Maine child support calculator (2026 guidelines)
Maine guidelines effective February 13, 2023. Change state
For 2 children, with Parent A earning $60,000 and Parent B $40,000, Maine's guideline amount is $1,018 a month (Parent A pays Parent B).
Maine uses the income shares model; its current guidelines took effect February 13, 2023.
This is the guideline amount, not a court order.
Calculate your Maine guideline amount
Guideline child support
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Maine child support at a glance
| Children | $30,000 | $50,000 | $75,000 | $100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 child | $412 | $598 | $780 | $975 |
| 2 children | $624 | $893 | $1,161 | $1,439 |
| 3 children | $745 | $1,057 | $1,369 | $1,690 |
| 4 children | $836 | $1,183 | $1,521 | $1,894 |
| 5 children | $888 | $1,300 | $1,677 | $2,076 |
How Maine calculates child support
Maine uses the income shares model: the Child Support Table gives a weekly amount per child at the parents’ combined yearly gross income, multiplied by the number of children, and each parent is responsible for their share of it.
Gross income from almost all sources counts, before taxes. Means-tested public assistance does not count. Support a parent already pays under an order for other children is subtracted first.
Maine has no overnight formula. When both parents provide substantially equal care, the higher-income parent pays the lower of its share of the table amount and the difference between the parents’ shares of one and a half times the table amount; child care and medical costs are shared by income.
If the paying parent earns less than $16,800 a year, support is 10% of that parent’s weekly income, rounded down, with no add-ons. If the paying parent’s own income falls in the shaded self-support area of the table (up to $20,400 a year for one child), the table amount on that income alone is used when it is lower.
Health insurance for the children, work-related child care and predictable extraordinary medical costs are added to the table amount and shared by income; the paying parent subtracts what they pay directly.
Support a parent pays under an order for other children is subtracted from that parent’s income. For other children living with the paying parent, the table amount for those children on that parent’s income is subtracted as a yearly amount.
The table runs to $400,000 of combined yearly income. Above that the court decides, and the amount per child is presumed to be at least the top row; this estimate uses the top row.
Income shares are whole percents, and the weekly amounts are rounded to the dollar; amounts under the poverty rule are rounded down.
Parenting time in Maine
Maine has no overnight formula. When both parents provide substantially equal care, the higher-income parent pays the lower of its share of the table amount and the difference between the parents’ shares of one and a half times the table amount; child care and medical costs are shared by income.
| Overnights with Parent A | Guideline amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | $1,018 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
| 52 | $1,018 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
| 104 | $1,018 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
| 128 | $1,018 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
| 182 (about equal) | $511 a month | Parent A pays Parent B |
Low and high incomes in Maine
For 2 children with Parent B earning $40,000, the guideline amount is about $277 a month when Parent A earns $20,000 a year and about $2,743 a month when Parent A earns $250,000.
If the paying parent earns less than $16,800 a year, support is 10% of that parent’s weekly income, rounded down, with no add-ons. If the paying parent’s own income falls in the shaded self-support area of the table (up to $20,400 a year for one child), the table amount on that income alone is used when it is lower.
The table runs to $400,000 of combined yearly income. Above that the court decides, and the amount per child is presumed to be at least the top row; this estimate uses the top row.
Child support by number of children in Maine
- 1 child$680 a month
- 2 children$1,018 a month
- 3 children$1,218 a month
- 4 children$1,352 a month
- 5 children$1,495 a month
Parent A earns $60,000, Parent B $40,000; the children live mostly with Parent B.
Official sources and verification
- Law: 19-A M.R.S. §§ 2001–2012; 10-144 C.M.R. ch. 351, ch. 6–7
- Maine child support guidelines
- Child Support Worksheet (FM-040)
- Official Maine child support calculator
- Maine DHHS Child Support Services
- Changing a Maine child support order
Guidelines effective February 13, 2023. Verified against the official Maine sources on October 7, 2026. How we calculate →
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in Maine?
Maine uses the income shares model: the Child Support Table gives a weekly amount per child at the parents’ combined yearly gross income, multiplied by the number of children, and each parent is responsible for their share of it. Gross income from almost all sources counts, before taxes. Means-tested public assistance does not count. Support a parent already pays under an order for other children is subtracted first.
What is the child support for one child in Maine on $50,000?
If Parent A earns $50,000 a year, Parent B earns $40,000 and the child lives mostly with Parent B, Maine's guideline amount for one child is about $598 a month (Parent A pays Parent B). Courts can deviate from the guideline amount.
Does 50/50 custody mean no child support in Maine?
Not necessarily. With about equal parenting time, 2 children, Parent A earning $60,000 and Parent B $40,000, the guideline amount is about $511 a month (Parent A pays Parent B). Maine has no overnight formula. When both parents provide substantially equal care, the higher-income parent pays the lower of its share of the table amount and the difference between the parents’ shares of one and a half times the table amount; child care and medical costs are shared by income.
What is the minimum child support in Maine?
If the paying parent earns less than $16,800 a year, support is 10% of that parent’s weekly income, rounded down, with no add-ons. If the paying parent’s own income falls in the shaded self-support area of the table (up to $20,400 a year for one child), the table amount on that income alone is used when it is lower.
When does child support end in Maine?
Maine child support orders run until the child turns 18. A child who turns 18 while still in secondary school is supported until graduation, withdrawal or expulsion, or age 19, whichever comes first, and the guideline table covers that child. We didn't locate an official rule on support for college or for a disabled adult child.