{"id":373711,"date":"2016-04-11T01:22:49","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T06:22:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/maine-law\/maine-child-support-guidelines.html"},"modified":"2023-01-31T14:45:45","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T19:45:45","slug":"maine-child-support-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/maine-law\/maine-child-support-guidelines.html","title":{"rendered":"Maine Child Support Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n \n
\n

Maine Child Support Guidelines<\/h1>\n
\n
\n By FindLaw Staff<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Nicole Prebeck, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
\n

The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Parents are required to support their minor children, whether they remain a couple or not. Each state sets guidelines for determining parents’ financial obligations under any child support arrangement. The guidelines of every state consider a parent’s income in determining what a parent must pay. Read on to learn about child support guidelines in Maine.<\/p>\r\n

In Maine, child support guidelines<\/a> provide a standard by which the state’s family law<\/a> courts determine the amounts of child support awards. These guidelines take several factors into account, including how much each parent earns, the child(ren)’s estimated expenses, what type of custody was applied (joint custody is the most common), and other factors relevant to the family’s finances. Usually, the parent who spends less time with the child(ren) will contribute more to child support, but this is influenced by the amount of time shared.<\/p>\r\n

Child Support Guidelines in Maine<\/h2>\r\n

Trying to work through the specifics of child support guidelines can be difficult enough without having to deal with dense legal jargon. The table below briefly outlines Maine’s child support guidelines in language that’s easier to read and understand.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Determination of Basic Support Entitlement<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

The family court determines how much support each child is entitled to by following the steps below (Maine Statute 19-A.2006<\/a>):

Total Basic Support Obligation<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

The total basic support obligation is determined by using the Maine Child Support Calculation Worksheet<\/a>, which adds the child care costs, health insurance premiums, and extraordinary medical expenses to the basic support entitlement calculated above.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Computation of Parental Support Obligation<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

As per Maine Statute 19-A.2001<\/a>, the total basic support obligation is then divided between the parents in proportion to their respective gross incomes.<\/p>\r\n

The court requires the non-custodial parent to pay their share of the total basic support obligation to the custodial parent. This is because the custodial parent is presumed to spend their share of the total basic support obligation directly on the child(ren).<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Special Circumstances<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

The court will also consider the following special circumstances<\/a> when determining child support: