Child Support

New Child Support Law Makes All Children Equal

Section 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-5-101(e), is amended by adding the following as a new subdivision:

(4)(A) In addition to any other subtractions, calculations of net income under the guidelines shall take into consideration the support of any other children the obligor is legally responsible to provide. Children of the obligor who are not included in a decree of child support, but for whom the obligor is legally responsible to provide support and is supporting, shall be considered for the purposes of reducing the obligor's net income or in calculating the guideline amount. Such children may be considered by the court as a reason for deviation from the guidelines.