Child Support
23 Pa.C.S. 4321 — parents owe support, set by a statewide guideline
In Pennsylvania, parents are liable for the support of their children who are unemancipated and 18 years of age or younger, and may be liable for children 18 or older. Married persons are liable for each other's support according to their abilities.
Child and spousal support is awarded under a statewide guideline the Supreme Court sets by rule, so that people in similar situations are treated alike. The guideline rests on the reasonable needs of the child or spouse and the ability of the obligor to pay, with primary emphasis on the parties' net incomes and earning capacities, and allows deviations for unusual needs, extraordinary expenses, assets and other factors.
The guideline amount is presumed correct. In any judicial or expedited process, there is a rebuttable presumption that the guideline amount is the correct support. A written or specific finding on the record that applying it would be unjust or inappropriate in the particular case rebuts that presumption.
The guideline's own figures are in the court rules, not the statute, and are not reproduced here. The guideline is reviewed at least once every four years. What support is owed in a particular case is a question for the court and for a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- 23 Pa.C.S. 4321 — Liability for support
- 23 Pa.C.S. 4322 — Support guideline
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.