combined income and is $469 for the parties’ one child. Each parent’s share of the

basic child-support obligation is then determined: 66.66% of $469 is $312.67 (payor parent),

and 33.33% of $469 is $156.33 (payee parent).

Step 3: A presumptive child-support obligation is then determined by adding the

allowed additional monthly child-rearing expenses including health insurance premiums,

extraordinary medical expenses, and childcare expenses. In this case, the court allows $100

that payor parent is paying for the child’s health insurance premium and $200 that payee parent

is paying for childcare expenses, for a total of $300 for additional child-rearing expenses. Each

parent’s share of additional child-rearing expenses is determining by multiplying the percentage

of income they have available for support (see step 1) by the total expenses: 66.66% of $300 is

$200 (payor parent), and 33.33% of $300 is $100 (payee parent).

Step 4: The total child-support obligation for each parent is determined by adding each

parent’s share of the child-support obligation with their share of allowed additional child-rearing expenses. Payor parent ($312.67 plus $200) has a total child-support obligation of

$512.67, and payee parent ($156.33 plus $100) has a total child-support obligation of $256.33.

Step 5: The payor receives a credit for the additional child-rearing expenses that he is

paying out of pocket. In this example, payor is paying $100 for the child’s health insurance

premium, so we deduct $100 from payor’s total child-support obligation of $512.67. Payor

has a presumed child-support order of $412.67, which shall be rounded down to $412.

Sample language for a court order based on the calculation provided above:

The court has determined that Plaintiff (payor) earns a gross income of $2,000 per

month and Defendant (payee) earns a gross income of $1,000 per month. Therefore, the

parents’ combined gross income is $3,000 with a basic child-support obligation of $469 for

their one child per the Chart. The court also finds that Plaintiff (payor) is paying for the

child’s health insurance premium in the amount of $100 per month and that Defendant (payee)

is paying $200 for childcare expenses, for a total of $300 for additional child-rearing expenses.

Plaintiff (payor) is responsible for 66% of the total obligation ($312.67 share of basic obligation

plus $200 for expenses) and has a total child-support obligation of $512.67. Defendant (payee)

is responsible for 33% of the total obligation ($156.33 share of basic obligation plus $100 for

expenses) and has a total child-support obligation of $256.33. Plaintiff, as the payor, shall

receive a $100 credit for the additional child-rearing expenses that he is paying out of pocket.

Plaintiff shall pay $412 per month to Defendant beginning on March 1, 2020, and he shall

continue to cover the child’s health insurance premium.