Arkansas Child Support Calculator
Arkansas sets child support under Administrative Order No. 10 of the Arkansas Supreme Court. The current version (2022 Ark. 185) applies to support orders entered after October 2022 and uses an income shares Family Support Chart built on both parents' gross income. This calculator follows the Order's Child Support Worksheet, including the shaded self-support reserve cells and the offset for parents with approximately equal time.
Gross income before taxes, less court-ordered support for other children
Gross income before taxes, less court-ordered support for other children
Out of 365; the chart assumes the payor has fewer than 141
Shared by income share
Shared by income share
Only what the parent pays for the children's coverage
Only what the parent pays for the children's coverage
Estimated monthly child support
Parent A (pays support)
Annual amount
Who pays
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Combined monthly gross income | $8,000.00 |
| Parent A income share 62.50% of combined income | 0.63 |
| Basic child support obligation (Family Support Chart) | $975.00 |
| Parent A's share of the basic obligation | $609.38 |
| Monthly child support (rounded down) Parent A pays | $609.00 |
This is a guideline estimate under Ark. Sup. Ct. Admin. Order No. 10; Ark. Code Ann. § 9-12-312(a) for informational purposes only — it is not legal advice and not a substitute for the official worksheet or a family-law attorney. Courts can deviate from guideline amounts based on statutory factors, and inputs like income determination or imputed income are ultimately decided by the court.
Arkansas child support at a glance
| Model | Income shares (monthly gross income) |
| Chart range | Up to $30,000 combined monthly income |
| Self-support reserve | $900 a month of payor income |
| Minimum order | $125 a month |
| Parenting time threshold | 141 overnights a year |
| Applies to orders entered after | October 2022 |
Gross income and the Family Support Chart
Arkansas uses gross income from almost any source, less court-ordered current support paid for other children; this calculator takes the figure as entered. Combined income is matched to the Family Support Chart for one to 6 children. The first row covers combined income up to $1,050; after that the chart prints one income every $50, and this calculator reads an income on the row at or above it. Above $30,000 a month ($360,000 a year) the obligation starts from the highest chart amount, and the court may set more to meet the child's needs.
The worksheet and the self-support reserve
Each parent's share of the chart amount is their percentage of combined income. The children's health insurance premium and work-related child care are added and shared by the same percentages, and the payor subtracts the amounts they pay directly. Child support is rounded down to the whole dollar. The chart has a self-support reserve of $900 a month: when the chart cell for the payor's own income is shaded, the obligation is that cell, computed on the payor's income alone, and premiums and child care are not added. Below $900 the presumptive minimum order is $125 a month.
Parenting time and shared custody
The chart assumes the payor has the children fewer than 141 overnights a year. When the parents share approximately equal time, the smaller share of the chart amount is deducted from the larger, and the court decides whether premiums and child care change the result. When each parent has at least 141 overnights but time is not equal, the court may adjust the worksheet amount case by case; the calculator shows the worksheet amount without that adjustment.
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas use gross or net income for child support?
Gross income. The Order uses gross income to avoid disputes over deductions, and the chart already allows for federal and state income taxes and FICA. Court-ordered current support paid for other children is subtracted. Means-tested benefits such as TANF, SSI and SNAP are not income.
What is the minimum child support in Arkansas?
When the payor earns less than $900 a month, the presumptive minimum order is $125 a month. A party can rebut it, for example when the payor is incarcerated, institutionalized, has a verified disability that prevents work or lives only on SSI.
How does 50/50 custody work in Arkansas child support?
With approximately equal time, both parents complete the worksheet and the smaller share of the basic obligation is deducted from the larger. Between 141 overnights and equal time there is no formula: the court may adjust, giving weight to how close the incomes are and to which parent pays most of the fixed costs such as clothing, school supplies and activities.
What if combined income is above $30,000 a month?
The chart ends at $30,000 of combined monthly income ($360,000 a year). Above it, the obligation starts from the highest chart amount and the court may set a higher amount based on the child's needs and the parents' ability to pay.
How are health insurance and child care split in Arkansas?
By income share. The children's health insurance premium, extraordinary medical expenses and work-related child care go on the worksheet, each parent owes their percentage, and the payor gets a credit for what they pay out of pocket.
What does this calculator leave out?
Income deductions and spousal support adjustments, imputed income, extraordinary medical expenses, the discretionary adjustment for 141 or more overnights, split and third-party custody, Social Security benefit credits and deviations. The court files the official Child Support Worksheet with the order.