Maryland Child Support Calculator

Maryland’s schedule gives the basic monthly support for both parents together, based on their combined monthly income before taxes and the number of children. The paying parent pays a share that matches their part of the income. For example, if you earn $4,333 a month before taxes, the other parent earns $3,000, and the children live with the other parent, you pay about $687 a month for one child and $979 for two, before child care and health insurance.

When each parent has the children at least 92 nights a year, the shared custody formula lowers these amounts. The schedule behind them, which gives the total for both parents together in $50 steps up to $30,000 a month and six or more children, is in Maryland Family Law §12-204(e). When income falls between two rows, Maryland uses the higher row.

Maryland uses an income shares formula. It adds both parents’ monthly incomes before taxes and looks up the basic support for that income in the state’s schedule. Each parent pays a share based on their part of the income.

The rules are in §12-201 and §12-204 of the Family Law Article:

1. Find each parent’s income from all sources, before taxes. Cash assistance (TCA), food stamps (SNAP), and SSI don’t count.
2. Subtract child support and alimony the parent pays, and an allowance for other children they support who live with them. Maryland calls the result adjusted actual income.
3. Add the two incomes and look up the basic support for that income and the number of children.
4. Add child care, health insurance, and large medical bills.
5. Split the total by each parent’s share of the income. When the children have one main home, the other parent pays their share. With at least 92 overnights each, the shared custody formula applies.

Example

One parent earns $3,000 a month and the other $2,000, so their combined income is $5,000. The basic support for one child at that income is $924. The higher earner has 60% of the income, so with the child living mostly with the other parent, they pay about $554 a month.

Yes, and it starts well before 50/50. Once each parent has at least 92 overnights a year (more than 25%), Maryland’s shared custody formula lowers support, and support drops more as time gets closer to equal. With one child and pay before taxes of $3,000 and $2,000 a month, the higher earner pays $554 a month when they have 91 or fewer overnights, about $544 at 92, about $376 at 120, about $277 at 146 (40%), and about $139 at half the year.

Maryland treats it as shared custody when each parent keeps the children overnight at least 92 nights a year and both help pay the children’s expenses, under §12-201(o). Maryland then multiplies the basic support by 1.5 and splits it by each parent’s share of the income. Each parent’s share is then multiplied by the other parent’s share of overnights. The parent who owes more pays the difference, but never more than they would with one main home. With equal time and equal incomes, neither parent pays.

From 92 to 109 nights, Maryland adds 2% to 10% to what the parent with fewer nights owes, so support goes down a little at a time over those nights. See §12-204(m).

Child care a parent pays so they can work or look for work is added to the basic support and split by each parent’s share of the income.

The amount counted is what the family actually pays. If there is no history of costs, it is what quality licensed care would cost. Extra costs for a child with special needs can be added. See §12-204(g).

The cost of insuring the children is added to the basic support and split by each parent’s share of the income. Medical costs insurance doesn’t pay, above $250 a year, are split the same way.

• What counts as health insurance: medical, dental, prescription, and vision coverage, under §12-201(h).
• Large medical bills: costs insurance doesn’t pay, above $250 in a calendar year, including braces, dental, vision, therapy, and counseling, under §12-201(g). They are split by each parent’s share of the income, under §12-204(h).

If you get Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA, Maryland’s cash assistance), you have to help the state collect child support from the other parent, and the support goes to the state. Maryland passes up to $100 a month of it on to you for one child, or $200 for two or more. Food stamps (SNAP) have no child support requirement in Maryland.

• What TCA requires: you sign over your right to support to the state and help it find the other parent, prove who the father is, and get support, including coming to appointments and court dates. If you don’t, the whole family loses TCA. A good reason, such as a risk of serious harm to you or your children, excuses you. See COMAR 07.03.03.10.
• What you keep: in the month after the other parent pays current support, you get up to $100 for one child or $200 for two or more, but no more than the monthly order amount. It doesn’t lower your TCA. Payments on back child support aren’t passed on. See CSA’s pass-through page.
• Food stamps (SNAP): USDA lists Maryland as a state that doesn’t require you to work with child support to get SNAP.

The Maryland child support guide has more on cash assistance and child support.

Maryland’s schedule already charges less at low incomes so the paying parent keeps enough to live on. A judge can also order less when support would leave the paying parent with less than $1,145 a month.

• Built into the schedule: the starred amounts in §12-204(e) are lowered so the paying parent keeps enough to live on. When the parents earn up to $1,200 a month together, total basic support is $50 to $60.
• Leaving the payer too little: a judge can order less when support would leave the paying parent with less than 110% of the 2019 federal poverty level ($1,145 a month), under §12-202(a). The calculator above shows the amount before any such change.
• No order: a judge can decide not to set support for a parent with no income or savings who will stay in prison or an institution until the child is grown, or who is totally and permanently disabled, under §12-202(c).
• Earning less by choice: a judge can base support on what the parent could earn. This doesn’t apply to a parent who is disabled, in jail or prison, or caring for the parents’ child under two, under §12-204(b).

No set maximum. The schedule stops at $30,000 a month in combined income. When the parents earn more than that together, a judge decides the amount.

Above $30,000 a month, the judge decides, under §12-204(d). The schedule’s last column covers six or more children.

Yes. Courts start from the amount the guidelines give, but a judge can order a different amount if that amount would be unfair. The judge must explain why.

The judge can consider a separation agreement or court order (like who pays the mortgage or college costs, or who stays in the family home), what is best for the child, and whether support would leave the paying parent too little to live on. See §12-202.

Ask the Child Support Administration (CSA) to review your order, or ask the circuit court to change it. A court changes support after a big change in your situation (Maryland law calls it a “material” change), such as a job loss or a change in where the children live. Keep following the current order until it changes.

• Through CSA: either parent can ask for a review every three years, or sooner after a big change, under COMAR 07.07.05.03. See CSA’s questions and answers.
• Through the court: ask the court to change the order (file a motion to modify) using Maryland Courts’ family law forms. A new amount can’t start before the date you file, under §12-104, so file as soon as things change.
• New guidelines alone: a change to the schedule doesn’t count as a reason to change an order, under §12-202(d).

The Maryland child support guide walks through each step.

Yes. The Child Support Administration’s Maryland Child Support Calculator fills in Worksheet A (one main home) or Worksheet B (shared custody), the forms Maryland courts use.

Use the Maryland Child Support Calculator, or fill in Worksheet A (CC-DR-034) or Worksheet B (CC-DR-035) yourself.