How to Calculate Child Support in Maryland (2025 Guidelines)

Child support is meant to ensure that children receive adequate financial support regardless of whether their parents live together. Maryland uses a specific formula — the income shares model — to calculate how much each parent should contribute. Here is how it works in 2025.

How Maryland Calculates Child Support

Maryland's child support guidelines are codified at Maryland Code, Family Law § 12-201 et seq.. The guidelines use an income shares model, which estimates the total amount parents would have spent on their children if they still lived together, then divides that obligation proportionally based on each parent's income.

The formula accounts for:

• Each parent's gross monthly income
• The number of shared minor children
• Health insurance costs for the children
• Work-related childcare expenses
• Extraordinary medical expenses
• Alimony being paid or received
• Pre-existing child support payments for children from other relationships

Step 1: Determine Each Parent's Income

The starting point is each parent's actual gross monthly income from all sources:

• Wages, salary, and tips
• Self-employment income (after business expenses)
• Rental income
• Investment income
• Unemployment benefits
• Disability and workers' compensation
• Pension and retirement income The court may also consider a parent's assets and overall ability to earn income, not just current earnings. If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court can impute income — assign an income figure based on what that parent could realistically earn.

The Maryland People's Law Library notes that if the combined monthly income of both parents exceeds $30,000, the court is not required to use the guidelines formula — it can instead set child support based on the children's demonstrated needs.

Step 2: Apply Adjustments to Income

Certain deductions are made to arrive at each parent's adjusted actual income:

• Alimony being paid to the other parent (reduces income)
• Alimony received from the other parent (increases income)
• Pre-existing child support orders being paid for other children

Step 3: Look Up the Basic Child Support Obligation

The two parents' adjusted incomes are added together to get a combined monthly income figure. That figure is plugged into Maryland's child support guidelines chart (a schedule that increases with income and the number of children) to find the basic child support obligation — the total amount both parents are expected to contribute.

Step 4: Add Additional Expenses

The basic obligation is adjusted upward to include:

• Health insurance premiums attributable to the children
• Work-related childcare costs (daycare, aftercare)
• Extraordinary medical expenses not covered by insurance These additions produce the total child support obligation.

Step 5: Allocate the Obligation Between Parents

Each parent's share of the total obligation is proportional to their share of the combined income. The parent who does not have primary physical custody typically pays their share to the custodial parent.

Maryland's guidelines also include a self-support reserve — a protection ensuring that the paying parent retains at least 110% of the federal poverty level for a single individual, preventing the child support order from leaving a parent unable to meet their own basic needs.

If there is a shared physical custody arrangement (the child spends significant time with both parents), adjustments are made to reflect the reduced costs incurred by the custodial parent.

2025 Changes to Maryland Child Support Law

Maryland made two important updates to child support law effective in 2025:

New Multifamily Adjustment Law

Effective October 1, 2025 (under Maryland Code, Family Law § 12-204(e)), the multifamily adjustment changes how a parent's financial obligations to children in multiple households are factored into the guidelines. When

calculating support for "other children" in the home, a parent's basic child support obligation for those children is now calculated at 75% of the guideline amount using that parent's individual income alone. This new law creates a fairer accounting of competing financial obligations across multiple families.

New Driver's License Suspension Law

Also effective October 1, 2025, the new Driver's License Suspension Law changes how the Maryland Child Support Administration (CSA) works with parents who fall behind on payments, making the license suspension process more graduated and allowing for more payment plans before suspension is imposed.

When Can Courts Deviate from the Guidelines?

Courts can deviate from the guidelines when strict application would be unjust or unfair. The requesting parent must show why the guidelines amount is not appropriate and why the deviation serves the child's best interest. Factors that may justify deviation include:

• Unusually high or low expenses for a particular child
• A special needs child with extraordinary care costs
• A parent's genuinely unusual financial hardship

FAQ

Does custody arrangement affect child support in Maryland?

Yes. The number of overnight visits each parent has per year significantly affects the child support calculation. More parenting time generally reduces the payer's child support obligation.

Can child support be modified after it is set?

Yes. Either parent can petition the court for a modification if there has been a material change in circumstances — such as a significant change in either parent's income or the child's needs.

What if my ex is hiding income to lower their child support?

Courts can impute income based on earning capacity. A forensic accountant or financial expert can help uncover hidden income in complex cases.

Does Maryland use a child support calculator?

Maryland provides a worksheet for calculating child support. An attorney or mediator can help you run the numbers accurately using the current guidelines chart.

When does child support end in Maryland?

Child support generally ends when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever comes later — but not beyond age 19. Support for a disabled child may continue longer. Child support calculations can be complicated. A Maryland family law attorney can help you make sure the numbers are accurate and that any unique circumstances in your situation are properly presented to the court.