CS-42 Alabama Child Support: Forms, Rule 32, and Calculations

Every Alabama custody case involving minor children requires four standardized child support forms. Getting them wrong — or submitting incomplete information — delays your case and can result in an inaccurate support amount that's difficult to modify later. Here's exactly how the forms work and how Alabama calculates child support.

The Four Required Forms

Form CS-41: Income Statement/Affidavit

Each parent completes their own CS-41, disclosing gross monthly income from all sources: wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, and unemployment benefits. The form must be signed before a notary and accompanied by recent pay stubs or tax returns.

Gross income means pre-tax, pre-deduction income. Courts include overtime, rental income, and investment returns. Voluntary unemployment or underemployment can trigger the court to impute income based on what the parent could reasonably earn.

Form CS-42: Standard Child Support Worksheet

Form CS-42 is the primary calculation worksheet for cases where one parent has primary physical custody. It combines both parents' gross monthly incomes, references the Schedule of Basic Child-Support Obligations to find the baseline amount, and divides the obligation proportionally based on each parent's share of combined income.

Form CS-42-S: Shared 50/50 Custody Worksheet

When parents share exactly equal (50/50) physical custody, Rule 32(C)(7)(b) requires Form CS-42-S instead of the standard CS-42. The key difference is the 1.5 multiplier: the basic child support obligation is multiplied by 150% to account for the duplicate household expenses of maintaining two full-time homes for the child.

The calculation then divides the multiplied obligation proportionally by income, credits each parent for expenses they pay directly (childcare, health insurance), and credits each parent for half of the shared custody obligation. The parent with the higher net obligation pays the difference.

Form CS-43: Notice of Compliance

Form CS-43 confirms whether the agreed support amount matches the guideline calculation. If the parents agree to deviate from the guidelines — either above or below — the reason for the deviation must be documented on CS-43 for the judge's review. Without a clear justification, the judge may reject a below-guideline amount.

How Rule 32 Calculates Support

Alabama uses the Income Shares Model under Rule 32 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration. The model works on the principle that a child should receive the same proportion of parental income they'd get if the parents were still together.

Step 1: Combine both parents' gross monthly incomes.

Step 2: Look up the basic child support obligation on the state schedule based on combined income and number of children.

Step 3: Add work-related childcare costs (capped at the DHR-published schedule of licensed childcare rates) and the child's portion of health insurance premiums.

Step 4: Divide the total obligation between parents in proportion to their share of combined income.

Step 5: The custodial parent's share is presumed spent directly on the child. The non-custodial parent's share becomes their monthly payment.

Step 6: The court orders an Income Withholding Order (IWO) directing the paying parent's employer to deduct support directly from their paycheck.

When the Court Can Deviate from Guidelines

The guideline amount is a rebuttable presumption — not a ceiling or a floor. Judges can approve a deviation for:

• Extensive visitation beyond standard arrangements that shifts costs to the non-custodial parent
• Extraordinary transportation costs for visitation (common when parents live far apart)
• Special needs of the child requiring additional medical, therapeutic, or educational expenses
• The child's own income or assets
• College expenses incurred before the child reaches the age of majority

Any deviation must be justified on the record and documented on Form CS-43.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Underreporting income on CS-41. Courts verify income through pay stubs, tax returns, and employer records. Underreporting damages your credibility and can result in sanctions.

Using the wrong worksheet. CS-42 is for primary custody arrangements; CS-42-S is exclusively for 50/50 shared custody. Using the wrong form produces an incorrect calculation.

Ignoring the health insurance line. The child's pro-rata share of health insurance premiums is added to the basic obligation before it's divided — omitting this inflates or deflates the final number.

Agreeing to below-guideline support without documentation. Without a written justification on CS-43, the judge may reject your agreement.

The Alabama Child Custody & Parenting Plan Guide includes a child support worksheet walkthrough, a step-by-step Rule 32 calculation guide, and pre-formatted CS-41/CS-42 preparation checklists — so your numbers are accurate before you file.

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