Obligation Guidelines

  • When setting a support obligation, the court uses the Minnesota Child Support Guidelines that are in state law.
  • The Guidelines are a formula used to calculate support obligations.
  • The Guidelines are used to determine basic, medical and child care support.  
  • The court may deviate from the Guidelines in certain circumstances.
  • The Guidelines are reviewed every four years and they help determine support amounts using the:
    • income of both parents
    • number of children
    • cost of raising a child at different income levels
    • availability and cost of medical support
  • You can estimate the amount of child support that may be ordered on a case using the Child Support Guidelines Calculator.  The estimate is informational only.  The court has the authority to order child support.
  • If you have questions about items on the calculator, use the Instructions Tab for an explanation of each line.