Maryland Child Support Laws: Guidelines and Calculations

How Maryland Calculates Child Support

Maryland determines child support using the Income Shares Model. This approach estimates the total amount both parents would have spent on the child if the family had stayed together. It then divides that amount between the parents based on each one's share of their combined income.

The guidelines are set out in Maryland Family Law 12-204. They apply to all cases where the parents' combined adjusted actual income is $30,000 per month or less ($360,000 per year). For incomes above that amount, the court has discretion to set an appropriate figure based on the child's best interests.

Maryland provides two official worksheets for calculating support:

• Worksheet A (Sole Physical Custody): Used when the noncustodial parent has the child for fewer than 92 overnights per year
• Worksheet B (Shared Physical Custody): Used when each parent has the child for 92 or more overnights per year (25% or more of the time)

Both worksheets are available for download from the Maryland Courts website. You can also estimate your obligation using the official Maryland Child Support Calculator.

Step-by-Step Calculation Process

Here is how Maryland courts calculate child support:

1. Determine each parent's actual monthly income. This includes wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, Social Security benefits, pensions, rental income, and other sources. Under Family Law 12-201, actual income covers virtually all money received.

2. Subtract pre-existing obligations. If either parent already pays child support for other children under a court order, that amount is deducted.

3. Resolve alimony first. If either parent requests alimony in the same proceeding, the court decides alimony before calculating child support. Alimony received counts as income for the recipient, and alimony paid is subtracted from the payor's income.

4. Combine both parents' adjusted incomes. The court adds both incomes together to get the combined adjusted actual income.

5. Look up the basic child support obligation. Using the schedule in Family Law 12-204, the court finds the basic obligation based on the combined income and the number of children.

6. Add additional expenses. Work-related child care costs, health insurance premiums for the child, and extraordinary medical expenses are added to the basic obligation.

7. Divide proportionally. Each parent pays their share based on their percentage of the combined income. If one parent earns 65% of the total, that parent is responsible for 65% of the total obligation.

For shared physical custody cases, Worksheet B includes an additional adjustment that accounts for the time each parent spends with the child.

Factors the Court Considers

Under Family Law 12-201, the court evaluates several factors when setting child support:

• Actual income from all sources: Wages, commissions, self-employment profits, Social Security, workers' compensation, unemployment benefits, pensions, and investment income
• Work-related child care expenses: Daycare, before-school and after-school care, and summer care programs
• Extraordinary medical expenses: Out-of-pocket medical, dental, or mental health costs not covered by insurance
• Health insurance premiums: The cost of maintaining health coverage for the child
• Transportation costs: Expenses related to visitation and custody exchanges

Voluntary Unemployment and Imputed Income

If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court may calculate support based on imputed income, which is the amount that parent could reasonably earn. Under Family Law 12-201, choosing not to work or choosing to earn less than your potential is not a valid reason to reduce child support.

The court considers the parent's education, work experience, job skills, and local employment opportunities when determining imputed income.

Self-Support Reserve

Maryland's guidelines include a self-support reserve to make sure the paying parent can meet their own basic needs. If the calculated support amount would drop the obligor's income below this threshold, the schedule adjusts the obligation downward. These adjusted amounts are marked with an asterisk (*) in the statutory schedule.

2025 Law Changes: Multifamily Adjustment

Effective October 1, 2025, Maryland enacted significant changes to its child support guidelines through HB 275 / SB 1038 (Chapter 532). The most notable change is the multifamily adjustment.

What the Multifamily Adjustment Does

When a parent supports additional children living in their household, the court can now reduce that parent's countable income before calculating child support. Previously, only children subject to an existing court order were considered. The new law allows a deduction even when no court order exists for the other children.

Who Qualifies

To qualify for the multifamily adjustment, the parent must meet all three requirements:

• The parent is not already under a court order to support that child
• The child lives with the parent for more than 92 overnights per year
• The parent can provide proof of legal parentage for that child

How the Deduction Is Calculated

The court determines the basic child support obligation for each additional child using only the qualifying parent's income. That amount is then multiplied by 75%. The resulting figure is subtracted from the parent's income before calculating the primary child support obligation.

Court Discretion

The court may decline to apply the multifamily adjustment if doing so would be unjust or not in the best interest of the child for whom support is being calculated.

Estate Priority for Unpaid Support

The same legislation elevated the priority of unpaid child support in estate proceedings. When a deceased parent's estate does not have enough assets to pay all claims, unpaid child support now ranks above most other debts, including certain tax claims. It falls just below family allowances in the priority order.

How to Apply for Child Support

Parents can establish child support in Maryland through two main paths:

Through the Child Support Administration (CSA): Contact the Maryland Child Support Administration online or call 1-800-332-6347. CSA can help with:

• Establishing paternity
• Locating absent parents
• Establishing, modifying, and enforcing support orders
• Collecting and distributing payments

Through the courts directly: You can file a child support case through Maryland's court system without going through CSA.

