How to Figure Up Child Support for Arkansas

Child support guidelines help state judges order child support in a fair manner that serves the children's best interests while leaving the non-custodial parent with enough money to take care of his daily needs. In Arkansas, judges use a child support table to determine the basic amount of child support that is fair based upon the parent's income. However, if a parent is deliberately underemployed, he may be required to pay a higher amount of child support than would be normal for someone making that amount of income.

Instructions

1

Calculate your total income for your pay period (monthly, biweekly or weekly). All wages, tips and investment dividends count for these purposes. Do not count reimbursement for court costs in your income. If you are self-employed, use your last quarterly earnings to estimate your earnings.

2

Consult the Arkansas Family Support Chart that matches how frequently you get paid. Round your income down to the nearest ten if your exact income is not on the chart. For example, if your income is $225, use the line for $220.

3

Find your approximate income on the chart and go across the row to the number of children you must support.

4

Take the percentage of income required by Arkansas law if you make more money than is listed on the chart. As of 2010, the percentages are 15 percent for one dependent, 21 percent for two dependents, 25 percent for three dependents, 28 percent for four dependents, 30 percent for five dependents and 32 percent for six or more dependents. For example, if you make $1,500 per week and have two children, multiply $1,500 by .21 to determine that you should pay child support of $315 per week.