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Child Support Determinations Guidelines

Quick Facts
  • Determining basic support obligation is by formula based on combined monthly income and number of children.
  • Upper limit of income considered is $15,000.

Determination of support obligation

The guideline used to determine child support creates a rebuttable presumption to establish or modify a support obligation.

The basic child support obligation is determined by cross-referencing the guideline for the number of joint children and the combined parental income for determining child support of the parents.

If a child is not in the custody of either parent and a support order is sought against one or both parents, the basic child support obligation is determined by referencing the guideline for the appropriate number of joint children, and the parent's individual parental income for determining child support, not the combined parental incomes for determining child support of the parents.

For combined parental incomes for determining child support exceeding $15,000 per month, the presumed basic child support obligation is the same as for parents with combined parental income for determining child support of $15,000 per month. A basic child support obligation in excess of this level may be demonstrated for those certain reasons.

Basic Support Guideline

Unless the parents agree and the court approves an alternative, when establishing basic support, the court will divide the basic support between the parents based on their proportionate share of the parents' combined monthly parental income for determining child support (PICS).

For the current basic support levels, please follow the link that reflects the parents' combined monthly income below:

Income Cap on Determining Basic Support

The basic support obligation for parents with a combined parental income for determining child support in excess of the income limit must be the same dollar amount as provided for the parents with a combined parental income for determining child support equal to the income limit.

A court may order a basic support obligation in a child support order in an amount that exceeds the income limit if it finds that a child has a disability or other substantial, demonstrated need for the additional support and that the additional support will directly benefit the child.

More than Six Children

If a child support proceeding involves more than 6 children, then the court may create a support order without specifically following the guidelines. However, the court must consider the basic principles encompassed by the guidelines and must consider both parents' needs, resources, and circumstances.

Disclaimer: Every effort is made to keep the information about basic support guidelines updated to the current levels; however, no guarantee is made as to the accuracy as of today's date. Please check Minnesota statute or call this office for the most current information.