Arkansas Child Support Calculator

Arkansas uses the income shares model under Arkansas Administrative Order No. 10 (effective July 1, 2020). Both parents' monthly gross incomes are combined, and a basic child support obligation is read from the official Family Support Chart based on the combined income and number of children. That obligation is divided in proportion to each parent's share of the combined income. The payor's share, plus their proportional share of health insurance, extraordinary medical, and work-related childcare costs, minus a credit for any of those expenses the payor pays directly, becomes the presumed monthly support order (rounded down to the dollar).

Gross income in Arkansas includes income from all sources including wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, dividends, severance pay, pensions, interest, trust income, annuities, Social Security benefits, unemployment benefits, disability insurance, workers' compensation, and spousal support received. Under Arkansas Administrative Order No. 10, courts may impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.

Unlike some income shares states, Arkansas Administrative Order No. 10 does not use a fixed parenting-time or overnight formula in the standard child-support worksheet. The presumptive amount is calculated the same way regardless of the number of overnights. In cases of joint or shared custody, the court may deviate from the presumptive amount as a discretionary adjustment based on the specific parenting arrangement, but there is no automatic per-day reduction built into the guideline calculation.

Yes, either parent can petition to modify child support when there has been a material change in circumstances. Arkansas allows modification if the current order differs from the recalculated guideline amount by 20% or more, or by more than $100 per month. Common reasons include significant income changes, changes in parenting time, changes in childcare or medical costs, or a child aging out of the order.

In Arkansas, child support generally continues until the child turns 18. If the child is still attending high school at 18, support continues until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first. Support may continue past 18 for a child with a severe mental or physical disability. Arkansas courts generally cannot order parents to pay for college as part of child support.

Yes. Under Arkansas Administrative Order No. 10, work-related childcare costs and the cost of health insurance for the child are added to the basic child support obligation before it is divided between the parents. Each parent's share of these additional costs is proportional to their share of the combined gross income.

This calculator provides an estimate based on the Arkansas child support guidelines. Actual court-ordered support may differ because judges may deviate from the guidelines based on factors including the child's educational needs, extraordinary expenses, the financial resources of each parent, and the standard of living the child would have enjoyed. Consult an Arkansas family law attorney for an accurate assessment.