Maryland Child Support Guidelines

Section 12-204 Determination of child support obligation
(a) Schedule to be used; division among parents; maintenance and alimony awards.- (1) The basic child support obligation shall be determined in accordance with the schedule of basic child support obligations in subsection (e) of this section. The basic child support obligation shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted actual incomes.
(2) (i) If one or both parents have made a request for alimony or maintenance in the proceeding in which a child support award is sought, the court shall decide the issue and amount of alimony or maintenance before determining the child support obligation under these guidelines.
(ii) If the court awards alimony or maintenance, the amount of alimony or maintenance awarded shall be considered actual income for the recipient of the alimony or maintenance and shall be subtracted from the income of the payor of the alimony or maintenance under Section 12-201(c)(2) of this subtitle before the court determines the amount of a child support award.
(b) Voluntarily impoverished parent.- (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, if a parent is voluntarily impoverished, child support may be calculated based on a determination of potential income.
(2) A determination of potential income may not be made for a parent who:
(i) is unable to work because of a physical or mental disability; or (ii) is caring for a child under the age of 2 years for whom the parents are jointly and severally responsible.
(c) Income between amounts in schedule.- If a combined adjusted actual income amount falls between amounts shown in the schedule, the basic child support amount shall be extrapolated to the next higher amount.
(d) Income above schedule levels.- If the combined adjusted actual income exceeds the highest level specified in the schedule in subsection (e) of this section, the court may use its discretion in setting the amount of child support.
(e) Basic child support obligation.- Schedule of basic child support obligations: CombinedAdjusted 6 orActual 1 2 3 4 5 MoreIncome Child Children Children Children Children Children0-850 $20 - $150 Per Month, BasedOn Resources And LivingExpenses Of Obligor And NumberOf Children Due Support900 184 273 276 279 282 285950 191 296 304 307 311 3141000 198 307 332 336 340 3431050 205 318 360 364 368 3721100 212 329 389 393 397 4011150 219 339 416 421 425 4301200 226 350 438 449 454 4581250 233 360 451 477 482 4871300 239 371 465 504 510 5151350 246 382 478 532 538 5441400 253 392 491 554 566 5721450 260 403 504 569 594 6011500 267 413 517 584 623 6291550 274 424 531 599 651 6581600 282 436 546 616 672 6911650 288 447 559 631 688 7251700 295 457 572 645 704 7531750 302 467 585 660 720 7701800 308 477 598 674 735 7871850 315 488 611 689 751 8041900 321 498 624 703 767 8211950 327 506 634 715 780 8352000 332 515 645 727 793 8482050 338 523 655 739 806 8622100 343 531 666 751 819 8762150 349 540 677 763 832 8902200 354 548 687 774 845 9042250 359 557 698 786 858 9182300 365 565 708 798 871 9312350 370 573 719 810 884 9452400 376 582 729 822 897 9592450 381 590 740 833 909 9732500 386 598 750 845 922 9872550 392 607 761 857 935 10002600 397 615 771 869 948 10142650 403 624 782 881 961 10282700 408 632 793 893 974 10422750 413 640 803 904 987 10562800 419 649 814 916 1000 10702850 424 657 824 928 1013 10832900 429 666 835 940 1026 10972950 435 675 846 953 1039 11123000 441 684 857 965 1053 11263050 446 693 868 978 1067 11413100 452 702 879 990 1080 11563150 458 710 890 1003 1094 11703200 463 719 901 1015 1108 11853250 469 728 912 1028 1121 11993300 475 737 923 1040 1135 12143350 480 746 934 1053 1148 12283400 486 755 945 1065 1162 12433450 491 764 957 1078 1176 12583500 497 773 968 1090 1189 12723550 503 782 979 1103 1203 12873600 508 790 990 1115 1216 13013650 514 799 1001 1128 1230 13163700 520 808 1012 1140 1244 13303750 525 817 1023 1152 1257 13453800 532 827 1035 1166 1273 13613850 538 837 1048 1181 1288 13783900 544 847 1060 1195 1303 13943950 551 857 10731209 1319 14114000 557 867 1085 1223 1334 14274050 