Tennessee uses what is called the Income Shares Model, codified under T.C.A. § 36-5-101 and Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04, which combines both parents’ adjusted gross income and applies a statutory schedule to determine the total obligation owed to the child. This approach assumes a child should receive roughly the same proportion of parental income they would have received had the household actually stayed intact.
This model differs from a flat percentage-of-income approach used in some other states, since it accounts for both parents’ combined earnings rather than basing the obligation on just one parent’s income alone. Tennessee’s guidelines schedule generally covers combined incomes up to $10,000 net per month, with additional support potentially available above that threshold at the court’s discretion.
Tennessee generally treats wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, and self-employment earnings as includable income for support calculations, along with government benefits and investment returns. A Bristol child support lawyer reviewing a new case works to confirm every applicable income source actually gets included, since an incomplete picture can meaningfully skew the resulting support figure.
Tennessee courts can impute or assign an income level to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, meaning the calculation does not simply stop if a parent has no current earnings. This prevents a parent from artificially lowering their support obligation by declining to work when they genuinely have the capacity to earn income.
Tennessee applies what is called a Standard of Living Adjustment, or SOLA, which varies based on the paying parent’s actual income level rather than applying the same fixed percentage reduction that many other states use. A Bristol child support lawyer explains this variable approach is intended to provide greater protection for lower income parents compared to a flat reduction model.
Yes, in terminology if not always in practical effect. Tennessee refers to the parent who spends less time with the child as the Alternate Residential Parent, a designation that appears throughout the state’s worksheets and guidelines. This terminology sits alongside, rather than automatically determines, which parent actually owes the support obligation once income and parenting time are both factored in.
Tennessee counts parenting days rather than just overnights, meaning daytime only visits count as half a day toward the total, and the calculation adjusts once a parent reaches ninety-two parenting days in a year. Below that threshold, Tennessee generally treats the arrangement as standard visitation without applying any additional time-based adjustment to the support figure.
Yes, generally. Tennessee’s worksheet adds work-related childcare costs and the child’s health insurance premium on top of the basic obligation, then divides those additional costs proportionally between the parents based on their share of combined income. Extraordinary educational expenses and uninsured medical costs above a certain threshold can also factor into the final figure.
Yes, though Tennessee generally requires a significant change in circumstances, typically one that would alter the support amount by fifteen percent or more, before a court will revisit an existing order. A parent seeking modification needs to present concrete evidence showing the current order no longer genuinely reflects the family’s actual financial circumstances.
No. Tennessee places no statute of limitations on collecting past due child support, meaning the state can pursue unpaid arrears indefinitely through tools like wage garnishment, tax refund interception, license revocation, and property liens.
The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt helps Bristol area parents establish, modify, and enforce child support orders, working to confirm the resulting figure genuinely reflects each family’s actual circumstances and needs.
