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Support decisions affect your budget for years, so it's worth getting them right. Our Savannah child support attorneys at Modern Family Law help you set, change or enforce child support and alimony under Georgia law. We explain Georgia child support basics up front, and your first consultation is free.
Georgia uses a formula for child support, but alimony has no formula. That means the way your income and needs are presented can change the outcome.
Our Savannah support attorneys review your full income, including military pay, overtime and shift differentials, so the order reflects your family's real finances.
Schedule a Free ConsultationChild support and alimony follow very different rules in Georgia.
Georgia uses an income shares model based on both parents' gross monthly incomes and the state's basic support table. Health insurance and work-related child care are added, and since January 1, 2026, a parenting time adjustment is required.
Georgia has no alimony formula. A judge or jury looks at the standard of living, the length of the marriage, each spouse's age, health and earning ability, and each spouse's contributions. Adultery or desertion that caused the separation bars that spouse from receiving alimony.
Get an estimate with our Georgia spousal maintenance calculator and child support calculator.
If you're divorcing, support is decided in your Chatham County Superior Court case at 133 Montgomery Street. Unmarried parents can ask for support in a legitimation or custody case, or through Georgia's Division of Child Support Services.
Child support usually lasts until a child turns 18, or up to 20 if the child is still in high school. Alimony can be temporary during the case, or periodic or lump-sum in the final decree.
In Savannah, support often turns on how military and hourly income is counted.
Military pay can include housing and other allowances that may count as income for child support. Port, manufacturing and hospital workers may earn overtime or shift pay. We help make sure every source is counted correctly.
A job loss, a new duty station or a big income change may justify modifying support. Georgia generally allows a modification once every two years, with exceptions such as involuntary income loss. Missed payments can be enforced through the court's order enforcement process.
Our Savannah support attorneys will review your numbers and give you clear next steps. Speak with a Savannah support attorney for free.
At Modern Family Law, we walk through how support is calculated before you agree to anything, so there are no surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Not automatically. If the move changes income or parenting time in a big way, either parent can ask the court to modify the order.
Yes. Georgia counts basic allowance for housing (BAH) at the without-dependents rate, along with base pay and the subsistence allowance. Some special pays and allowances are usually left out.
Yes. Service members can pay support through a voluntary allotment, and an involuntary allotment can be ordered if payments fall behind.
No. A judge or jury decides alimony using statutory factors such as the length of the marriage and each spouse's finances.
A parent generally can't file a new petition within two years of the final order on their last one, unless an exception applies, such as an involuntary loss of income or a parent not following the parenting time schedule.
The court can enforce the order, including through contempt and income deduction orders. Georgia's Division of Child Support Services can also help.
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.
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