Former couples with children in Louisiana must consider child support. Whether or not they were married is irrelevant as state law requires both parents to be responsible for supporting their child. It’s important to know the state’s laws and guidelines.
What are the roles and responsibilities of the parents?
Per family law, parents in Louisiana are required to support their children. If one party is the custodial parent who has sole custody and the other is non-custodial, the one with custody receives child support from the other party. However, if the custodial parent earns a higher income, the payment is smaller than what they would financially pay toward the child. If the non-custodial parent earns a higher income, their payment of child support is higher.
If both parents share joint custody, they each pay financially toward the welfare of the child.
How is child support determined in Louisiana?
Louisiana uses a formula known as “income share” when determining how much is paid toward child support. This method is used in order to ensure that both the custodial parent and non-custodial parent pay their fair share to financially support their child. Income share is based on the amount of money each parent would be paying toward the child if they were still together and living as a family with the child.
Depending on the circumstances, a judge may modify the amount that a paying parent must make toward child support. However, there are additional factors that can affect how much is paid in child support, including significant medical expenses or childcare costs.
According to state law, each parent is required to pay toward their child’s needs until their child reaches their 18th birthday. However, child support payments may be continued past that point if the child is still in school full-time or is financially dependent on one or both parents.
