How to Calculate Child Support Payments in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has child support guidelines that parents and judges use to calculate the right amount of support in a particular case. The guidelines are based on the principle that parents have a legal duty to provide financial support for their children.

How to Calculate Child Support Under Oklahoma's Child Support Guidelines

To calculate the amount of support under Oklahoma's current child support guidelines, you can use Oklahoma's Child Support Computation tools.

Oklahoma's guidelines take into account many factors, including:

• both parents' income
• the number of children who need to be supported
• certain Social Security and Veterans Administration benefits
• preexisting court-ordered alimony payments
• marital debt
• court-ordered child support payments
• the number of annual overnights for each parent
• monthly child care expenses
• monthly health insurance costs for the children
• ongoing medical costs, and
• visitation transportation costs

Learn more about child custody and child support in Oklahoma, including what gets counted as income when calculating support.

(Okla. Stat. tit. 43, §§ 118-120 (2024).)

Are Other Child Support Calculators Accurate?

Watch out for websites with so-called child support calculators for Oklahoma. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee that these calculators are accurate and up-to-date. Oklahoma updates its child support guidelines regularly, and you usually can't tell whether any of these websites have kept up with the latest changes.

It's best to stick with the official state calculator to get the most accurate amount of child support you may pay or receive. Be aware, however, that this will be an estimate only and isn't a guarantee of the amount of child support a judge will order. As explained below, the judge may order a different amount in your case.

When Child Support May Be Different than the Guidelines Calculation

Oklahoma judges typically must order the amount of support calculated by the guidelines. Still, judges can deviate from the guidelines if the deviation is in the child's best interests and:

• the guideline amount is unjust or inappropriate under the circumstances
• the parents are represented by lawyers and have agreed to a different amount, or
• one parent has a lawyer and the deviation benefits the parent who doesn't have a lawyer.

Examples of circumstances that might justify a deviation include situations involving extreme economic hardship and children with extraordinary medical or educational expenses.

(Okla. Stat. tit. 43, §§ 118, 118H (2024).)

How to Apply for Child Support in Oklahoma

If you're filing for divorce or legal separation in Oklahoma, you can request child support as part of that process.

You can apply for child support services through your local Child Support Services (CSS) office. The agency can help you establish a support order and establish paternity if you aren't married to your child's father.

How to Collect Child Support in Oklahoma

Nearly all child support orders in Oklahoma include income assignments, which require employers to take support payments directly from the paycheck of the parent who owes support. Parents who aren't receiving child support services from the state can agree to make an alternative arrangement to pay and receive child support

If you're having trouble collecting support payments, CSS can enforce child support orders using one or more of the following actions:

• intercepting tax refunds, workers' compensation, and personal injury judgments
• seizing property such as bank accounts
• reporting the debt to credit bureaus
• license suspensions (including driver's, professional, and recreational)
• passport denials, and
• holding the parent who isn't paying in contempt of court.

If you're having trouble paying child support, contact CSS for help finding a job or modifying your support order.

(Okla. Stat. tit. 43, §§ 111.1, 115, 139 (2024).)

How to Change the Amount of Child Support

In Oklahoma, either parent can ask a judge to modify a child support order if circumstances have materially changed since the last order, including a significant change in:

• the child's needs
• either parent's income
• child care costs
• the cost of medical or dental insurance
• the custody arrangement, or
• a child's eligibility for support.

You also have a right to ask CSS to review your support order if the order is more than a year old or if you experience a qualifying change in circumstances.

(Okla. Stat. tit. 43, §§ 43-118.1, 43-118I (2024).)

Getting Help With Child Support

Calculating child support is complicated. You can find free information and resources on many legal topics, including child support at OKLaw.org.

If you and your co-parent can't agree on child custody, support, or both, you might need a lawyer's help. An experienced lawyer can answer your questions, help you negotiate an agreement that works for you and your child, and advocate for you in court if it comes to that.