Michigan Child Support Calculator

Michigan’s general care support is the starting monthly amount, before adjustments for overnights, health insurance, medical costs, and child care. Michigan uses both parents’ combined net income (pay after taxes and a few required deductions) to calculate that amount, then usually divides it according to each parent’s share of that income. The formula then adjusts for how many nights the children spend with each parent. For example, if you earn $4,333 a month before taxes, the other parent earns $3,000, and the children spend every other weekend with you, you pay about $707 a month for one child and $1,050 for two, before health insurance, medical costs, and child care.

Michigan’s formula uses net income, so the calculator subtracts estimated federal and Michigan income taxes and Social Security and Medicare from each parent’s pay. It assumes no city income tax. If the paying parent lives in a city with one, such as Detroit (2.4% for residents), their net income is lower and support is usually about 2% to 3% lower. A parent with net income of $1,255 a month or less pays 10% of it instead. The general care tables, for one to five or more children, are in section 2.03(C) of the 2025 Michigan Child Support Formula Supplement.

Michigan uses an income shares formula. It adds both parents’ monthly net incomes, looks up what children cost at that income, and gives each parent a share based on how much of the income they earn. It then adjusts for the overnights the children spend with each parent.

The rules are in the 2025 Michigan Child Support Formula Manual:

1. Find each parent’s net income. Start with gross income and subtract federal, state, and city income taxes, Social Security and Medicare, required union dues and retirement, the parent’s own health insurance, and alimony paid to someone outside the case (section 2.07). A parent with other children to support gets a lower net income for this case (section 2.08).
2. Add the two net incomes, leaving out a parent with net income of $1,255 a month or less (section 2.09).
3. Apply the General Care Equation, Michigan’s formula for what children cost at the combined income, and split the result by each parent’s share of the income (section 3.02(B)).
4. Check the low-income rules for each parent (sections 3.02(C) and 3.02(D)).
5. Adjust for parenting time based on the overnights each parent has (section 3.03).
6. Add routine medical costs, the children’s health insurance, and child care, split by income share (sections 3.04 to 3.06).

Example

One parent has $4,000 a month in net income and the other $2,000, so their combined income is $6,000. The General Care Equation for one child at that income gives $1,245. The higher earner has two thirds of the income, so their base support is $830 and the other parent’s is $415. With the child living full time with the other parent, the higher earner pays $830 a month. With every other weekend (about 52 overnights a year), it drops to about $816.

Yes, starting with the first overnight. Michigan’s parenting time offset (its adjustment for overnights) has no minimum, so a few nights lower support a little, and support drops faster as time gets closer to equal. With one child and net incomes of $4,000 and $2,000 a month, the higher earner pays $830 a month with no overnights, about $816 with every other weekend (about 52 nights a year), about $719 with a weeknight added (about 103), about $499 at 40% of nights, and about $208 at equal time.

Michigan makes this adjustment whenever it can count each parent’s overnights, with no minimum number of nights, under section 3.03 of the Michigan Child Support Formula Manual. The adjustment can lower what a parent pays or change who pays. With equal time and equal incomes, neither parent owes base support.

Every order states the number of overnights it used. If the actual schedule differs by at least 21 overnights a year, you can ask for a change, under section 3.03(D) of the manual.

Child care that a parent pays for so they can work, look for work, or go to school is split by each parent’s share of the income. Michigan compares what each parent paid with what they should pay, and the difference is added to the monthly payment.

For example, if one parent pays $600 a month for child care and the other has two thirds of the combined income, the other parent’s $400 share is added to what they pay. Michigan counts the cost after subsidies and tax credits. It assumes a child needs child care until age 13 unless the order says otherwise, under section 3.06 of the Michigan Child Support Formula Manual. When a parent’s share of child care is more than half their base support, a judge can order a different amount.

The court orders one parent to keep the children insured when there are doctors nearby and adding the children costs no more than 6% of that parent’s gross income (pay before taxes). The children’s premiums are split by each parent’s share of the income. Most orders also include a yearly amount for routine medical costs, $200 for one child.

• Who insures: coverage counts when the children’s regular doctor is within 30 miles or 30 minutes of their homes. Usually only one parent is ordered to provide it, under section 3.05 of the Michigan Child Support Formula Manual. Medicaid counts as coverage.
• Cost: adding the children should cost no more than 6% of the insuring parent’s gross income. It also counts as too costly if that parent’s support, child care, medical amount, and premium share together would take more than half their take-home pay (section 3.05(A)).
• Premiums: what each parent pays to insure the children is split by each parent’s share of the income, and the difference is added to or subtracted from the support payment.
• Routine medical costs: most orders include a yearly amount (Michigan calls it the ordinary medical amount) for copays, deductibles, and other costs insurance doesn’t pay, from $200 for one child to $1,000 for five or more, under section 2.02 of the 2025 formula supplement. The paying parent’s share is part of each month’s payment. Bills above the yearly amount are split by the percentages in the order.
• Low income: a parent with net income below $1,669.15 a month (133% of the poverty level), or whose child has Medicaid based on that parent’s income, usually isn’t ordered to provide or pay for coverage unless it costs them nothing, under State Court Administrative Office FAQ 2025-02.

