Court-ordered parenting time now reduces the noncustodial parent’s share of Georgia child support through a formula, not a deviation the judge may grant or refuse.
What the Statute Says
OCGA 19-6-15(a)(17) defines the parenting time adjustment as “an adjustment reducing the basic child support obligation amount owed by the noncustodial parent to account for expenses incurred during that parent’s court ordered parenting time.” Under OCGA 19-6-15(b)(5.1) it is applied after the pro rata split and entered on Schedule C of the worksheet described in our post on completing a Georgia child support worksheet. OCGA 19-6-15(g)(2) supplies the formula, which weights each parent’s court-ordered days, and under OCGA 19-6-15(a)(17.1) a “day” is an overnight or, for regular daytime periods, the hours of parenting time divided by 24.
Only Court-Ordered Time Counts
Under OCGA 19-6-15(g)(1)(C), the adjustment “shall only be used to account for court ordered parenting time. If there is no court order awarding parenting time, the court shall determine the child support obligation without the use of this parenting time adjustment.” It can reduce the noncustodial parent’s share to zero or, where the custodial parent earns more, make the custodial parent the payer, as our post on both parents’ duty to support explains. OCGA 19-6-15(g)(1)(B).
What Changed on January 1, 2026
Until January 1, 2026, parenting time was a discretionary deviation, available when the presumptive amount was “excessive or inadequate due to extended parenting time,” and only with the deviation findings. In Hamlin v. Ramey, 291 Ga. App. 222 (2008), a father with over 40 percent of the parenting time got no reduction because he never showed what the time would cost him or how a lower figure served the child. Likewise, in Willis v. Willis, 288 Ga. 577 (2011), the Georgia Supreme Court upheld a refusal to deviate even with equally shared custody. The 2024 amendment replaced that deviation with the adjustment; those decisions construe 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!