{"id":375110,"date":"2016-04-11T01:23:26","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T06:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/new-mexico-law\/new-mexico-child-support-guidelines.html"},"modified":"2025-06-02T13:22:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:22:52","slug":"new-mexico-child-support-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/new-mexico-law\/new-mexico-child-support-guidelines.html","title":{"rendered":"New Mexico Child Support Guidelines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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New Mexico Child Support Guidelines<\/h1>\n
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\n By Kit Yona, M.A.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Jordan Walker, J.D.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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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
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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

New Mexico child support guidelines ensure fair and consistent support for children’s basic needs when parents live apart. Child support, managed by the Child Support Services Division (CSSD), is calculated using an income shares model based on parents’ combined gross income and custody arrangements. <\/blockquote>\r\n

New Mexico child support guidelines use an income shares model to calculate child support payments. This system combines both parents’ gross income to calculate obligations based on custody arrangements and additional expenses. Child support aims to provide children with financial support similar to a two-parent household.<\/p>\r\n

Child support orders can be modified due to significant changes in circumstances. The Child Support Services Division oversees collection and enforcement, ensuring child support obligations are met to support children’s basic needs until they reach adulthood.<\/p>\r\n

If you’re making child support payments, receiving them, or having your child support obligations determined, the process can seem bewildering. To help make things a bit clearer, this article will explain how the New Mexico child support guidelines<\/a> work. You’ll come away with a better understanding of what to expect and which agencies you’ll deal with.<\/p>\r\n

Basic Child Support Information<\/h2>\r\n

The responsibility of each state to oversee the collection, disbursement, and enforcement of child support payments became federal law under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act of 1975<\/a>. In New Mexico, the Child Support Services Division<\/a> (CSSD, formerly the CSED) of the New Mexico Health Care Authority handles these duties.<\/p>\r\n

Each parent is obligated to provide for their children, regardless of the relationship between them. Child support orders<\/a> can result from child custody hearings, divorce proceedings, or one birth parent petitioning for support from the other birth parent.<\/p>\r\n

When Does Child Support End?<\/h3>\r\n

Children in New Mexico are eligible for child support until they turn 18 years of age. If they haven’t graduated from high school yet, support is extended until they graduate or reach the age of 19. Support can also terminate if the child becomes emancipated<\/a>, joins a branch of the military, gets married, is adopted, or dies. Parents should alert the CSSD if any of these occur.<\/p>\r\n

Who Can Get Child Support and How Do They Get It?<\/h3>\r\n

Either parent can apply for child support. The CSSD offers applications online<\/a>, over the phone at 1-800-283-4465, or in person with an appointment at one of their field offices<\/a>. If you’re receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), you may already have an account.<\/p>\r\n

What Does Child Support Cover?<\/h3>\r\n

Child support is designed to provide a child with the same level of financial support they’d have in a two-parent household. Both parents will have a child support obligation. This means that all of the following needs<\/a> are covered:<\/p>\r\n