Maryland child support calculator

Maryland follows the income-shares model. A child should receive the same share of parental income they would have if the parents lived together. Both parents’ adjusted actual income is combined, the basic support obligation is read from the schedule, and each parent is responsible for the share that matches their percentage of the combined income. The parent who does not have primary custody pays their share to the other.

The core of the calculation is the schedule in § 12-204(e) — a table indexed by combined adjusted actual income (from $1,200 up to $30,000 per month) and the number of children (one to six). Maryland expanded and updated this schedule so it is presumptive across that whole range. When the combined income falls between two rows, the next higher amount is used (§ 12-204(c)); above $30,000 a month the court uses its discretion (§ 12-204(d)).

To the basic obligation Maryland adds work-related child care (§ 12-204(g)), the children’s health-insurance premium (§ 12-204(i)), and extraordinary medical expenses (§ 12-204(h)); school and transportation costs may also be added. The combined figure is the total obligation, divided in proportion to income. If alimony is awarded in the same case, it is shifted from the payor’s income to the recipient’s before the guidelines are run (§ 12-204(a)(2)).

When each parent keeps the children for at least 25% of the year — about 92 overnights — Maryland treats it as shared physical custody (§ 12-204(m)). The basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5 to reflect two households, each parent’s share is computed, and the amounts are offset by the time the children spend with the other parent, so the higher earner pays the difference. Because that needs the exact overnight split, this calculator computes the standard (sole-custody) obligation and flags when a shared arrangement likely applies.

It combines both parents’ income, reads the § 12-204 schedule, adds child care and health insurance, and splits the total by income share. It does not compute adjusted actual income from your pay stubs, shift alimony between the parties, run the shared-custody offset, add extraordinary medical or school costs, or apply a deviation the court may order. For a figure you can file, use the Maryland child support guidelines worksheet or consult an attorney.