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Child support can be a contentious issue among unwed couples and married couples seeking divorces. It’s important that you have a skilled New Sarpy child support lawyer on your side to defend your rights and interests.
Founded in 1986 by founding attorney Mark A. Marino, our team has been practicing family law for decades. Mr. Marino began his practice soon after receiving his J.D. from Louisiana State University Law Center in Baton Rouge. Since then, he has been joined by his son Orrin A. Marino, who has focused his career primarily on family law matters.
Orrin A. Marino began his career as a student practitioner in the Family Law Clinic at the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and has since represented clients in many complex child support cases. He understands the emotional and practical challenges faced by families during major life transitions and is known for taking a calm, straightforward approach to guiding clients through child support disputes.
Child support is a contentious issue in Louisiana. In 2024, the Department of Children and Family Services’ Child Support Enforcement Program collected nearly 56% of court-obligated payments from noncustodial parents. Louisiana ranked 52nd out of 54 states and territories for child support collection due in part to the state’s high poverty rate and low median household income.
If you’re struggling to make payments or having difficulty getting your child’s other parent to pay their court-mandated child support in New Sarpy, you can hire a child support lawyer to help you. Your New Sarpy child support attorney can provide you with support, advocacy, and representation throughout this difficult time. They can help you with paperwork, keep track of deadlines, file motions with the court, and represent you during hearings.
Dealing with contentious child support issues can be stressful. Having a lawyer on your side can help to relieve your stress and improve your chances of a successful outcome in your case.
Louisiana uses a shared income model to calculate child support obligations. The model is based on the idea that every child should receive financial support that is similar to what they would receive if their parents lived together.
To calculate child support payments, the court uses the following steps:
The St. Charles Parish District Attorney’s Child Support Office and the 29th Judicial District Court also adjust child support payments based on the parents’ custody arrangements. Generally, though, the parent earning the higher income is responsible for the bulk of the child support obligation.
How much child support is required for one child in Louisiana is determined based on the combined adjusted monthly gross income of the parents. Louisiana uses an income shares model to estimate the total amount that married parents would spend on a child, then divides the responsibility between the parents based on their individual incomes.
The median household income of $60,756 would lead to a payment of around $940 for one child based on the Louisiana child support schedule.
How far behind you can get in child support before a warrant is issued in Louisiana depends on your monthly child support amount. You can face a criminal charge for unpaid child support if your past-due arrears exceed $2,500, or you’ve gone more than six months without making payments.
The new child support law in Louisiana is Act 605, which directly pertains to child custody. It took effect on August 1, 2026, and changed the state’s joint custody standard from indicating that physical custody “should” be shared equally to saying that it “shall” be shared equally.
The shift toward equal physical custody often affects how child support obligations are calculated under the state’s Income Shares Model because time-sharing ratios influence financial support calculations.
Unfit parents in Louisiana have to pay child support unless their parental rights are legally and permanently terminated. Loss of physical custody does not erase a parent’s financial obligation to the child, even if the parent gets only limited or supervised visitation due to being deemed unfit. However, the court can terminate parental rights during a particularly severe child welfare case.
If you’re concerned about your ability to make your current child support payments or are having difficulty getting your child’s non-custodial parent to make theirs, you can work with a New Sarpy child support lawyer to resolve the issue. The team here at Marino Law Firm, LLC, is here to help.
In our more than 50 years in practice, the team here at Marino Law Firm, LLC, has handled countless complex child support cases. Our clients appreciate our direct and honest approach and our reputation among our peers for providing competent representation and zealously protecting our clients’ rights and interests. You can contact us to schedule an initial consultation regarding your child support case today.
Marino Law Firm, LLC, represents clients throughout southeast Louisiana’s river parishes. During regular business hours, call our Destrehan, Louisiana, office-toll free at 985-764-1515 with any urgent matters, including updates to an existing case. Our staff is available to take messages, schedule appointments and answer question about nonlegal matters. Contact us to arrange a consultation with an experienced Destrehan family law attorney and criminal defense lawyer.
call for consultation 985-764-1515
104 Campus Drive East
Suite 101
Destrehan, LA 70047
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