563 877 1097 1236 1349 14424100 569 886 1109 1249 1363 14584150 575 895 1120 1262 1377 14734200 581 905 1132 1275 1391 14884250 587 914 1143 1288 1405 15034300 593 923 1155 1301 1420 15184350 598 932 1166 1314 1434 15344400 604 942 1178 1327 1448 15494450 610 951 1189 1340 1462 15644500 616 960 1201 1353 1477 15794550 622 970 1212 1366 1491 15944600 628 979 1224 1379 1505 16104650 634 987 1234 1391 1518 16244700 639 995 1244 1403 1530 16374750 644 1003 1254 1414 1543 16504800 649 1011 1264 1425 1555 16634850 655 1019 1274 1437 1567 16764900 660 1027 1284 1448 1580 16894950 665 1035 1294 1459 1592 17035000 670 1043 1304 1470 1604 17165050 676 1051 1314 1482 1617 17295100 681 1059 1324 1493 1629 17425150 686 1067 1334 1504 1641 17555200 691 1075 1344 1515 1654 17685250 696 1083 1354 1527 1666 17815300 702 1091 1364 1538 1678 17945350 707 1099 1374 1549 1691 18075400 712 1107 1384 1561 1703 18215450 717 1115 1394 1572 1715 18345500 722 1123 1404 1583 1728 18475550 728 1131 1414 1594 1740 18605600 733 1139 1424 1606 1752 18735650 738 1147 1434 1617 1765 18865700 743 1155 1444 1628 1777 18995750 748 1163 1454 1639 1789 19125800 754 1171 1464 1651 1801 19265850 759 1179 1474 1662 1814 19395900 764 1187 1484 1673 1826 19525950 769 1195 1494 1685 1838 19656000 774 1203 1504 1696 1851 19786050 780 1211 1513 1707 1863 19916100 785 1219 1523 1718 1875 20046150 790 1227 1533 1730 1888 20176200 795 1235 1543 1741 1900 20306250 800 1243 1553 1752 1912 20446300 806 1251 1563 1763 1925 20576350 811 1259 1573 1775 1937 20706400 815 1266 1582 1785 1947 20816450 819 1271 1589 1793 1956 20916500 823 1277 1597 1801 1965 21006550 827 1283 1604 1809 1974 21106600 831 1289 1611 1817 1983 21196650 834 1294 1618 1826 1992 21296700 838 1300 1626 1834 2001 21386750 842 1306 1633 1842 2010 21486800 846 1311 1640 1850 2019 21576850 850 1317 1647 1858 2028 21676900 854 1323 1654 1866 2037 21766950 857 1329 1662 1874 2045 21867000 861 1334 1669 1882 2054 21957050 865 1340 1676 1891 2063 22057100 869 1346 1683 1899 2072 22147150 873 1351 1691 1907 2081 22247200 876 1357 1698 1915 2090 22337250 880 1363 1705 1923 209922437300 884 1369 1712 1931 2108 22537350 888 1374 1720 1939 2117 22627400 892 1380 1727 1947 2126 22727450 895 1386 1734 1956 2135 22817500 899 1391 1741 1964 2144 22917550 903 1397 1748 1972 2153 23007600 906 1402 1755 1979 2161 23097650 909 1407 1761 1986 2168 23177700 912 1412 1768 1993 2175 23257750 915 1417 1774 1999 2182 23337800 918 1422 1780 2006 2190 23407850 921 1427 1786 2012 2197 23487900 923 1431 1792 2019 2204 23567950 926 1436 1798 2026 2211 23648000 929 1441 1804 2032 2219 23728050 932 1446 1810 2039 2226 23808100 935 1451 1817 2045 2233 23888150 938 1456 1823 2052 2240 23968200 941 1461 1829 2059 2248 24048250 944 1465 1835 2065 2255 24128300 947 1470 1841 2072 2262 24208350 949 1475 1847 2078 2270 24288400 952 1480 1853 2085 2277 24368450 955 1485 1860 2092 2284 24448500 958 1490 1866 2098 2291 24528550 961 1494 1872 2105 2299 24608600 964 1499 1878 2111 2306 24688650 967 1504 1884 2118 2313 24768700 970 1509 1890 2125 2320 24848750 973 1514 1896 2131 2328 24928800 975 1518 1901 2137 2334 24988850 978 1521 1906 2142 2340 25048900 980 1525 1910 2147 2345 25108950 982 1528 1915 2152 2351 25169000 989 1539 1928 2168 2367 25349050 992 1543 1933 2173 2373 25409100 994 1547 1938 2179 2379 25469150 997 1551 1943 2184 2385 25529200 999 1554 1948 2190 2391 25599250 1002 1558 1953 2195 2397 25659300 1004 1562 1958 2201 2403 25719350 1007 1566 1963 2206 2409 25789400 1009 1570 1967 2212 2415 25849450 1012 1574 1972 2217 2421 25909500 1014 1577 1977 2223 2427 25969550 1017 1581 1982 2228 2433 26039600 1020 1585 1987 2234 2439 26099650 1022 1589 1992 2239 2445 26159700 1025 1593 1997 2245 2451 26229750 1027 1597 2001 2250 2457 26289800 1030 1601 2006 2256 2463 26349850 1032 1604 2011 2261 2469 26409900 1035 1608 2016 2267 2475 26479950 1037 1612 2021 2272 2481 265310000 1040 1616 2026 2278 2487 2659(f) Adjusted basic child support obligation.- The adjusted basic child support obligation shall be determined by multiplying the basic child support obligation by one and one-half.
