Child Support Guidelines Are Changing

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Alabama courts have issued the first
update in 15 years to child-support payment guidelines for
divorcing parents.
Under the new guidelines, the amount will increase for
middle-income families and decrease for extremely poor and
upper-income families.
Court officials say the new figures apply only to cases filed
after Jan. 1, although a limited number of current child-support
orders may be eligible for modification.
The guidelines set the recommended total financial support for
divorced families with one to six children.
Officials say the new guidelines, last revised in 1993, reflect
more current costs for raising children, modern tax rates and other
factors. The new version also has a broader schedule of child
support.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

For more on child support in Alabama, check out the Alabama Department of Human Resources website here .