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EspañolBasic information about child support in Louisiana.
Who can get child support? How long will child support last?
Both parents have the responsibility to support their children.1 In Louisiana, the child’s main caregiver, who is usually the custodial parent, will be the one receiving child support.2 This means that the non-custodial parent is usually the one ordered to pay child support. In general, child support will last until your child turns 18. However, child support could end early if your child:
- gets married; or
- becomes emancipated.3
On the other hand, child support could continue after your child turns 18 in any of the following situations:
- Your child is a full-time high school student in good standing who is not married, not yet 19 years old, and still dependent on a parent. This applies to some emancipated minors as well;
- Your child has a developmental disability and is a full-time student who is not yet 22 years old; or
- Your child is not married and already had an intellectual or physical disability before they turned 18. Because of this disability, your child can’t support themselves and they need substantial care and personal supervision. However, substance abuse and addiction don’t count as disabilities for the purposes of child support.4
1 La. Rev. Stat. § 9:315(A)
2 LouisianaLawHelp.org- Child Support
3 La. Civ. Code Art. 366-367
4 La. Rev. Stat. §§ 9:315.22(C), (D); 9:315.22.1(A)
How much child support can I get?
The judge will use the Louisiana child support guidelines to decide how much child support you should receive. The guidelines are based on the income of both parents and the number of children who need support. The amount suggested by the guidelines is known as the “basic child support obligation.”1 You can read the guidelines on the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services page.
However, in Louisiana, judges don’t have to use the basic child support obligation that the guidelines suggest. They can choose to order a higher or lower basic obligation if the amount the guidelines suggest:
- is not in the best interests of the child; or
- would not be fair to the parents.2
The child support order will also include the following costs:
- reasonable child care costs, minus the federal income tax credit for child care;
- the cost of health insurance premiums;
- unusual (extraordinary) medical expenses; and
- other unusual expenses.3
The judge will come up with the “total child support obligation” by adding all of these costs to the basic child support obligation.3
The Department of Children and Family Services has a child support estimator to help you figure out how much support a judge might order in your situation. If you’d like to talk to an attorney for advice, please visit our Louisiana Finding a Lawyer page.
1 La. Rev. Stat. § 9:315.2(D)
2 La. Rev. Stat. § 9:315.1(B)
3 La. Rev. Stat. §§ 9:315.8(A); 9:315(7)
Where can I get more information on child support in Louisiana?
Louisiana Law Help has information explaining how the guidelines work and how to calculate child support payments.
The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services is the agency that administers and enforces child support in the state. Its website has a lot of information about getting, changing, and enforcing child support orders.
Please note that WomensLaw.org has no relationship with these organizations. We provide the links for your information only.