How to Modify Child Support in Maryland

Maryland allows modification of child support when there has been a material change in circumstances. Parents may request a review every three years through CSA, or they may file with the court at any time if circumstances change significantly.

Valid Grounds for Modification

• Significant change in either parent's income (job loss, disability, promotion, retirement)
• Changes in work-related child care costs
• Changes in health insurance or medical expenses
• Changes in custody or visitation arrangements
• Change in the number of children in the household
• A child reaching the age of majority
• Changes in the financial needs of the child

How to Request a Modification

You have two options:

• Contact the Maryland Child Support Administration to request a review
• File a petition to modify child support directly with the court

If both parents agree on the change, they can sign a consent order, which typically takes 30 to 60 days to process.

Note that the 2025 multifamily adjustment applies only to new or modified orders entered on or after October 1, 2025. Existing orders are not automatically changed.

What Happens During Incarceration

Under Maryland Family Law, child support arrears may stop accruing during incarceration in certain circumstances. However, the obligation resumes upon release.

If the incarcerated parent has assets, operates a business, or participates in a work-release program, the court may continue collecting child support during the incarceration period.

Any parent who becomes incarcerated should contact the Child Support Administration immediately to discuss available options and avoid accumulating arrears.

Enforcement of Child Support Orders

The Maryland Child Support Administration has broad enforcement authority. Here are the tools available when a parent falls behind on payments.

Administrative Enforcement

• Automatic wage withholding: Employers are ordered to deduct support directly from paychecks under Family Law 10-120
• Tax refund interception: State and federal tax refunds, as well as lottery winnings, can be seized
• Bank account levy: Financial institutions can be ordered to freeze and garnish accounts
• Unemployment benefits interception: Benefits can be garnished to satisfy support obligations
• Property liens: Liens can be placed on real and personal property
• Credit bureau reporting: Unpaid support is reported to credit agencies, damaging the obligor's credit score
• Financial Institution Data Match (FIDM): Banks report account information to help locate the obligor's assets
• Passport denial: The U.S. State Department will deny, revoke, or restrict passports when arrears exceed $2,500

Driver's License Suspension (Updated October 2025)

Maryland updated its driver's license suspension rules effective October 1, 2025, through HB 110. Key changes include:

• Extended timeline: CSA now waits 120 days of noncompliance before referring a case to the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), up from the previous 60-day period
• Income protection: Parents at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level are exempt from license suspension, unless the court has found them voluntarily impoverished
• Right to review: Before suspension, the parent can request CSA review the decision. Valid grounds include incorrect compliance information, the suspension would prevent the parent from working, a documented disability, or the suspension would prevent compliance with the support order

Contempt of Court

Willful failure to pay child support can result in contempt of court. Under Family Law 11-110, a parent can be held in contempt only when the court determines they have the ability to pay and have chosen not to.

Consequences of a contempt finding can include fines, payment plans, and incarceration. The court views jail as a last resort because it prevents the parent from earning income to pay support.

To avoid a contempt finding, the accused parent must demonstrate a genuine inability to pay.

Criminal Nonsupport

Under Family Law 10-203, desertion or nonsupport of a minor child is a misdemeanor. Conviction can result in imprisonment of up to 3 years. This charge typically applies to parents who are severely behind on support and have willfully failed to provide for their children.

Statute of Limitations

Under Courts and Judicial Proceedings 5-102, the statute of limitations on child support enforcement is 12 years from the date the last payment was due.

When Does Child Support End in Maryland?

Child support in Maryland ends when:

• The child turns 18 and has graduated from high school or is no longer enrolled
• The child turns 19 if still enrolled in high school
• The child becomes emancipated (through marriage, military service, or court order)
• The child is adopted by another person

If a child is mentally or physically incapacitated and unable to support themselves, child support may continue indefinitely regardless of age.

Important: File a Motion to Terminate

Child support does not automatically stop when the child reaches the qualifying age. The paying parent must file a Motion to Terminate Child Support with the court. Until the court issues an order, the obligation continues to accrue.

College Expenses

Maryland does not automatically require parents to pay for college or university expenses after the child turns 18. However, parents may voluntarily agree to share post-secondary education costs as part of a separation or custody agreement.

Emancipation in Maryland

Maryland recognizes two forms of emancipation:

Complete emancipation: Both parents lose all legal rights and responsibilities toward the child.

Partial emancipation: A parent loses responsibility for a specified period, a special purpose, or a defined portion of parental rights.

A child may qualify for emancipation by:

• Reaching age 18
• Joining the military
• Getting married (with parental consent if under 18)
• Demonstrating financial self-sufficiency
• Having a parent formally give up parental control

The court may also grant emancipation if a parent has abused the child or willfully failed to pay child support.

Termination of Parental Rights

Voluntary termination of parental rights most commonly occurs in adoption cases. The parent legally ends all rights and responsibilities toward the child.

Consequences of termination include:

• No legal say in the child's upbringing, education, or medical decisions
• No legal responsibility to support the child financially
• No right to visitation or custody

The court may also involuntarily terminate parental rights when it determines that a parent is unfit and termination serves the child's best interest.