Understanding Child Support in Minnesota

A child looking at an open book with large orange pages and white text, on a wooden table with a toy vehicle nearby.

In Minnesota, child support includes amounts for Basic Child Support, Medical Support, and Child Care Support.

Basic Child Support

Basic child support is an obligation of both parents. Calculation of basic support is completed by reviewing both parent’s gross income and determining on a combined level the amount available for the child’s basic on-going needs. Basic support is intended to provide for things related to the child’s basic needs pertaining to:

  • Housing 

  • Food

  • Clothing

  • Transportation

  • Education-related expenses

Medical Support

Medical support is also an obligation both parents are responsible for. However, both parents do not provide individual medical insurance coverage for their children. Rather, one parent provides medical insurance coverage while the other is assigned an amount of responsibility to compensate the other parent for providing medical insurance. Medical support is intended to provide for:

  • Health insurance

  • dental insurance

  • vision insurance

Child Care Support

Generally, the State of Minnesota presumes both parents earn income even in matters where one parent stays at home to care for the children. Minnesota, regardless of the circumstances will presume the parent staying at home earns a minimum gross monthly income for purposes of calculating child support. If child-care expenses are incurred due to work, school, or job training, the court may order both parents to contribute to those costs as well. Child care support is intended to provide for:

  • Daycare expense

  • Before school child care

  • After school child care

How Is Child Support Calculated in Minnesota?

Minnesota calculates both parents’ income, factoring payments made toward medical insurance and dental insurance, and number of overnights under Minnesota Statute 518A. Child support calculations generally consider the following when computing child support obligations of each parent:

  • Each parent’s gross monthly income - combined,

  • Number of joint children between the parents,

  • Number of children that are non-joint children (meaning children from other partners),

  • Parental Income Child Support (PICS) determination - a percentage assigned to both parents to determine each proportional share of out-of-pocket expenses such as unreimbursed medical expenses, extracurricular activities, and more,

  • Parenting time schedule, and

  • Expenses for childcare.

In Minnesota a standardized formula is used to calculate child support, which can be accessed via the Minnesota Child Support Guidelines Calculator. Sometimes parents deviate from the calculation. For instance, both parents may forgo child support. However, the spirit of Minnesota Law dictates that child support is the right of the child - not the parents and cannot be waived.

Minnesota Child Support Requires Determination of the Parent’s Gross Income

Gross income generally includes periodic payments from sources such as:

  • Wage (salary and hourly) income,

  • Bonus,

  • Commissions,

  • Welf-employment income, 

  • Other benefits paid by an employer, or

  • Other periodic payments received.

Parenting Time and Child Support

In Minnesota, parenting time schedules may affect amounts owed. The number of overnights spent with each parent is factored into the calculation for child support. Generally, in circumstances where one parent has more parenting time than the other (known as the custodial parent), the non-custodial parent may owe more in child support than the custodial parent. When this happens, the non-custodial parent’s total obligation support may be offset by the custodial parent’s obligation to provide child support. 

Modification of Child Support

A parent can request modification of child support if there has been a “substantial change in circumstances,” such as generally:

  • Increase or decrease in income by at least $75 per month

  • Job loss or significant income change

  • Increased childcare or medical costs

  • Change in parenting time

  • New child from a different relationship

An increase or decrease in child support requires a parent petition the court and provide documentation to support the modification request.

Non-Payment of Child Support 

Failure to pay child support is a serious matter that can subject a parent to potential penalties, contempt, suspension of a driver’s license, and even potential criminal charges. The methods of enforcing child support include:

  • Income withholding (wage garnishment),

  • Tax refund interception,

  • Driver’s license suspension,

  • Contempt of court actions, 

  • Bank account levies, or

  • Other

Calculating child support may seem simple and fairly easy to do on your own as a D-I-Y matter. However, this sense of simplicity can create costly problems. The calculation requires determination of gross income or potential income. Gross income includes generally W-2 wages. However, also included are periodic payments. Potential income includes the possibility with more suitable income, a party may be able to earn higher gross income. Proving the amount of potential income can be difficult and may require vocational examination depending on the circumstances involved. Child support also requires understanding the parenting time schedule and medical insurance paid on behalf of the child(ren). 

Before calculating child support, an understanding of what it includes is critical.

What Is Child Support in Minnesota?

In Minnesota, child support is the child’s right to support from both parents. Child support is paid by both parents. However, usually one parent owes more in child support than the other, resulting in one parent’s payment of support to the other.