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Maine child support: a weekly, per-child table and what changes with substantially equal care

Maine thinks about child support in weeks, not months. Its table gives a dollar figure per child per week for the parents' combined gross income, and the non-primary care provider pays a share of that figure in proportion to income. When the parents share care substantially equally, a separate supplemental worksheet takes over.

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At a glance

ModelIncome shares on combined annual gross income, 19-A M.R.S. 2006
TableWeekly amount per child, in $600 rows of combined annual income; current table effective February 13, 2023
High incomeAbove $400,000 combined a year the table stops, but support is presumed to be at least the $400,000 row
Equal careSubstantially equal care: the 1.5x enhanced entitlement on supplemental worksheet FM-040-A
Low incomeSelf-support reserve for payors earning $22,800 or less a year; 10% cap below the poverty guideline
Support endsAge 18, or graduation, leaving school or age 19 for a child still in secondary school
AgencyDivision of Support Enforcement and Recovery (DSER), Maine DHHS

How Maine calculates child support

Everything in Maine starts from annual gross income, and the statute's definition is broad: wages, bonuses, commissions, self-employment receipts minus ordinary and necessary expenses, Social Security and disability benefits, workers' compensation, interest, capital gains, and spousal support received from someone other than the children's parent. Means-tested benefits such as TANF, SSI and SNAP are not counted. Spousal or child support a parent already pays under an earlier order comes off the top.

The two incomes are added and matched to the closest row of the Child Support Table, which the Department of Health and Human Services adopts by rule and the courts publish as form FM-084. The figure in the column for the total number of children is a weekly amount for each child, so it is multiplied by the number of children. That product is the basic support entitlement. Since 2017 there are no longer separate columns by the child's age.

Child care, the children's health insurance premium and predictable extraordinary medical costs are added to reach the total basic support obligation, which is split in proportion to gross income on worksheet FM-040. The non-primary care provider pays their share in money; the primary care provider is presumed to spend theirs directly on the children.

Worked example: Maine

  1. Parent A earns $1,050 a week in gross income and Parent B earns $750, so together they earn $1,800 a week, which is $93,600 a year.
  2. The $93,600 row of Maine's table lists $188 per child per week in the two-children column. Two children times $188 gives a basic support entitlement of $376 a week.
  3. Parent A has 58.3% of the combined gross income and Parent B has 41.7%, so Parent A's share is $219 and Parent B's is $157.
  4. If the children live primarily with Parent B, Parent A, as the non-primary care provider, pays $219 a week before any child care, insurance or extraordinary medical costs are added. Orders can be set weekly or biweekly.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Figures are rounded to the dollar and leave out the insurance, childcare, and other adjustments your case may have. Try your own numbers in CoreParent's calculator, then confirm with the state's official calculator.

Substantially equal care in Maine: the 1.5 enhanced entitlement

Maine has no overnight threshold and no sliding credit for ordinary visitation. The only time-based rule is for parents who provide substantially equal care, which the statute defines as participating substantially equally in the child's total care, including residential, educational, recreational, child care and health needs. A judge decides whether a family meets it.

With equal incomes and equal care, neither parent pays. With unequal incomes, the basic entitlement is multiplied by 1.5, each parent's share of that enhanced amount is figured by income, and the higher earner pays the lower of the difference or what they would owe if the other parent had primary care. In the example, equal care brings Parent A's payment down to about $94 a week. Child care, insurance and uninsured medical costs are then shared by income. The parents complete supplemental worksheet FM-040-A, listing the higher earner as the non-primary care provider.

Child care, health insurance and extraordinary medical costs

Child care is added for children under 12 when it relates to a parent's job, education or training and is reasonable for the area. The insurance figure is the cost of adding the children to existing coverage, or the gap between self-only and family coverage. Extraordinary medical expenses are recurring, uninsured costs above $250 per child or group of children per calendar year, such as copays, orthodontia, eyeglasses, therapy or counseling for a diagnosed condition. Predictable ones go on the worksheet; later ones above $250 are divided by income. A paying parent who covers any of these directly subtracts them on line 14b.

Very low income: the reserve and the 10% ceiling

The table includes a shaded self-support reserve for payors earning $22,800 or less a year. If the payor's own income falls in that zone, the shaded amount times the number of children is the basic obligation, regardless of the other parent's income, plus a share of add-ons, unless the regular calculation is lower. If the payor earns less than the federal poverty guideline, support cannot exceed 10% of their weekly gross income and nothing is added on top.

Other children in the paying parent's home

When the non-primary care provider must support other children living with them, the worksheet computes a theoretical support amount for those children from the table using that parent's income alone, then subtracts it from income before the main calculation. When each parent has primary care of at least one child, an obligation is computed in each direction and only the difference is paid.

When support ends, step-downs, and changing the order

Support continues until the child turns 18, marries or is emancipated. A child who turns 18 while in secondary school is supported until graduating, withdrawing, being expelled or turning 19, whichever comes first. When an order covers more than one child and one reaches 15, the order must spell out a dollar amount for every combination of children still at home, because the table is not a simple per-child split.

An order that differs from the guideline amount by more than 15% is a substantial change and is modified. Once three years have passed since the last order, the court reviews it without proof of changed circumstances. A modification reaches back only to the date the other parent was served with the motion.

Collection and enforcement

The Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery (DSER) in Maine DHHS locates parents, establishes parentage, sets and enforces orders including medical support and child care, collects and records payments, and can file a motion to modify. It does not give legal advice or enforce visitation. Families receiving TANF are enrolled automatically; others apply online or by mail.

Documents you will need

Maine child support FAQ

Is Maine child support calculated weekly or monthly?

Weekly. The table gives a weekly figure per child, and the worksheet produces a weekly or biweekly parental support obligation. A combined income of $1,800 a week with two children gives a basic entitlement of $376 a week.

How is child support calculated in Maine?

Add both parents' annual gross incomes, find the closest row in the Child Support Table, multiply the per-child figure by the number of children, add child care, health insurance and extraordinary medical costs, and split the total by each parent's share of gross income on form FM-040.

Does 50/50 custody mean no child support in Maine?

Only if incomes are also equal. With substantially equal care and unequal incomes, the higher earner pays based on the 1.5 enhanced entitlement. In our example with a 58.3% to 41.7% income split, that is about $94 a week instead of $219.

What happens above $400,000 of combined income in Maine?

The table no longer applies, but each child's weekly entitlement is presumed to be no less than the $400,000 row, which lists $457 per child for two children. The court can set a higher amount.

When can I change a Maine child support order?

Within three years of the last order, you need a substantial change; a gap of more than 15% between the order and the guideline amount counts. After three years the court reviews without proof of a change. Changes apply only from the date the motion is served.

Next steps

Sources

Verified against these official sources in October 2026:

Child support in every other state

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This is general educational information, not legal advice, and official figures change. Last verified: October 2026. Consult a licensed family-law attorney in Maine.