A Georgia parent whose adjusted gross income falls within the statute’s low-income table pays the lesser of the presumptive child support amount or the table figure, and the calculator compares them automatically.
What the Statute Says
Under OCGA 19-6-15(i.1), where a parent’s monthly adjusted gross income, “considering the number of children for whom support is being determined, is less than the highest amount of monthly adjusted gross income shown in the low-income adjustment table,” that parent’s obligation “shall be the lesser of such parent’s presumptive amount of child support or the amount determined using the low-income adjustment table.” The table in OCGA 19-6-15(p) runs in $50 steps to just under $4,000 a month for one child, lower for more children, and at or below $1,500 a month sets support as a percentage of income, 19 percent for one child.
An Adjustment, Not a Deviation
The adjustment is a separate step after any deviation. OCGA 19-6-15(b)(8) directs a “low-income adjustment, if applicable, to the parent’s presumptive amount of child support as changed by deviations,” and adds that “[t]he Georgia Child Support Calculator will automatically perform this function.” Because it is not a deviation, it is not entered on Schedule E and needs none of the written findings described in our post on required findings for deviations.
What Changed on January 1, 2026
Until January 1, 2026, Georgia had a discretionary low-income deviation instead, available to the noncustodial parent alone and requiring the same written findings as any other deviation. In Brogdon v. Brogdon, 290 Ga. 618 (2012), the Georgia Supreme Court held that the deviation “is based on the noncustodial parent’s inability to pay the presumptive child support amount due to low income,” so a custodial mother’s low income could not support one. The 2024 amendment replaced that deviation with the adjustment, which speaks of “a parent” and turns on the table rather than hardship; Brogdon construes the old provision, not the current one.
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This post is a quick overview of the law and is not intended as legal advice. Please feel free to contact our office for a consultation if you have questions about this or any other legal aspects regarding your case!