Legal Question in Family Law in Louisiana

He will owe temporary spousal support for up to 18 months. It depends on her need. He will also owe child support. If she did not work during the marriage, the court will not take her income into consideration until the children are both 5 years old. Child support is based on a formula and income charts created by the Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes 315.2 states that in order to calculate support payments, the court must base its decision first on a basic support obligation. It is based on each parent's percentage of their two combined gross incomes. For example, if one spouse earns $40,000 and the other $60,000, the basic obligation is 40 percent and 60 percent, respectively. Once this basic amount is determined, child support costs--such as health care--and deductions--such as a child's income--are factored into the support calculation. The remaining amount is the total support obligation. Each party determines his or her share of this by multiplying the basic obligation percentage by the total support obligation determined by the court. For instance, if the court determines that the child needs $10,000 a year in support, the spouses in the example would be responsible for $4,000 and $6,000 per year, respectively. There is an actual chart which is accessile from the Louisiana Legislature's website where you can access all of the statutes. La. R.S. 9: 315.14 is the article containing the schedule. With two children and the only income being 1100.00, the basic support obligation is $335.00.