Child Support

The judge will use the Mississippi Child Support Award Guidelines to set the child support amount. The guidelines specify what percentage of the noncustodial parent’s “adjusted gross income” is supposed to go toward child support. The amount depends on how many children the parent has to support.¹

You can see the guidelines in section 43-19-101 on our Selected Mississippi Statutes page.

To figure out a parent’s “adjusted gross income,” the judge will:

1. calculate the total income of the noncustodial (“absent”) parent; and
2. subtract amounts the parent pays for:
   • taxes;
   • Social Security contributions;
   • mandatory contributions to retirement and disability; and
   • support for other children.²

The law assumes that the guidelines set the right amount of child support unless there are specific facts that show otherwise.³ To understand when the judge may order a different amount, read Can a child support order ever be different from what the Mississippi Child Support Award Guidelines say?

¹ Miss. Code § 43-19-101(1)
² Miss. Code § 43-19-101(3)
³ Miss. Code §§ 43-19-101(1), (2); 43-19-103