How Maine Calculates Child Support
Maine uses the Income Shares model for child support. The governing law is Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A, Section 2006, along with the Maine Child Support Guidelines. Maine uses gross monthly income as the basis for its calculation, specifically the combined gross monthly income of both parents.
Maine's Income Shares approach follows the same core principle used by 41 states: children should receive financial support that reflects both parents' combined income, split proportionally. The parent with less parenting time pays their share to the parent with more parenting time.
The Maine Child Support Formula
Maine's calculation follows four steps.
Step one is determining each parent's monthly gross income. Step two is combining both gross incomes to produce the combined monthly gross income. Step three is finding the Basic Support Obligation in Maine's Child Support Schedule using the combined income and number of children. Step four is calculating each parent's income share percentage and applying it to the obligation.
A practical example: Parent A earns $4,200 per month. Parent B earns $2,300 per month. Combined gross income is $6,500. Parent A's income share is 64.6 percent. Parent B's income share is 35.4 percent. If Maine's schedule shows a Basic Support Obligation of $1,200 for two children at $6,500 combined income, Parent A's obligation is $775 per month before add-ons and parenting time adjustments.
Maine's schedule has a maximum combined income level. Above that maximum, courts set support based on the children's reasonable needs and the parents' ability to pay, using the schedule maximum as the floor.
What Counts as Income in Maine
Maine uses a comprehensive income definition under Title 19-A. Courts include wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, overtime, self-employment income, rental income, pension and retirement distributions, Social Security benefits, SSDI payments, veterans' benefits, unemployment compensation, workers' compensation, and income from any regular source.
Maine courts can impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed based on recent work history, qualifications, and prevailing local wages. A parent who has chosen to reduce their income cannot reduce their child support obligation by doing so.
Maine excludes needs-based public assistance programs and child support received for children from other relationships from the income calculation.
Step-by-Step: How to Use This Calculator
Step 1. Get your gross monthly income. Include wages, self-employment income, rental income, and any other regular income. Gross means before taxes and any deductions.
Step 2. Subtract court-ordered child support you are currently paying for children from other relationships. Maine adjusts for prior orders.
Step 3. Estimate the other parent's gross monthly income using the same method.
Step 4. Enter the number of children this order covers.
Step 5. Enter your parenting time percentage. Count overnights per year and divide by 365. Maine applies a credit when the paying parent has significant parenting time.
Step 6. Add healthcare costs. Enter the monthly cost of the children's health insurance premium.
Step 7. Add childcare costs. Enter monthly work-related childcare expenses that allow either parent to work.
Step 8. Review the full breakdown before accepting the result.
Parenting Time Adjustments in Maine
Maine adjusts child support when the paying parent has significant parenting time. Courts recognize that a parent who has the children for a substantial portion of the year is spending directly on their daily needs during that time.
At standard visitation levels, the adjustment is minimal. As parenting time approaches 50 percent, the credit grows. Maine recognizes arrangements where each parent has substantial time as shared parental rights and responsibilities. At near-equal time, both parents' obligations are considered and the net payment flows from the higher earner to the lower earner.
Equal parenting time with meaningfully different incomes still produces a net payment. Equal time does not mean equal financial responsibility when incomes differ.
Maine courts also recognize that even small differences in overnights near the 50/50 mark can affect which formula applies and how large the credit is. Counting actual overnights rather than estimating is worth doing when parenting time is close to equal.
Add-On Expenses in Maine
Maine adds healthcare premiums and work-related childcare costs to the base obligation, allocated proportionally by income share. Courts may also address extraordinary medical expenses and educational costs when circumstances warrant.
Maine is one of the states that explicitly recognizes post-secondary education expenses as a possible component of a child support order. This requires a specific court finding and is not part of the standard guideline calculation, but it is worth knowing if college costs are a near-term consideration.
Reading Your Results
The results display shows combined gross monthly income, the Basic Support Obligation from Maine's schedule, each parent's income share, the parenting time adjustment if applicable, add-on costs, and the final monthly obligation.
If you deducted a prior support obligation, confirm that deduction is reflected accurately in the income figures before accepting the result. A common error is deducting the prior obligation but not verifying it was applied before the income shares were calculated.
After You Get Your Estimate
Maine courts follow the Title 19-A, Section 2006 guidelines in all standard cases. Deviation is allowed when the guideline amount would be unjust or inappropriate. Courts consider both parents' financial resources, the child's specific needs, and any special circumstances.
Modification in Maine requires a substantial change in circumstances. Courts look for at least a 15 percent change in the calculated obligation as a practical threshold. Income changes, parenting time shifts, and changes in the children's needs are the most common grounds for filing.
A licensed Maine family law attorney can review your calculation and advise on whether your situation supports a deviation or modification. Many offer a free consultation.