Does alimony or child support count as income for a mortgage in Missouri?

For many people after a divorce, support payments are a meaningful part of the monthly picture — and the good news is that lenders can often count them. Support income can be the difference between qualifying and not. It just comes with documentation rules, because a lender needs to know the income is both real and lasting.

What lenders are really checking

When a lender considers maintenance or child support as income, they're asking two questions: Have you actually been receiving it? and Will it keep coming? Those two tests drive everything else:

• Consistent receipt history — commonly around six months of payments actually landing in your account.
• Durability — documentation, usually your decree, showing the support continues for at least three more years.

The exact thresholds can vary by loan program, but that stability-plus-durability framework is the constant.

A Missouri wording note

In Missouri, what many people call alimony is legally called maintenance, and it's ordered in your dissolution judgment. Child support in Missouri is calculated under the state's Form 14 guidelines. Both are set out in your court paperwork — which is exactly what makes them documentable for a lender.

The documentation you'll likely need

• Your divorce decree or separation agreement — showing the support amount and how long it lasts.
• Proof of receipt — bank statements or a payment record showing the money arriving consistently.

Because these payments come straight out of your Missouri dissolution, the paperwork you already have from the divorce is usually most of what a lender asks for. That's a real advantage — you're often closer to ready than you'd think.

Timing works in your favor

Here's a practical point worth knowing: the longer and more consistent your receipt history, the smoother this part goes. If you've only just started receiving support, it can be worth understanding the timeline before you apply — sometimes waiting a few months to build that history strengthens your file considerably.