New PA Child Support Guidelines

Archive note: This post was published on December 23, 2021, and describes the law at that time. Under Pa.R.C.P. 1910.19(a) and its explanatory comment, new or revised guidelines may constitute a material and substantial change in circumstances, either by themselves or in combination with other factors, and the petitioner must still show that the change is material and substantial in the particular case.

Beginning  January 1, 2022, the August 17, 2021, revisions to Pennsylvania Child Support Guidelines will go into effect.

Notable changes include an all-new Basic Child Support Schedule (support table) under Pa.R.C.P. 1910.16-3, which sets forth the total child support for the combined net monthly income of the parties.

Additionally, there are changes to:

• the presumption of custodial time associated with the basic guidelines;
• imputed income;
• expenses and extra-curricular activities; and
• factors for deviation from the guidelines.

While the changes themselves constitute a material and substantial change in circumstances under which a current Order may be reviewed, the changes may result in a (very) minimal potential change to many cases, while at certain income levels the updated guidelines produce substantial differences to a support calculation.

Also, changing in Allegheny County beginning on January 4, 2022, for new support cases will be the implementation of a two-step process for conferences/hearings. Previously, in Allegheny County, the support conference and support hearing were scheduled for the same day. Moving forward these matters will be handled separately.

The support conferences will continue to be held remotely by telephone (until further notice), but if there is no agreement at the conference level, rather than proceeding directly to a support hearing on the same day, the parties will be given a date for a subsequent support hearing, before a hearing officer to be held in person within two weeks from the date of the conference.

For more information about these changes, how they may impact your support case and to calculate the amount of support owed or received, we are happy to speak to you. Feel free to call us at 412.303.9566.