Minnesota Child Support Calculator

Minnesota uses the income shares model under the Minnesota Child Support Guidelines (Minn. Stat. ch. 518A). Both parents' gross monthly incomes are combined to determine the parental income for determining child support (PICS), which sets a combined basic support obligation from the schedule in Minn. Stat. § 518A.35. That obligation is divided proportionally based on each parent's share of the combined PICS. Minnesota then applies the parenting expense adjustment in Minn. Stat. § 518A.36, which uses each parent's number of annual overnights raised to the third power, and adds each parent's share of childcare and medical/dental coverage. Combined PICS is capped at $20,000 per month.

Gross income in Minnesota includes income from all sources including wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, dividends, severance pay, pensions, interest, trust income, annuities, Social Security benefits, unemployment benefits, disability insurance, workers' compensation, and spousal maintenance received. Under Minn. Stat. § 518A, Minnesota courts may impute potential income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.

Minnesota applies a parenting expense adjustment under Minn. Stat. § 518A.36. Under the current law (in effect since January 1, 2018), the adjustment uses a formula based on each parent's number of court-ordered annual overnights raised to the third power. The parent with fewer overnights is 'parent A' and the parent with more overnights is 'parent B'; the formula (oA^3 x SB - oB^3 x SA) / (oA^3 + oB^3) determines both who pays and how much. The more overnights the paying parent has, the lower the support amount. This replaced the older system that used fixed 12% and 50% tiers at certain parenting-time thresholds.

Yes, either parent can petition to modify child support when there has been a substantial change in circumstances. Minnesota presumes a substantial change if the recalculated guideline amount differs from the current order by at least 20% and at least $75 per month. Common reasons include significant income changes, changes in parenting time, changes in childcare or medical costs, or a child aging out of the order.

In Minnesota, child support generally continues until the child turns 18. If the child is still attending secondary school at 18, support continues until graduation or age 20, whichever comes first. Support may continue past these ages for a child who is incapable of self-support due to a physical or mental condition. Minnesota courts generally cannot order parents to pay for college as part of child support.

Yes. Under Minnesota's guidelines, work-related and education-related childcare costs and the cost of medical and dental insurance coverage for the child are added to the basic child support obligation before it is divided between the parents. Each parent's share of these additional costs is proportional to their share of the combined gross income under Minn. Stat. § 518A.

This calculator provides an estimate based on the Minnesota child support guidelines. Actual court-ordered support may differ because judges may deviate from the guidelines based on factors including the child's needs, extraordinary expenses, the financial resources of each parent, and the standard of living the child would have enjoyed. Consult a Minnesota family law attorney for an accurate assessment.