Understanding Child Support in Maine
Note: This guide is for general information only. It does not constitute legal advice. Every family’s situation is unique, and I encourage you to speak with a qualified attorney about your specific circumstances.
When parents separate or divorce, one of the most important, and often most confusing, issues to resolve is child support. How much will be paid? Who pays it? How is it calculated? Can it ever change? These are questions nearly every parent has, and this guide is here to give you clear, straightforward answers based on Maine law.
What Is Child Support?
Child support is a regular payment made by one parent to the other to help cover the costs of raising a child. The reason is simple: both parents share financial responsibility for their children, even if they no longer live together. In Maine, the law requires both parents to contribute to their child’s financial needs based on their incomes and the amount of time each parent spends with the child.
How Is Child Support Calculated in Maine?
Step 1: Determine Each Parent’s Gross Income
The process starts with each parent’s gross income, which includes:
Wages, salaries, and tips
Self-employment income
Rental income
Social Security benefits
Unemployment compensation
Workers’ compensation
Pension or retirement income
Courts can also impute (assign) income to a parent if they believe that parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed (meaning someone is working less than they could be, on purpose, to reduce their child support obligation).
This information from the State of Maine can be helpful.
Step 2: Combine the Incomes and Apply the Guidelines Table
Maine has an official Child Support Guidelines table published by the Department of Health and Human Services. Once the court knows the combined gross income of both parents, it looks up the basic child support obligation based on:
The total combined income
The number of children
For example, if Parent A earns $3,000/month and Parent B earns $2,000/month, their combined income is $5,000/month. The guidelines table tells us what the total child support obligation is at that income level.
Step 3: Divide Responsibility Between Parents
Each parent’s share of the obligation is proportional to their income. In our example, Parent A earns 60% of the combined income, so Parent A is responsible for 60% of the child support obligation.
Step 4: Adjust for Parenting Time
Maine law provides an adjustment based on how much time each parent spends with the child. If a parent has the children for a significant portion of the year (generally defined as more than 30% of overnights), the guidelines reduce their support obligation because they are directly covering more of the child’s expenses during their time.
Step 5: Add Work-Related Child Care and Health Insurance Costs
On top of the basic obligation, the court also considers:
Childcare costs: If a parent pays for work-related childcare (like daycare), those costs are added and shared proportionally.
Health insurance: If one parent pays to cover the child on their health insurance plan, the cost is factored in.
Extraordinary medical expenses: Significant out-of-pocket medical costs may also be shared.
Who Pays Child Support?
Either parent can be the paying parent (called the “obligor”) depending on the situation. Generally, the parent who earns more income and/or spends less time with the children will owe support to the other parent. Child support is not tied to custody labels like “custodial parent” or “non-custodial parent.” What matters is income and parenting time, not the title.
How Long Does Child Support Last in Maine?
In Maine, child support generally continues until a child:
Turns 18 years old, OR
Graduates from high school — whichever is later, but no later than age 19.
There are exceptions. Support may continue beyond these ages if the child has a disability that prevents them from becoming self-supporting. Courts evaluate these situations on a case-by-case basis. Unlike some other states, Maine does not require parents to pay for college tuition through a child support order, although parents can voluntarily agree to do so in a settlement agreement.
Can Child Support Be Changed?
Yes, but it requires a legal process. You cannot simply stop paying or informally agree to pay less without a court order. Here’s how modifications work in Maine:
Substantial Change in Circumstances
To request a modification, you generally need to show a substantial change in circumstances since the last order was entered. This might include:
A significant increase or decrease in either parent’s income
A job loss or new employment
A major change in the child’s needs (for example, a new medical condition)
A significant change in parenting time
The Three-Year Review Rule
Maine also allows either parent to request a review and potential modification every three years, even without a substantial change in circumstances. This makes it easier to update support amounts as incomes naturally change over time.
How to Modify a Child Support Order
A modification must be approved by a court. You can:
File a motion to modify with the court that issued the original order
Work with a mediator to reach an agreement, which the court then approves
Until a court approves a change, the original order remains in full effect. Never stop making payments based on an informal agreement because unpaid support accumulates as legal debt.
How Mediation Can Help
Child support doesn’t have to be determined by a judge after a contentious court battle. Many Maine families choose to work out the details through mediation, a confidential, cooperative process where a neutral mediator helps both parents reach an agreement. Using mediation to determine child support can:
Be faster and less expensive than litigation
Give parents more control over the outcome
Reduce conflict and stress
Customize agreements to your family’s unique needs
Add an element of confidentiality
Court approval makes agreements legally binding
What Can Be Decided in Mediation?
In mediation, parents can work out:
The base child support amount (using the Maine guidelines as a starting point)
How to split childcare and health insurance costs
Payment schedules and methods
How to handle future changes or modifications
College contributions and other expenses (beyond what the law requires)
Once parents reach an agreement in mediation, it is reviewed and signed off by a judge, making it a legally enforceable court order. This combines the flexibility of negotiation with the security of a binding legal document.