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Computation of Child Support Obligations

Quick Facts
  • Specific medical expenses calculated separately from support.
  • Total support obligation is sum of basic support, child care costs, and health care.
  • Social Security and veterans benefits assigned to recipient regardless which parent is the reason for the benefit.
  • Nonjoint children (max 2) offset a parent's support obligation.
  • Each parent's income is considered in apportioning the support obligation.

To determine the obligor's basic child support obligation, the court uses the following procedure set forth in Minnesota statute:

  1. determines the gross income of each parent;
  2. calculates the parental income for determining child support (PICS) of each parent, by subtracting from the gross income the credit, if any, for each parent's nonjoint children;
  3. determines the percentage contribution of each parent to the combined PICS by dividing the combined PICS into each parent's PICS;
  4. determines the combined basic support obligation by application of the guidelines;
  5. determines the obligor's share of the basic support obligation by multiplying the percentage figure from (3) by the combined basic support obligation in (4); and
  6. determines the parenting expense adjustment, if any, and adjusts the obligor's basic support obligation accordingly.

Unreimbursed and uninsured medical expenses are not included in the presumptive amount of support owed by a parent and are calculated separately.

The court determines each parent's total child support obligation by adding together each parent's basic support, child care support, and health care coverage obligations.

If Social Security benefits or veterans' benefits are received by one parent as a representative payee for a joint child based on the other parent's eligibility, the court subtracts the amount of benefits from the other parent's net child support obligation, if any.

The final child support order will determine and designate the amount owed for basic support, child care support, and medical support. If necessary, the court will apply the self-support adjustment and minimum support adjustment to determine the obligor's child support obligation.