Child Support Calculation Worksheet - Louisiana

IMPORTANT: THIS IS A PREPARATION GUIDE — NOT THE OFFICIAL COURT WORKSHEET

Louisiana requires the use of the official Obligation Worksheet A (per La. R.S. 9:315.20) for child support calculations.
This template provides the substantive content and calculation methodology to help you
prepare — but you must transfer your figures to the official worksheet before filing.
The official form is available at https://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov.
Do not file this document directly with the court.

CHILD SUPPORT CALCULATION WORKSHEET

State of Louisiana — Income Shares Model

Court: [________________________________]
Parish: [________________________________]
Case Number: [________________________________]
Judge/Hearing Officer: [________________________________]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Party and Children Information
2. Gross Income Determination
3. Adjusted Gross Income
4. Combined Adjusted Gross Income and Pro Rata Shares
5. Basic Child Support Obligation
6. Additions to Basic Obligation
7. Total Child Support Obligation
8. Deviations from Guidelines
9. Duration and Termination
10. Louisiana-Specific Notes

1. PARTY AND CHILDREN INFORMATION

Petitioner (Parent A):
Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
Employer: [________________________________]

Respondent (Parent B):
Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
Employer: [________________________________]

Children Subject to This Order:

Custody Arrangement:
☐ Sole custody — Parent A domiciliary
☐ Sole custody — Parent B domiciliary
☐ Joint custody — Parent A domiciliary
☐ Joint custody — Parent B domiciliary
☐ Shared custody (each parent has physical custody for an approximately equal amount of time)
☐ Split custody (each parent is domiciliary of at least one child)

2. GROSS INCOME DETERMINATION

☐ Income imputed to Parent A — Basis: [________________________________]
☐ Income imputed to Parent B — Basis: [________________________________]

3. ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME

4. COMBINED ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME AND PRO RATA SHARES

Combined Adjusted Gross Income: $[________] (Parent A AGI + Parent B AGI)

5. BASIC CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION

Number of children subject to this order: [____]

Basic Child Support Obligation (from Schedule): $[________] per month

6. ADDITIONS TO BASIC OBLIGATION

7. TOTAL CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION

Obligor (parent who pays): ☐ Parent A ☐ Parent B
Monthly child support payment amount: $[________]

8. DEVIATIONS FROM GUIDELINES

☐ No deviation requested
☐ Deviation requested — Basis:

☐ Extraordinary medical expenses of a party or child
☐ Extraordinary community debt of the parties
☐ Season or cyclical variations in income
☐ The child's special needs or extraordinary expenses
☐ The equitable distribution of property
☐ Other: [________________________________]

Requested adjustment: $[________] per month (☐ increase / ☐ decrease)
Justification: [________________________________]

9. DURATION AND TERMINATION

Child support shall continue for each child until:
☐ The child reaches age 18
☐ The child reaches age 19 while enrolled full-time in secondary school (La. R.S. 9:315.22)
☐ The child is emancipated
☐ Other: [________________________________]

10. LOUISIANA-SPECIFIC NOTES

• Income Shares Model: Louisiana uses the Income Shares Model, which considers the combined income of both parents to determine the support obligation (La. R.S. 9:315 et seq.).
• Schedule Cap: The child support schedule applies to combined adjusted gross incomes up to $40,000 per month. For incomes exceeding this amount, the court has discretion in setting the obligation.
• Shared Custody Adjustment: Under La. R.S. 9:315.9, when each parent exercises substantially equal physical custody, the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5 and then allocated based on each parent's income share.
• Split Custody: Under La. R.S. 9:315.10, where each parent has domiciliary custody of at least one child, separate calculations are performed and offset.
• Modification: A private modification generally requires a substantial and continuing material change. The 25% presumption and three-year review route in La. R.S. 9:311(C) apply only when DCFS is providing support enforcement services.
• Tax Credits: Federal tax credits for the child are not included in the guidelines calculation but may be addressed by separate agreement or court order.

VERIFICATION

I declare under penalty of perjury that the information provided in this worksheet is true, correct, and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Parent A:
Signature: [________________________________]
Printed Name: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

Parent B:
Signature: [________________________________]
Printed Name: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• La. R.S. 9:315 et seq. — Child Support Guidelines
• La. R.S. 9:315.19 — Child Support Schedule
• Louisiana DCFS Child Support Calculator
• La. R.S. 9:315.8 — Total Child Support Obligation Worksheet