If you’re a parent going through a divorce or have never been married to your child’s other parent, you may be wondering how child support works in Maryland and how much you can expect to receive. While Maryland courts consider several things when awarding child support, they also use the ”income share” method for calculating child support payments. Keep reading to learn more about Maryland child support and how much you can expect to receive for one child.
What is Child Support?
Child support is an ongoing payment by a non-custodial parent to assist with the financial requirements of raising a child. Payments are often determined during the divorce process, or parents who have never been married can also request child support from the other non-custodial parent. The only requirements for requesting child support are establishing paternity and maternity.
Maryland Child Support Guidelines
Maryland uses the “income share” method for calculating child support payments. Under this method, both the custodial and non-custodial parents contribute to their child’s upkeep. The formula directly accounts for parents who share custody of a child. The income share method uses economic tables to estimate the total monthly cost of raising a child, and the non-custodial parent pays a percentage of the calculated cost based on their proportional share of both parents’ combined income.
For example, if the non-custodial parent has an income of $3,000 per month and the custodial parent has an income of $2,000 per month, the custodial parent can expect to receive about 60% of the total support obligationparent’s combined income. That means if the court estimates that the cost of raising one child is $1,000 per month, the non-custodial parent pays $600 per month in child support or 60% of the total child support obligation.
Other Factors that Affect Child Support Payments
In addition to accounting for income, Maryland courts also take into account things like work-related childcare expenses, health insurance expenses, extraordinary medical expenses, and any additional expenses that are associated with raising the child. The courts also take into account custody and visitation arrangements, alimony awards, and child support orders from previous relationships. Talking to an experienced family law attorney can help you get a better understanding of much child support you can expect to see for your unique circumstances.
Enforcing Child Support in Maryland
There are plenty of ways Maryland helps enforce child support if the non-custodial parent does not pay on time or does not pay in full. A local Maryland Child Support Administration officer can implement things like:
- Garnish wages
- Intercept federal and state tax refunds to pay owed child support
- Credit bureau reporting
- Administrative liens
- Report parents owing child support to their new employer
- Bring contempt of court actions
These are just some of the many ways Maryland helps enforce child support payments. They also have resources and programs for non-custodial parents who cannot make their routine childcare payments.
Learn More About Child Support in Maryland
The family law attorneys at Billian Law are always here to help. Whether you need dependable legal advice for your child support case or need representation for your divorce case, we can help. Contact us today to learn more about how Billian Law can help you.
