ARKANSAS SUPPORT GUIDELINE
Arkansas child support calculator & worksheet
Arkansas Administrative Order No. 10 makes the child-support chart and official calculator the presumptive starting point, with a different path when income is very low.
Current module status
| State | Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Status | Active base worksheet module |
| Guideline model | income shares monthly table |
| Primary income field | Combined monthly income available for support |
How Arkansas child support law works
Legal starting point. Arkansas Administrative Order No. 10 makes the child-support chart and worksheet the starting point for a presumptive order. The approach is income shares, but low-income treatment can use the obligor’s available income rather than the ordinary combined-income calculation. Read Arkansas Administrative Order No. 10.
How the guideline is calculated
The official tool selects a chart amount for the family’s income and child count, then applies the order’s worksheet adjustments. Joint custody, medical costs, child care, court-ordered deductions, and a deviation require facts that a bare chart lookup cannot decide.
What this site’s worksheet covers
Uses the Arkansas Judiciary Child Support Calculator v2.0 chart for Administrative Order 10, effective July 1, 2020. The official calculator rounds between-row income down to the previous chart row. When the noncustodial obligor’s income available for support is at or below the Administrative Order 10 self-support threshold, the official calculator looks up the chart amount using the obligor’s income only. Additional monthly child-rearing expenses, joint-custody worksheet adjustments, court-ordered deductions, medical insurance, extraordinary medical expenses, work-related child care and deviations require the full Arkansas worksheet.
Documents that make the worksheet more useful
Affidavit of Financial Means and Arkansas Child Support Worksheet. Gather the records that support the income, parenting-time, insurance, child-care, and other adjustment entries that apply to the family. The calculator applies the guideline formula described above and identifies any listed worksheet line it does not compute.
For a filing or agreement, complete the official court forms linked on this page. They use the same guideline structure explained here, and the court applies it to the facts of the case.
Before you enter your numbers
Why does Arkansas ask for both parents' income?
Arkansas's income-shares approach uses both parents' adjusted income to establish the family's basic obligation. The paying parent's percentage is applied to that obligation; it is not simply a percentage of that parent's paycheck. Joint custody and low-income cases need the applicable Administrative Order No. 10 analysis beyond the basic chart.
Prepare this: Prepare both financial affidavits and separate the child's insurance and care costs from household expenses. Describe the actual joint-custody arrangement if one applies.
Read the relevant official instructions: Arkansas Administrative Order No. 10.
These preparation notes explain one part of the state guideline. A new estimate does not change an existing order; a modification request does.
How Arkansas cases actually get to a number
Arkansas uses income shares, but low-income treatment can look at the obligor’s available income instead of the ordinary combined-income chart. Joint custody, medical support, and child care sit on the worksheet after the chart amount is selected.
Arkansas Administrative Order No. 10 makes the child-support chart and official calculator the presumptive starting point, with a different path when income is very low. That is a different path from neighboring states that use another model, so do not import a table, percentage, or overnight credit from somewhere else.
Parenting time in Arkansas
Joint custody is not assumed. When the court orders a true joint-custody arrangement, Administrative Order No. 10 points to a different treatment than a primary-custody chart lookup. Overnight estimates without an order should not be used to force the joint-custody path.
Costs Arkansas usually treats separately
- Health insurance for the children
- Child-care costs allowed by the order
- Extraordinary medical expenses
- Work-related travel of a parent when the court includes it
When Arkansas courts leave the guideline
The chart is presumptive. A deviation requires a written finding that the chart amount is unjust or inappropriate, using the order’s listed factors. High income above the chart, a child’s own resources, or a parent’s other dependents are typical deviation facts.
Official Arkansas forms to keep beside this guide
Affidavit of Financial Means and Arkansas Child Support Worksheet. The calculator applies the guideline formula described above and identifies any listed worksheet line it does not compute. The primary authority is the published Arkansas source. Fill the official form from source documents. Use this page only to check that you chose the right Arkansas path—primary versus shared, table versus percentage, add-ons versus basic support.
Where this is typically filed
Circuit Court (Domestic Relations) hears most private cases; the Office of Child Support Enforcement handles IV-D. Prefer the current AOC / Administrative Office calculator and chart over older printed versions.
Questions specific to Arkansas
Is Arkansas just a percentage of the paying parent’s pay?
No. The ordinary case uses a combined-income chart. Low-income cases can switch methods, which is why the official tool matters.
Do I use weekly or monthly income?
Follow the current Administrative Order No. 10 definitions. Mixing weekly net with a monthly chart is a common error.
Does joint custody automatically cut support in half?
No. Joint custody has a specific worksheet treatment. Equal overnights do not automatically mean a 50 percent reduction.
Run the calculator
Open the free support calculator, select Arkansas, complete the state worksheet, and print or export the output for review.