Child support in Oklahoma
Child support ensures both parents contribute financially to their children's needs.
The parent with fewer overnights with the child in a year (the obligor) pays child support to the other parent (the obligee).
In cases of shared parenting, where both parents have at least 121 overnights in the parenting time schedule, the obligor pays a discounted support amount. The more overnights the obligor has, the greater the discount, so count your overnights exactly.
Support ends when the child turns 18 if they've graduated high school. Otherwise, it continues until they graduate or turn 20, whichever happens first.
Determining child support amounts
Oklahoma requires parents to complete a child support computation form to help determine support amounts. To get a quick estimate, use the calculator above.
The following factor into the support amount:
- Parents' combined gross incomes
- Parents' number of overnights
- Monthly childcare costs
- Any ongoing medical expenses related to the child
- Child support the noncustodial parent pays for other children
- Whether other children are being supported by either parent (in or out of the home)
- State benefits the child receives (e.g., Medicaid)
A child may receive state health insurance if their parents cannot get coverage through their employer or their parents cannot afford private insurance. Unless they're below the poverty line, the obligor must reimburse the state for the child's health care. This portion of the support award, called cash medical, goes to the Medicaid agency.
Parents can agree on a child support amount they believe is fair. The court will only approve an amount lesser than the computed amount if the person receiving child support has a lawyer.
Applying for child support
You can apply for support online or ask for it when you file for custody, divorce or legal separation. You don't need a custody order to request child support.
If the custodial parent applies for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the state will seek child support from the noncustodial parent on their behalf.
If you don't know who your child's father is or you don't know your co-parent's whereabouts, apply through a child support office or the agency that handles support in your county (e.g., the Department of Human Services — DHS).
Paying child support
Obligors can pay support online, through a payment kiosk or via bank transfer. Support payments are automatically deducted from the obligor's pay if the court orders that.
Unless they receive TANF, obligees can choose to have support payments loaded onto a debit card or deposited into their bank accounts.
Support payments for obligees that receive TANF go directly to DHS so it can keep enough to reimburse the child's public assistance. DHS then sends any remaining money to the obligee.
Enforcing child support
Obligees can contact the child support office for help with enforcement. The child support office can take money from tax refunds, gambling winnings and more.
The obligee can also start a contempt action against the obligor. A judge can sentence the obligor to up to six months in jail if they're found guilty.
Support orders are separate from custody orders. You cannot deny visitation because the noncustodial parent misses support payments, and the noncustodial parent cannot withhold support payments from you for denying visitation. You should follow your orders as written to avoid returning to court.
Calculating your parenting time in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, obligors with at least 121 annual overnights pay a reduced amount of child support.
Lawyers (and even the courts) usually estimate the number of overnights because counting manually is time-consuming. An inaccurate calculation can impact your child support order by thousands of dollars a year.
The Custody X Change app lets you quickly calculate your exact overnights.
With Custody X Change, you can tweak your schedule to see how even little changes affect your timeshare. And you'll see how your parenting time changes each year due to holidays and other events.
You'll also avoid common math errors, such as counting holiday time as an addition to regular parenting time instead of a replacement.
Whether you are paying or receiving child support, make sure your Oklahoma parenting time calculation is exact. The number will affect you, your child and the other parent for years to come.