Whether you're receiving child support as income or paying it as a liability, FHA has precise rules about history, continuance, and documentation. Here's exactly what's required.
Child support must show consistent receipt for at least 12 consecutive months to count as qualifying income.
The support must be legally obligated to continue for at least 3 years past your closing date.
Decree/court order plus bank statements or a court ledger showing consistent receipt.
Court-ordered payments you make count as a monthly liability in your DTI.
Child support is part of your income and you want it counted toward qualifying.
You have a court-ordered payment that needs to be factored into your debt-to-income ratio.
Some borrowers receive support for one child and pay it for another — both get documented separately.
These are the FHA (HUD 4000.1) rules I underwrite to. Conventional, VA, USDA, and SONYMA treat some of these situations differently — I'll confirm which program fits when we talk.
| Direction | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Receiving — history | Must document consistent receipt for at least 12 consecutive months |
| Receiving — continuance | Must be legally obligated to continue for at least 3 years after closing |
| Receiving — documents | Divorce decree, settlement agreement, or court order, plus 12 months of bank statements or a court payment ledger |
| Paying — DTI impact | Outstanding court-ordered payments included as a monthly liability |
| Paying — documents | Complete court order or divorce decree showing the required monthly amount |
Non-QM investors accept a shorter history of child support receipt than FHA — useful if your support only started recently. Guidelines vary by investor, so I confirm the specific matrix before locking.
| Direction | Typical Non-QM rule |
|---|---|
| Receiving — history | 6 months of consistent receipt via bank statements (vs. FHA's 12 months) |
| Receiving — continuance | Decree must show income continuing at least 3 years past closing |
| Receiving — documents | Final executed divorce decree, separation agreement, or court order |
| Paying — DTI impact | Treated as a recurring liability per the court order |
VA requires the same 3-year continuance as FHA, with a mandatory Child Care Expense Statement from every borrower.
| Direction | VA rule |
|---|---|
| Receiving — history | 12 months of consistent receipt via bank statements or court registry |
| Receiving — continuance | Must continue for at least 3 years past closing |
| Paying | Deducted from qualifying income per the decree/court order; every VA borrower must also sign a VA Child Care Expense Statement, even for non-court-ordered support |
Conventional accepts a shorter 6-month history than FHA or VA's 12 months.
| Direction | Conventional rule |
|---|---|
| Receiving — history | 6 months of consistent receipt at the exact amount, via bank statements |
| Receiving — continuance | Court order/decree must show continuance for 3+ years past closing — children's ages are checked |
USDA accepts the shortest documented history of any program — just 3 months for court-ordered support.
| Direction | USDA rule |
|---|---|
| Receiving — court-ordered | 3 consecutive months of documented receipt (bank deposits or court payment history) |
| Receiving — voluntary (no court order) | 12 months of consistent receipt required |
| Continuance | Must continue for at least 3 years after closing |
SONYMA accepts just 2 months of bank statements — the shortest history of any program.
| Requirement | SONYMA rule |
|---|---|
| Documentation | Full executed court order, divorce decree, or separation agreement verifying the amount |
| Continuance | Must continue for at least 3 years after closing |
| Proof of receipt | 2 consecutive months of full bank statements showing the income depositing |
Jumbo splits the difference between FHA's 12-month and Conventional's 6-month history requirement.
| Requirement | Jumbo rule |
|---|---|
| Receiving — history | 3 to 6 months of documented receipt via bank statements, cancelled checks, or county child support agency records |
| Receiving — continuance | Legal documents must prove the income continues for at least 3 years after closing |
Land loans require the shortest bank-statement window (2 months) but still the standard 3-year continuance.
| Direction | Land Loan rule |
|---|---|
| Receiving — continuance | Must prove 3-year continuance after closing |
| Receiving — documents | Signed court docs/divorce decree plus 2 months of full bank statements showing regular deposits |
| Paying | Treated as a liability using the greater of the court-ordered or actively-garnished amount |
Licensed across New York State — with deep roots in the Capital Region and select NYC neighborhoods.
Don't see your town? Reach out — I lend statewide. Or see every Capital Region town.