Knight Law Firm | October 1, 2025 | Child Support
When parents separate or divorce, one of the most important issues is making sure children continue to receive the financial support they need. Louisiana law makes it clear that children should not suffer financially because of their parents’ relationship status. Both parents are legally required to contribute, and the goal of child support is to ensure kids have the same opportunities and stability as those in intact families.
Overview of Child Support in Louisiana
Louisiana’s public policy emphasizes that children should not become the economic victims of divorce or out-of-wedlock birth. State law requires both parents to share the responsibility of providing financial support for their children. Child support is based on the combined income of both parents, and it is meant to cover essentials such as housing, food, clothing, education, and healthcare.
By ensuring that children have access to adequate financial resources, the law helps protect them from poverty and promotes fairness between separated parents.
Steps for Applying for Child Support
Applying for child support in Louisiana follows a clear process, but it can feel overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. Understanding each step ahead of time will make it easier to gather the right documents and avoid delays in your case.
Fill Out the Request for Child Support Services
You begin by filling out an application for child support services. The Department of Children and Family Services has online and paper applications.
You will need to provide various information on the application, including the following:
- Your name
- Your date of birth
- Your Social Security Number
- Your contact information
- Your relationship to the children for whom you are seeking support
- Information about your children
- Whether there are any circumstances involving domestic violence
- Whether you or your children receive Medicaid, FITAP, or Kinship Care
- Information about the mother, biological father, and legal father of the children
- Information about marriage, divorce, and any existing paternity findings
You’ll need to sign and date the form.
Calculate the Child Support Obligation
The child support office will obtain financial information for both parents. They compile this information on Obligation Worksheet A to calculate the amount of child support that should be awarded.
Various pieces of information go into this calculation, including:
- The monthly gross income of each parent
- Any existing child support or spousal support payments
- The percentage share of income of each parent
- The basic child support obligation, based on the child support guidelines
- Child care costs, the child’s health insurance premium cost, uninsured extraordinary medical expenses, and extraordinary expenses
- Direct payments the non-custodial parent makes on behalf of the child for child care costs, health insurance premiums, extraordinary medical expenses, and extraordinary expenses
This information helps provide the recommended child support order.
It’s essential that you cooperate with child support services and provide accurate information so that the appropriate amount of child support can be determined. If you don’t have information about the other parent, your child support lawyer or the child support office may be able to help obtain it.
Mail the Application
If you’re mailing in the application rather than completing it online, you will send it to the Child Support Enforcement Regional Office that serves the area where you reside. The child support office will be in contact with you about your application and may request additional information.
Contact the Monroe Child Support Lawyer at Knight Law Firm for Help Today
Child support cases can be complex. You may not be able to obtain financial information about the other parent, and you might not know your rights. There may be legal grounds to deviate from the recommended child support order.
Contact our child support lawyers at Knight Law Firm for a free consultation. We proudly serve Shreveport, Monroe, Ruston, and the surrounding areas of North Louisiana.
Knight Law Firm – Shreveport Office
401 Market Street Suite 1006
Shreveport, LA 71101
(318) 569-8469
Knight Law Firm – Ruston Office
111 Kilgore Rd
Ruston, LA 71270
(318) 722-8919
Knight Law Firm – Monroe Office
1896 Hudson Cir N #1
Monroe, LA 71201
(318) 323-2213
