Massachusetts Child Support Calculator

Disclaimer: This child support calculator is for informational purposes only. The Court will decide itself how much of child support you’ll have to pay or receive. Our calculator try to take into consideration as many factors as possible, and is made based on the most recent Guidelines, but the Court will set the final amount.

To use the child support calculator, select or enter the appropriate information next to each statement.

All children have the right to be financially supported by their parents. It does not matter if the parents were never married, are separated or got divorced. Child support is a court-ordered payment that goes towards raising children. In the state of Massachusetts, such obligations usually last until a child is 18. However, it is possible for child support to be paid until the child is 20 years old if he or she is still attending high school.

Requesting Child Support in Massachusetts

There are several ways that child support can be agreed upon in Massachusetts. The parents can ask a judge to approve an agreed-upon support order during a divorce or other family law proceeding. Most cases are started by submitting an Application for Full Child Support Services to the Department of Revenue office.

The Department can help locate a ‘missing’ non-custodial parent and determine paternity for any children born outside legal marriage. In addition to this, the Department is able to help with the collection and distribution of child support, determining child support obligations, and then enforcing them.

Who can be Eligible for Services?

Here are the services that a parent or the guardian of a child can apply for:

• Establishing a child support order for a child younger than 18
• Enforcing past-due child support that is owed under a court order
• Determining paternity for a child younger than 18
• Collecting and enforcing existing child support orders
• Making changes to a child support order for a child younger than 18

Calculation of Support

There are support guidelines that are enacted by the state that determines child support amounts. A judge will use a rather complicated mathematical computation to calculate a child support formula. The most important factors influencing the child support amount are parental income, medical insurance costs, social security benefits, and daycare expenses. The child’s living arrangements are also taken into account.

With our simplified approach, you can calculate an approximate amount for child support. Easily get an idea of the amount with our Massachusetts child support calculator.

What’s Included in a Support Order?

The expenses included in a child support order are basic education, health insurance, food, clothing, shelter, extraordinary medical expenses, visitation travel costs and extracurricular activities.

What Are My Choices For Receiving Child Support Payments?

A parent who must receive child support payments can have it deposited into their bank account directly. It is also possible to have payments made to a Child Support Card account. It is no longer common practice for checks to be issued, but you can qualify for a possible exemption.

When Will Child Support Payments End?

In Massachusetts, child support payments will end when:

• The child turns 18. There is an exception if the child still depends on the custodial parent. For example, when the child is employed full time, joined the military or moved into their own place, he or she is no longer dependent.
• The child turns 21, unless the child is part of a full-time undergraduate college program.
• The child turns 23, with the exception of a disabled adult who is under guardianship.