RALEIGH – North Carolina’s revised child-support guidelines will take effect Jan. 1, 2027, changing the presumptive calculations used in child-support proceedings heard on or after that date.
The Conference of Chief District Court Judges adopted the revisions Oct. 7 after a statewide review, according to the North Carolina Judicial Branch. The review included recommendations from judges and practicing attorneys, written public comments and feedback from a June 4 hearing in Raleigh.
The revised schedule raises the upper limit for basic child-support calculations to $50,000 in combined monthly gross income, or $600,000 a year. When combined income exceeds that amount, the court will continue to set support based on the child’s reasonable needs and the circumstances of the parties rather than relying on the schedule.
For parents who pay support and have adjusted gross income below $1,600 a month, the guidelines require a minimum $100 order unless a court makes a deviation. The updated self-support reserve is based on the 2026 federal poverty level.
The guidelines also clarify how courts may account for irregular, nonrecurring or one-time income. Other revisions address prospective support, retroactive support and arrears. The new document says the guidelines remain a rebuttable presumption, and courts may deviate when the required findings show that the presumptive amount would be inadequate, excessive, unjust or inappropriate.
The guidelines cover temporary and permanent orders in contested and uncontested cases, along with several other child-support proceedings.
The Administrative Office of the Courts contracted with the Center for Policy Research to review economic data on the cost of raising children. State law requires the guidelines to be reviewed at least once every four years. The next review is scheduled for 2030.
WECT independently reported the adoption date, effective date and principal income thresholds. The changes affect statewide family-law proceedings but do not automatically change an existing order before a court hears an action under the revised guidelines.
Sources
- North Carolina Judicial Branch: 2027 guideline update
- North Carolina Child Support Guidelines effective Jan. 1, 2027
- WECT: North Carolina child-support guidelines revised
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Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.