How it works · official guideline
How child support is calculated in Alabama
Alabama uses Rule 32 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration: the parents' combined monthly adjusted gross income sets a basic obligation from the schedule, child-care and health-coverage costs are added, and the total is divided in proportion to each parent’s income. The result is presumed correct unless the court finds in writing that it would be unjust or inappropriate.[1]
Key facts: child support in Alabama
| Guideline model | Income shares[1] |
|---|---|
| Income counted | Gross income (less prior support and prior alimony paid = adjusted gross income)[1] |
| Low income | Self-support reserve $981/month; support capped at 85% of income above it[1] |
| Minimum order | $50 presumptive minimum[1] |
| Guideline last checked | October 26, 2026 |
Alabama’s model
Income shares
Income shares: combined adjusted gross income, then Schedule of Basic Child-Support Obligations, split pro rata.
No official calculator confirmed yet
Child Support Information (Alabama Administrative Office of Courts)The state child support agency or your court clerk can run the official numbers.
Why no calculator here? We publish a calculator only after it reproduces the state’s official numbers exactly. We haven’t matched Alabama’s yet.
From the official text
The rules behind Alabama’s numbers
The guideline is Rule 32, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration (cases filed on or after June 1, 2023), Alabama Unified Judicial System. Open each rule to read the exact words.
- Income counted
Gross income (less prior support and prior alimony paid = adjusted gross income)
Income means a parent’s actual gross income (or what the parent could earn if unemployed or underemployed); adjusted gross income subtracts preexisting child support and preexisting periodic alimony actually paid.[1]
Official text · Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32(B)(1), (C)(1)
““Adjusted gross income” means gross income less preexisting child-support obligations, less preexisting periodic alimony actually paid by a parent to a former spouse.”
- Low income
Self-support reserve $981/month; support capped at 85% of income above it
A self-support reserve of $981 a month protects the paying parent’s basic needs; the recommended order is the lesser of the guideline amount or 85% of income above the reserve.[1]
Official text · Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32(C)(5)
“The amount of the SSR, $981, is based on the 2021 federal poverty levels, adjusted for Alabama incomes.”
- Minimum order
$50 presumptive minimum
If the income available for support after the self-support reserve is under $50, a $50 minimum is presumed.[1]
Official text · Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32(C)(5)(d)
“If the amount entered on Line 12 is less than $50, there is a rebuttable presumption that a $50 minimum amount should be entered.”
- Shared parenting time
Court-ordered 50% (or about 50%) physical custody: basic obligation × 150%
When the court orders roughly equal (50%) physical custody, the schedule amount is multiplied by 150% and calculated on Form CS-42-S.[1]
Official text · Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32(C)(7)
““shared 50% physical custody” shall refer to a court-ordered physical-custody arrangement whereby each parent retains physical custody of a child 50% (or approximately 50%) of the time.”
- Top of the guidelines
Schedule ends at $30,000/month combined; above that, court discretion
The schedule runs to $30,000 of combined monthly adjusted gross income; above its top, the court uses its discretion.[1]
Official text · Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32(C)(1); Schedule of Basic Child-Support Obligations
“The court may use its discretion in determining child support in circumstances where combined adjusted gross income exceeds the uppermost levels of the schedule.”
- Review cycle
Modification presumed when the guideline amount differs by more than 10%
A change of more than ten percent between the existing order and the guideline amount creates a presumption that support should be modified.[1]
Official text · Ala. R. Jud. Admin. 32(A)(3)(c)
“There shall be a rebuttable presumption that child support should be modified when the difference between the existing child-support order and the amount determined by application of these guidelines varies more than ten percent (10%),”
Guideline: Rule 32, Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration (cases filed on or after June 1, 2023), Alabama Unified Judicial System, checked October 26, 2026.
Estimate and general information only — not legal advice. MediationList is a directory, not a law firm, and doesn’t endorse any mediator. Guidelines change; confirm with the state child support agency or your court (sources checked October 26, 2026). See also divorce laws in Alabama and child support in every state.
Sources
Alabama’s child support guideline, rules and official tools, read on the official sites, with the date we checked each.