How to run Alimony Child Support in DocketMath for Mississippi

Step-by-step

This guide walks you through running Alimony + Child Support in DocketMath for Mississippi (US-MS) using jurisdiction-aware rules for:

• Child support under Miss. Code § 43-19-101
• Alimony under Miss. Code § 93-5-23

1) Open the correct calculator and confirm the jurisdiction

1. Go to /tools/alimony-child-support
2. Set jurisdiction to Mississippi (US-MS) if it isn’t already selected.
3. Confirm you’re using the combined “alimony + child support” calculator (not a child-only or alimony-only tool).

Why this matters: the Mississippi mode is designed to align the child-support portion with Miss. Code § 43-19-101 and the alimony portion with Miss. Code § 93-5-23.

2) Enter child-support inputs first (Miss. Code § 43-19-101)

Start with the child-support side first, since it often significantly influences the overall combined result.

Enter whatever the interface requests, typically including:

• Number of children
• Obligor income
• Obligee income (or other required income fields shown by the tool)
• Any additional income-related items your screen asks for

Mississippi child-support calculations in this tool follow guideline logic under Miss. Code § 43-19-101, including a percentage-of-obligor-AGI structure that varies by child count (as provided in the verified packet).

Also watch for this rule the calculator applies:

• Income cap (presumptive): 100000
  This means results may not scale linearly above the cap—more on that in the pitfalls section.

3) Run the alimony section next (Miss. Code § 93-5-23)

After you complete the child-support inputs, move to the alimony portion of the calculator and enter the inputs the UI requests under Miss. Code § 93-5-23.

In this calculator’s workflow, alimony is treated as:

• Periodic alimony
• Lump-sum alimony
• Rehabilitative alimony

And the alimony analysis is discretionary and guided by the statute’s Armstrong factors (as reflected in the calculator’s input structure).

So, when you reach this section:

• select the alimony type if your UI asks for it, and
• complete the Armstrong-factor-related inputs exactly as prompted by the tool.

4) Set marriage-duration / tier parameters (if your UI shows them)

Some Mississippi configurations in DocketMath include tier logic tied to marriage duration. If your screen asks for marriage length (or a duration band), choose the tier that matches your facts from the verified packet:

• Long tier: minimum 20 years
• Mid tier: minimum 10 years, maximum 20 years
• Short tier: maximum 10 years

If you’re unsure, re-check the number of years you input before running the calculation—mis-selecting the tier can change which outcome band the calculator uses.

5) Click Calculate and review the output breakdown

Once all required fields are filled:

1. Click Calculate
2. Review how the results are split

At minimum, you should see:

• Child support output (based on Miss. Code § 43-19-101)
• Alimony output (based on Miss. Code § 93-5-23)

Then compare the figures shown for each bucket. If the tool provides intermediate components or line-item style breakdowns, review them to confirm the calculator is using the inputs you intended (especially obligor income, number of children, alimony type, and any tier selection).

6) Change one variable at a time (to understand what drives the total)

To learn how the Mississippi rules set behaves in the calculator, run short test iterations.

Use a change-control checklist:

• Change income inputs only → observe what happens to the child support and alimony outputs
• Change number of children only → observe how the child support portion changes
• Change the marriage duration tier only (if applicable) → observe how the alimony portion changes

This is the fastest way to determine whether an unexpected result is caused by (for example) tier selection vs. income vs. alimony type.

7) Save, compare, and document scenarios

If DocketMath offers scenario saving or comparisons, use it to keep:

• a baseline scenario, and
• one alternative scenario (e.g., different alimony type or different income).

If saving isn’t available, document your runs with notes or screenshots capturing:

• number of children
• obligor/obligee income values
• alimony type (if prompted)
• any Armstrong-factor inputs
• the marriage-duration tier selection

Common pitfalls

These are common reasons DocketMath Mississippi results look “off” even when the calculator is working properly:

• Forgetting the income cap behavior

  • The Mississippi rules configuration uses an income cap (presumptive) of 100000.
  • If your income inputs are above that level, output may change differently than you’d expect if you assume a simple “more income → proportionally more support” relationship.

• Entering obligor vs. obligee values into the wrong fields

  • Child-support calculations depend on which person is treated as obligor versus the other party.
  • Before running, double-check the labels on the inputs in the UI.

• Skipping alimony type selection (when prompted)

  • Under Miss. Code § 93-5-23, alimony can be periodic, lump-sum, or rehabilitative.
  • If the calculator asks you to pick the type, selecting the wrong type can materially change the output.

• Using inconsistent marriage duration facts

  • If the calculator uses tier logic:

    • Short: max 10 years
    • Mid: 10–20 years
    • Long: min 20 years
  • A mismatch here can move the alimony output to a different tier/branch in the tool.

• Changing multiple inputs between runs

  • If you adjust income, number of children, and tier all at once, you won’t know which input caused the change.
  • Use one-variable-at-a-time testing to diagnose.

Try it

Here’s a quick “do it now” workflow you can complete in under 10 minutes:

• Open /tools/alimony-child-support
• Set jurisdiction to Mississippi (US-MS)
• Enter child-support basics:

  • number of children
  • obligor income
  • obligee income (as requested by the tool)
• Enter alimony inputs:

  • select alimony type if prompted (periodic / lump-sum / rehabilitative)
  • complete the Armstrong-factor-related inputs shown in the tool
• Confirm marriage duration tier (if prompted):

  • Short: max 10 years
  • Mid: 10–20 years
  • Long: min 20 years
• Click Calculate
• Review the output split into:

  • child support (under Miss. Code § 43-19-101)
  • alimony (under Miss. Code § 93-5-23)
• Run one extra test:

  • change only one variable (like number of children) and confirm the output moves in the expected direction

If the results surprise you, verify first:

• whether you hit the 100000 presumptive income cap behavior in the tool,
• whether you entered income on the correct obligor/obligee fields, and
• whether your tier selection matches the facts you intended.

For reference materials related to the calculator’s Mississippi child-support guideline basis, you can use the packet linked below.

Related reading

• How Alimony Child Support rules vary in New York — What varies by jurisdiction
• How to calculate Alimony Child Support in Philippines — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Worked example: Alimony Child Support in Philippines — Worked example with real statute citations