Child Support in Mississippi: How the Guideline Percentages Work
Parents on both sides of a support order want the same thing: to understand the number. Child support in Mississippi follows a formula that is simpler than most states use, and it produces results that surprise people who have read about other states.
This post explains the formula in plain language, along with the rules on income, deviations, modification and enforcement. It is legal information for learning purposes, not legal advice about your case.
How is child support calculated in Mississippi?
Many states combine both parents' incomes. Mississippi does not. The basic formula in § 43-19-101 applies a flat percentage to the adjusted gross income of the paying parent alone.
The percentages rise with the number of children: fourteen percent for one child, twenty percent for two, and twenty-two, twenty-four and twenty-six percent for three, four, and five or more. The guideline amount is a rebuttable presumption, and the guide walks through a worked example.
14 percent for one child
20 percent for two children
22 percent for three children
24 percent for four children
26 percent for five or more children
What counts as income for child support in Mississippi?
The percentage is applied to adjusted gross income, which is not the same as take-home pay. Section 43-19-101(3) sets out the steps: find gross income from all sources, then subtract a short list of mandatory deductions.
The guide explains what goes in, what comes out, and how courts handle a parent who is unemployed or earning less than they could. That last topic is called imputed income.
The income ceiling and floor
The guidelines were written for ordinary incomes. Section 43-19-101(4) addresses adjusted gross income above $100,000 or below $10,000 a year, where a court looks at whether applying the guidelines is reasonable.
A court may also depart from the guideline amount in other cases. Section 43-19-103 requires a written finding when it does. The guide explains the reasons courts accept.
When does child support end in Mississippi?
This is the rule that catches parents off guard. In Mississippi the support obligation does not end when a child turns eighteen. Under § 93-11-65, support generally continues until the child is emancipated, which can be as late as age twenty-one.
The guide explains the events that count as emancipation and what happens when the oldest of several children ages out.
Changing and enforcing a support order
Chancery court decides child support in Mississippi, and an order can be modified when circumstances change. The guide explains what a parent has to show.
It also covers health insurance for the child, how support works under the 2026 law that created a presumption of joint custody with equally shared parenting time, and the enforcement tools available when support goes unpaid.
Modification
Medical support and health insurance
Support when parenting time is equal
Enforcement tools, including license suspension
Frequently asked questions
Does Mississippi child support consider both parents' incomes?
The basic formula in § 43-19-101 applies a flat percentage to the paying parent's adjusted gross income alone. The guide explains how it works and when a court may depart from it.
What percentage is child support in Mississippi?
The guideline is fourteen percent of adjusted gross income for one child and twenty percent for two, with higher percentages for more children. The guide explains how adjusted gross income is figured.
Does child support stop at 18 in Mississippi?
No. Support generally continues until the child is emancipated, which can be as late as age twenty-one. The guide explains the emancipation rules in § 93-11-65.
Get the full guide
Get Child Support in Mississippi from STACKED LEGAL to understand the percentages, the income rules and the timeline before your next court date. It is available in paperback and eBook. Read Child Support in Mississippi.
Related guides
Legal information, not legal advice. Laws change, and every situation is different. For advice about your situation, talk to a licensed Mississippi attorney.
