Child Support in Oklahoma

When parents live apart, the Courts use the Oklahoma Child Support Guidelines to set their parental child support obligations. The amount of child support a parent will be required to pay will basically depend upon the parents’ income and number of children.

First, each parent’s income is computed then added together to arrive at a gross monthly income figure. The Guidelines provide several ways of computing gross income. For example, when a parent is unemployed, the Court may impute income to that parent in an amount which may be expected for a person with comparable education, training and experience. For a self-employed parent, gross income is defined as “gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary expenses required for self-employment or business operations”. The Guidelines give the Court discretion to determine what is equitable.

Second, the parents’ base child support obligation is determined using the combined gross monthly income figure and a schedule set-out in the Guidelines. Each parent’s percentage of their combined gross monthly income determines each parent’s percentage share of the base child support figure under the schedule. The parent who is not the primary physical custodian of the child generally becomes the “obligor”– the parent who pays the other parent his or her percentage share of the base child support figure. Adjustments to the parents’ respective base child support obligations are made in shared parenting arrangements, depending on the number of overnight periods the non-primary physical custodial parent has with the child. Other adjustments may also be applicable, depending on the facts and circumstances of the particular case.

Medical, dental and other health care costs of the children, including insurance premiums, and work and education related child care expenses are allocated between the parents in the same percentage amounts as their base child support.

The Child Support Guidelines are capped at $15,000 per month in combined income. For parents whose gross monthly income is exceeds $15,000 per month, the Court has the discretion to determine a child support figure taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the particular case.

If you have questions about Child Support, please contact us to schedule an appointment for a consultation.