If you’re navigating a child support matter in Massachusetts, understanding how support amounts are determined can help you better prepare for what to expect. The bottom-line is this: an interactive PDF is available online that requires the entry of gross weekly income for each parent, along with a few other details.
The form then runs a calculation and pops out a number at the bottom of the form, which is the amount that one parent is expected to pay the other. However, that’s not always the end of the story. The Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines, most recently amended in 2023, provide a structured framework that judges use to evaluate and order child support obligations across the Commonwealth.
The Presumptive Guidelines
Massachusetts law provides that the amount calculated under the guidelines is what’s called a “rebuttable presumption” that the number on the form is the appropriate amount of child support to be ordered. The guidelines that create this number will be applied in all cases, establishing or modifying child support, whether the parents are married or unmarried, and whether the order is temporary or final. Even when parents reach an agreement, the court will require a complete guidelines worksheet with the presumptive support amount.
What Counts as Income?
The guidelines define income broadly as “gross income from whatever source,” regardless of whether it’s reported to the IRS. This includes obvious sources like salaries, wages, and overtime, but also encompasses bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, rental income, Social Security retirement and disability benefits, unemployment compensation, workers’ compensation, pensions, lottery winnings, and even stock options.
Importantly, certain income is excluded from the calculation. Public assistance programs based on financial circumstances—such as TAFDC, SNAP, SSI, and means-tested veterans’ benefits—are not counted as income for either parent.
Key Factors in the Child Support Calculations
Several factors affect the final child support amount:
- Parenting Time: The basic calculation assumes children spend approximately one-third of their time with the non-residential parent. The guidelines accommodate different parenting arrangements, including shared parenting (approximately equal time), split custody (where different children primarily reside with different parents), and the traditional 2/3-1/3 arrangement.
- Child Care Costs: Reasonable child care costs up to $355 per week per child (due to gainful employment) are shared between parents in proportion to their incomes. This benchmark represents the average cost of center-based infant care in Massachusetts.
- Health Care Coverage: Parents may deduct from gross income the reasonable cost of health care premiums they actually pay. However, if insuring additional persons not covered by the order would unreasonably impact the child support amount, some or all of that additional cost may not be deducted.
- Age of Children: For children between ages 18 and 23, if the court exercises its discretion to order support, the guidelines formula reduces the amount by 25% to reflect that older children may have different expense patterns.
Income Ranges and Minimums
The guidelines establish minimum support levels to protect basic subsistence. For parents with a gross income of $210 per week or less, the minimum order is $12 per week. For those earning between $211 and $249 per week, the minimum varies between $12 and $20 per week. The guidelines are calculated up to a maximum combined annual income of $400,000, with amounts above that threshold determined at the court’s discretion.
Rebutting the Presumption
Courts may deviate from the presumptive amount when circumstances warrant, such as when a child has special needs, when parents have extraordinary health care expenses, or when application of the guidelines would leave a parent unable to meet basic self-support needs. Any deviation requires specific written findings explaining why the guidelines amount would be unjust or inappropriate, and even experienced attorneys may struggle to get a judge to agree to a deviation.
Understanding these guidelines is the first step in navigating your child support matter. Because every family’s situation is unique, consulting with an experienced family law attorney can help you understand how these guidelines apply to your specific circumstances.