(g) Child care expenses.- (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, actual child care expenses incurred on behalf of a child due to employment or job search of either parent shall be added to the basic obligation and shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted actual incomes.
(2) Child care expenses shall be:
(i) determined by actual family experience, unless the court determines that the actual family experience is not in the best interest of the child; or (ii) if there is no actual family experience or if the court determines that actual family experience is not in the best interest of the child:
1. the level required to provide quality care from a licensed source; or
2. if the custodial parent chooses quality child care with an actual cost of an amount less than the level required to provide quality care from a licensed source, the actual cost of the child care expense.
(3) Additional child care expenses may be considered if a child has special needs.
(h) Extraordinary medical expenses.- (1) Any actual cost of providing health insurance coverage for a child for whom the parents are jointly and severally responsible shall be added to the basic child support obligation and shall be divided by the parents in proportion to their adjusted actual incomes.
(2) Any extraordinary medical expenses incurred on behalf of a child shall be added to the basic child support obligation and shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted actual incomes.
(i) School and transportation expenses.- By agreement of the parties or by order of court, the following expenses incurred on behalf of a child may be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted actual incomes:
(1) any expenses for attending a special or private elementary or secondary school to meet the particular educational needs of the child; or
(2) any expenses for transportation of the child between the homes of the parents.
(j) Setoff for third party payments.- (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, when a disability dependency benefit, a retirement dependency benefit, or other third party dependency benefit is paid to or for a child of an obligor who is disabled, retired, or is receiving benefits from any source as a result of a compensable claim, the amount of the compensation shall be set off against the child support obligation calculated using the guidelines.
(2) (i) If the amount paid to or for a child exceeds the current child support obligation calculated using the guidelines, the excess payment shall be credited to any existing child support arrearage that accrued after the effective date the benefits were awarded.
(ii) The excess payment may not be credited to any future child support obligation.
(k) Use, possession or occupancy of family home.- (1) Upon the expiration of a use and possession order or the expiration of the right to occupy the family home under a separation or property settlement agreement and upon motion of either party, the court shall review the child support award.
(2) If the allocation of financial responsibility for the family home was a factor in departing from the guidelines under subsection (a) of this section, the court may modify the child support, if appropriate in all the circumstances, upon the expiration of the use and possession order or the expiration of the right to occupy the family home under a separation or property settlement agreement.
(l) Cases other than shared physical custody cases.- (1) Except in cases of shared physical custody, each parent's child support obligation shall be determined by adding each parent's respective share of the basic child support obligation, work-related child care expenses, health insurance expenses, extraordinary medical expenses, and additional expenses under subsection (i) of this section.
(2) The custodial parent shall be presumed to spend that parent's total child support obligation directly on the child or children.
(3) The noncustodial parent shall owe that parent's total child support obligation as child support to the custodial parent minus any ordered payments included in the calculations made directly by the noncustodial parent on behalf of the child or children for work-related child care expenses, health insurance expenses, extraordinary medical expenses, or additional expenses under subsection (i) of this section.
(m) Shared physical custody cases.- (1) In cases of shared physical custody, the adjusted basic child support obligation shall first be divided between the parents in proportion to their respective adjusted actual incomes.
(2) Each parent's share of the adjusted basic child support obligation shall then be multiplied by the percentage of time the child or children spend with the other parent to determine the theoretical basic child support obligation owed to the other parent.
(3) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (4) and (5) of this subsection, the parent owing the greater amount under paragraph (2) of this subsection shall owe the difference in the 2 amounts as child support.
(4) In addition to the amount of the child support owed under paragraph (3) of this subsection, if either parent incurs child care expenses under subsection (g) of this section, health insurance expenses under subsection (h)(1) of this section, extraordinary medical expenses under subsection (h)(2) of this section, or additional expenses under subsection (i) of this section, the expense shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their respective adjusted actual incomes. The parent not incurring the expense shall pay that parent's proportionate share to:
(i) the parent making direct payments to the provider of the service; or (ii) the provider directly, if a court order requires direct payments to the provider.
(5) The amount owed under paragraph (3) of this subsection may not exceed the amount that would be owed under subsection (l) of this section if the obligor parent were a noncustodial parent.
[1989, ch. 2; 1990, ch. 58; 1992, ch. 22, Section 1; 2004, ch. 25, Section 6; chs. 116, 491; 2007, chs. 35, 36.]