If you get Family Independence Program (FIP, Michigan’s cash assistance), you have to help the Office of Child Support collect support from the other parent. The monthly support it collects is paid to you and does not lower your FIP. Food Assistance (food stamps, SNAP) no longer requires this help, but support you receive can count as income for it.

• FIP: to get FIP, you have to help the Office of Child Support, for example by naming the other parent and answering its questions. If you don’t help and have no good reason, your family’s FIP stops for at least one month, under Michigan’s child support policy (BEM 255). Medicaid has the same rule.
• You keep current support: all of this month’s support paid for a child on FIP goes to your family. It doesn’t reduce FIP, but it can count as income for food stamps, under Michigan’s income policy (BEM 503).
• Food Assistance (SNAP): you haven’t had to work with child support to get it since October 1, 2024, under BEM 255.

If helping could put you or your children in danger, you can ask to be excused with form DHS-2168 (Michigan calls this “good cause”). The Michigan child support guide has more on cash assistance and child support.

A parent with net income of $1,255 a month or less pays 10% of that income as base support. For incomes a little above $1,255, a separate rule keeps base support lower so the parent keeps enough to live on.

• $1,255 or less: base support is 10% of net income, under section 3.02(C) of the Michigan Child Support Formula Manual, and that parent’s income is left out of the combined income. The $1,255 limit comes from the 2024 federal poverty guideline and is set in section 2.01 of the 2025 formula supplement.
• Just above $1,255: base support is whichever is lower: the general care amount, or $125.50 plus part of the income above $1,255, under section 3.02(D). That part is 50% of the extra income for one child, up to 70% for five or more. A parent with $1,500 net income and one child owes at most $248 in base support.
• Health insurance: a parent with net income below $1,669.15 usually isn’t ordered to provide or pay for coverage unless it costs them nothing.
• Very small amounts: when support would be $20 or less, a judge can set a different amount because collecting it costs more than it brings in (section 1.04(E)(17)).
• Earning less by choice: a judge can base support on what the parent could earn instead of what they do earn (section 2.01(G)).

No. When the parents’ net incomes add up to more than $17,871.57 a month, the formula adds a set percentage of each extra dollar, from 11.29% for one child to 22.34% for five or more. When income is far above that level, a judge can set a different amount.

Above the top of the table, Michigan adds 11.29% of the extra income for one child, 16.16% for two, 18.19% for three, 20.44% for four, and 22.34% for five or more, in section 2.03 of the 2025 formula supplement. When family income is far above the top of the table, a judge can use those percentages or set another amount that meets the children’s needs, under section 3.02(E) of the Michigan Child Support Formula Manual.

Yes, when following the formula would be unfair. The judge must write down what the formula amount would be, how the order differs from it, and why.

The rule is in Michigan law (MCL 552.605). Parents can agree to a different amount, but the judge still has to explain it the same way. Section 1.04 of the Michigan Child Support Formula Manual lists reasons a judge can use, including a child’s special needs or unusual school costs, a parent who is a minor, unusual medical costs or large shared debts, bonus income that varies, support for stepchildren, and a parent’s share of child care that is more than half their base support.

Ask your Friend of the Court (the county office that handles support orders) to review your order, or file a motion in circuit court. Keep following the current order until it changes. A new amount usually can’t start before the date the other parent was told about the request, so ask as soon as things change.

• When: either parent can ask for a review once every 36 months, even if nothing has changed, under MCL 552.517. The Friend of the Court must also review sooner when a parent shows a big change, such as their income changing by 75% or more, listed in section 3.01 of the 2025 formula supplement.
• How much: after a review, the Friend of the Court asks the court to change the order if the new amount differs from the old one by more than 10% or $50 a month, whichever is more, under section 4.05 of the formula manual.
• Through the Friend of the Court: follow MDHHS’s steps to change an order.
• Through the court: file a Motion Regarding Support (FOC 50) with the circuit court that issued your order.

How far back a change can reach is set by MCL 552.603. The Michigan child support guide walks through each step.

Yes. The Michigan DHHS Office of Child Support offers the free MiChildSupport Calculator, which applies the Michigan Child Support Formula.

The MiChildSupport Calculator asks for each parent’s income, the overnights with each child, and health care and child care costs, and prints a summary of the calculation. The formula manual and its supplement are published on the Michigan Child Support Formula page of the Michigan courts.