Maine Child Support
Estimate for Maine
Maine uses the Income Shares model.
Official schedule: State of Maine Judicial Branch, Child Support Table, FM-084, Rev. 01/23 (Chapter 6 - Maine Child Support Enforcement Manual). Table established by the Department pursuant to 19-A M.R.S. § 2011. Usage confirmed by FM-040 Child Support Worksheet, line 9: 'Total number of children multiplied by amount from table' = basic weekly support for all children. Combined income figure is Parents' Combined ANNUAL Gross Income; table values are per-child WEEKLY amounts. (2023)
View calculation breakdown
| Combined parental income | $9,000 |
|---|---|
| Total basic obligation (schedule) | $1,733 |
| Obligor income share | 55.6% |
| Obligor basic obligation | $963 |
| Estimated monthly support | $963 |
How the basic obligation splits between parents
Estimated monthly support by number of children
§ How Maine calculates support
Maine uses the Income Shares model applied to both parents' combined gross annual income. The basic obligation is read from the state's Child Support Table, then divided between the parents in proportion to their incomes, with each parent also sharing health-insurance, childcare, and extraordinary medical costs by income percentage. There is no flat statutory percentage cap; the table is applied across the income range. A 'substantially equal care' situation uses an enhanced formula (table amount multiplied by 1.5), and courts may deviate with written findings.
Content verified against official sources on 2026-08-09.
✦ How to open or modify a case in Maine
- Each parent completes a confidential Child Support Affidavit (Form FM-050) listing income and certain expenses, signs it before a notary, clerk, or attorney, and exchanges it with the other parent before the Case Management Conference.
- Parents complete the Child Support Worksheet (FM-040) using combined income and the Child Support Table; if they provide 'substantially equal care,' they also complete the Supplemental Worksheet (FM-040-A).
- For unmarried parents, legal parentage must be established first (Affidavit of Parentage or court-ordered genetic testing) before any support order can be entered.
- The court applies the guidelines and enters the order; even if parents agree, a judge reviews and approves it as serving the child's best interest. Orders commonly carry immediate income withholding.
- To modify: file a written motion with the court. If it has been 3+ years since the order, you may request a re-examination; if under 3 years, a change that would alter the amount by 15% or more is required.
- To enforce: the DHHS Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery (DSER) can collect arrears, place liens, suspend licenses or passports, intercept tax refunds, and report debts to credit bureaus; or file a Motion to Enforce / Contempt.
◈ Illustrative examples
Scenario: Parent A is the primary care provider and earns $4,000/month gross; Parent B (non-primary) earns $3,000/month gross. One child. Combined gross income is $7,000/month.
Walk-through: Step 1: Look up the basic support for $7,000 combined monthly gross and one child on Maine's Child Support Table. Step 2: Add each parent's income-share of childcare and health-insurance costs. Step 3: Divide the total between the parents by income share — Parent B owes 43% (3,000 / 7,000) of the total and pays that to Parent A, credited for any child costs B pays directly. (The dollar base is read from the official Table; the proportional split is the state's Income Shares formula.)
Takeaway: Both parents fund the obligation proportionally to income even when one has primary custody; the non-primary parent pays their income percentage of the combined table amount.
Scenario: Both parents earn about the same and share the child's care substantially equally (each participates substantially in residential, educational, medical, and daily needs).
Walk-through: Under 19-A M.R.S. § 2006, when care is substantially equal the Supplemental Worksheet (FM-040-A) applies an enhanced formula: the table amount is multiplied by 1.5, then each parent pays their income-share of that enhanced total. The higher-income parent pays the difference to the other.
Takeaway: Shared, substantially equal care increases the computed obligation (reflecting duplicated household costs) and the higher earner typically makes the balancing payment.
? Frequently asked questions
↗ Official policy & agency links
Sources verified: https://courts.maine.gov/courts/family/divorce-separation/child-support.html · https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ofi/dser/service-guide.html · https://recordinglaw.com/us-laws/united-states-child-support-laws/maine-child-support-laws-2/