Jackson Child Support Attorneys
More than 50 Years of Combined Legal Experience on Your Side
Child support is an issue that is often very misunderstood. Questions about whether you will have to pay, if custody factors into a judge’s decision, and other matters, can weigh heavily on your family. In addition, any legal matter involving minors always has additional concerns, as keeping your child or children’s best interests in mind is very important.
Mississippi’s Statutory Support Guidelines
In Mississippi, if a child is under 21 and is not emancipated, the non-custodial parent must pay child support based on the minimum statutory guidelines, if that parent's adjusted gross income is $50,000 or less.
However, if the adjusted gross income of the non-custodial parent exceeds $50,000, the court can deviate from these guidelines. For example, if the non-custodial parent has an adjusted gross income of $150,000 annually and has two small children, it simply does not cost $30,000 a year to raise the children, even while letting them maintain their former standard of living. If requested, the judge will probably deviate from the guidelines in this situation, requiring less than the standard 20%.
- Generally support payments are made according to the following guidelines, which represent a percentage of the non-custodial parent's adjusted gross income:
- One child: 14%
- Two children: 20%
- Three children: 22%
- Four children: 24%
- Five or more children: 26%
