Get a Free Consultation
Support decisions affect your budget for years, so it's worth getting them right. Our Atlanta child support attorneys at Modern Family Law help you set, change or enforce child support and alimony under Georgia law. We explain how child support works before you agree to anything, and your first consultation is free.
Support is often the issue Atlanta families worry about most. Georgia uses a formula for child support, but alimony has no formula, so the facts you present make a real difference.
Our Atlanta support attorneys review your full income picture, including bonuses and equity pay, so the order reflects your family's real finances.
Schedule a Free ConsultationChild support and alimony work very differently in Georgia.
Georgia uses an income shares model. The court adds both parents' gross monthly incomes, finds the basic amount on the state table and splits it by each parent's share of the income. Health insurance and work-related child care are added on top. Since January 1, 2026, the calculation also includes a required parenting time adjustment.
Georgia has no formula for alimony. A judge or jury weighs factors such as the standard of living during the marriage, the length of the marriage, each spouse's age, health, earning ability and contributions to the family. A spouse whose adultery or desertion caused the separation can't receive alimony.
Estimate support with our Georgia child support calculator and spousal maintenance calculator.
If you're divorcing, support is decided in your divorce case, usually in Fulton County Superior Court at 136 Pryor Street SW, or in DeKalb County Superior Court if your spouse lives there. Unmarried parents can ask for support in a legitimation or custody case, or through Georgia's Division of Child Support Services.
Child support generally lasts until a child turns 18, or up to 20 if the child is still in high school. Alimony can be temporary while the case is open, or periodic or lump-sum in the final decree.
In Atlanta, support often depends on how variable or high income is counted.
Many Atlanta parents earn bonuses, commissions, restricted stock or self-employment income. These can count as gross income for child support and matter for alimony. We help make sure income is counted fairly, not overstated or hidden.
You can usually ask to modify child support after a substantial change, such as a job loss or a big change in income. Georgia limits how often you can file, generally once every two years, with exceptions for involuntary income loss. If the other parent stops paying, the court can enforce the order through contempt of court proceedings and income deduction orders.
Our Atlanta support attorneys will review your numbers and give you clear next steps. Talk with an Atlanta support attorney for free.
At Modern Family Law, we explain how support is calculated before you agree to anything, so there are no surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Georgia uses an income shares model based on both parents' gross incomes, the state table, health insurance, child care and a required parenting time adjustment.
Usually until the child turns 18. Support can continue to age 20 if the child is still in high school.
Yes. Georgia's Division of Child Support Services can help parents in Fulton and DeKalb County set up, change and enforce support orders, even without a divorce case.
Yes. Georgia counts bonuses, commissions and overtime as gross income. When pay changes from year to year, the court often looks at an average.
Yes. Either spouse can ask the court for temporary alimony and temporary child support while the case is open.
Periodic alimony generally ends when the receiving spouse remarries, unless the agreement says otherwise. Living with a new partner can also be grounds to change it.
Our Calculators
We’re not fans of surprises and we suspect you aren’t either. We built these divorce calculators just for you, so you know what to expect every step of the way.
Divorce
Family Law
