Massachusetts Child Support
Estimate for Massachusetts
Massachusetts uses the Income Shares model.
Official schedule: Massachusetts 2025 Child Support Guidelines Chart (eff 2025-12-01) (2025)
View calculation breakdown
| Combined parental income | $9,000 |
|---|---|
| Total basic obligation (schedule) | $2,246 |
| Obligor income share | 55.6% |
| Obligor basic obligation | $1,248 |
| Estimated monthly support | $1,248 |
How the basic obligation splits between parents
Estimated monthly support by number of children
§ How Massachusetts calculates support
Massachusetts uses the Income Shares model on both parents' combined 'available gross income' (gross income minus certain allowed deductions). The 2025 Guidelines (effective December 1, 2025) and Worksheet CJD 304 produce a presumptive base obligation from a guideline table, adjusted for number of children, then each parent pays their income-share; childcare (capped at $355/child/week) and the children's health-insurance premium are added proportionally. The guidelines apply up to $400,000 combined available annual gross income, and there is a low-income minimum order (about $12/week at very low income).
Content verified against official sources on 2026-08-09.
✦ How to open or modify a case in Massachusetts
- File a complaint/petition (divorce, separate support, or complaint for support) with the Probate and Family Court, or apply through the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program.
- Both parents complete a Financial Statement and the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (CJD 304), entering gross income, allowed deductions, childcare, and the children's insurance costs.
- For unmarried parents, establish parentage (Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage or court-ordered genetic testing) before support is ordered.
- The court applies the guideline amount, which is presumptive. A judge may deviate only with specific written findings that the guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate in the child's best interest.
- The order is entered, typically with wage withholding. Post-secondary education support may be addressed separately (CJD 305).
- To modify: file a complaint for modification showing a material change in circumstances; the presumptive amount controls unless deviation findings are made.
◈ Illustrative examples
Scenario: Parent A (payor) available gross $5,000/month; Parent B (recipient) $3,000/month. One child. Combined available gross is $8,000/month.
Walk-through: On the 2025 Worksheet (CJD 304), combined available gross income is entered and the guideline table returns a base support amount for one child. Each parent's share equals their percentage of combined income (here 62.5% / 37.5%). Add each parent's share of childcare (capped at $355/child/week) and the children's health-insurance premium. The payor owes their income-share of the total. (The exact base comes from the official CJD 304 worksheet; the proportional split is the state's Income Shares method.)
Takeaway: Massachusetts divides the guideline base by each parent's share of combined available gross income; very low-income payors have a minimum order rather than $0.
Scenario: A payor with very low gross income (at or below the federal poverty guideline for a single person) owes support.
Walk-through: The guidelines set a minimum weekly order of about $12 for payors with gross income up to $210/week, rising to $12–$20/week between $211 and $249/week. The court may still set $0 only as a documented deviation.
Takeaway: Even low-income parents owe a small presumptive amount; a $0 order requires a specific deviation finding.
? Frequently asked questions
↗ Official policy & agency links
Sources verified: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/child-support-guidelines · https://www.mass.gov/info-details/probate-and-family-court-2025-child-support-guidelines-worksheet-cjd-304 · https://www.mass.gov/info-details/2023-child-support-guidelines-section-i-income-definition · https://legalclarity.org/the-2023-massachusetts-child-support-guidelines/