Maryland Family Law Section 12-204
§ 12-204.
(a) (1) The basic child support obligation shall be determined in accordance with the schedule of basic child support obligations in subsection (e) of this section. The basic child support obligation shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted actual incomes.
(2) (i) If one or both parents have made a request for alimony or maintenance in the proceeding in which a child support award is sought, the court shall decide the issue and amount of alimony or maintenance before determining the child support obligation under these guidelines.
(ii) If the court awards alimony or maintenance, the amount of alimony or maintenance awarded shall be considered actual income for the recipient of the alimony or maintenance and shall be subtracted from the income of the payor of the alimony or maintenance under § 12-201(c)(2) of this subtitle before the court determines the amount of a child support award.
(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, if a parent is voluntarily impoverished, child support may be calculated based on a determination of potential income.
(2) A determination of potential income may not be made for a parent who:
(i) is unable to work because of a physical or mental disability; or
(ii) is caring for a child under the age of 2 years for whom the parents are jointly and severally responsible.
(c) If a combined adjusted actual income amount falls between amounts shown in the schedule, the basic child support amount shall be extrapolated to the next higher amount.
(d) If the combined adjusted actual income exceeds the highest level specified in the schedule in subsection (e) of this section, the court may use its discretion in setting the amount of child support.
(e) Schedule of basic child support obligations:
Combined
Adjusted 6 or
Actual 1 2 3 4 5 More
Income Child Children Children Children Children Children
0-850 $20 - $150 Per Month, Based
On Resources And Living
Expenses Of Obligor And Number
Of Children Due Support
900 184 273 276 279 282 285
950 191 296 304 307 311 314
1000 198 307 332 336 340 343
1050 205 318 360 364 368 372
1100 212 329 389 393 397 401
1150 219 339 416 421 425 430
1200 226 350 438 449 454 458
1250 233 360 451 477 482 487
1300 239 371 465 504 510 515
1350 246 382 478 532 538 544
1400 253 392 491 554 566 572
1450 260 403 504 569 594 601
1500 267 413 517 584 623 629
1550 274 424 531 599 651 658
1600 282 436 546 616 672 691
1650 288 447 559 631 688 725
1700 295 457 572 645 704 753
1750 302 467 585 660 720 770
1800 308 477 598 674 735 787
1850 315 488 611 689 751 804
1900 321 498 624 703 767 821
1950 327 506 634 715 780 835
2000 332 515 645 727 793 848
2050 338 523 655 739 806 862
2100 343 531 666 751 819 876
2150 349 540 677 763 832 890
2200 354 548 687 774 845 904
2250 359 557 698 786 858 918
2300 365 565 708 798 871 931
2350 370 573 719 810 884 945
2400 376 582 729 822 897 959
2450 381 590 740 833 909 973
2500 386 598 750 845 922 987
2550 392 607 761 857 935 1000
2600 397 615 771 869 948 1014
2650 403 624 782 881 961 1028
2700 408 632 793 893 974 1042
2750 413 640 803 904 987 1056
2800 419 649 814 916 1000 1070
2850 424 657 824 928 1013 1083
2900 429 666 835 940 1026 1097
2950 435 675 846 953 1039 1112
3000 441 684 857 965 1053 1126
3050 446 693 868 978 1067 1141
3100 452 702 879 990 1080 1156
3150 458 710 890 1003 1094 1170
3200 463 719 901 1015 1108 1185
3250 469 728 912 1028 1121 1199
3300 475 737 923 1040 1135 1214
3350 480 746 934 1053 1148 1228
3400 486 755 945 1065 1162 1243
3450 491 764 957 1078 1176 1258
3500 497 773 968 1090 1189 1272
3550 503 782 979 1103 1203 1287
3600 508 790 990 1115 1216 1301
3650 514 799 1001 1128 1230 1316
3700 520 808 1012 1140 1244 1330
3750 525 817 1023 1152 1257 1345
3800 532 827 1035 1166 1273 1361
3850 538 837 1048 1181 1288 1378
3900 544 847 1060 1195 1303 1394
3950 551 857 1073 1209 1319 1411
4000 557 867 1085 1223 1334 1427
4050 563 877 1097 1236 1349 1442
4100 569 886 1109 1249 1363 1458
4150 575 895 1120 1262 1377 1473
4200 581 905 1132 1275 1391 1488
4250 587 914 1143 1288 1405 1503
4300 593 923 1155 1301 1420 1518
4350 598 932 1166 1314 1434 1534
4400 604 942 1178 1327 1448 1549
4450 610 951 1189 1340 1462 1564
4500 616 960 1201 1353 1477 1579
4550 622 970 1212 1366 1491 1594
4600 628 979 1224 1379 1505 1610
4650 634 987 1234 1391 1518 1624
4700 639 995 1244 1403 1530 1637
4750 644 1003 1254 1414 1543 1650
4800 649 1011 1264 1425 1555 1663
4850 655 1019 1274 1437 1567 1676
4900 660 1027 1284 1448 1580 1689
4950 665 1035 1294 1459 1592 1703
5000 670 1043 1304 1470 1604 1716
5050 676 1051 1314 1482 1617 1729
5100 681 1059 1324 1493 1629 1742
5150 686 1067 1334 1504 1641 1755
5200 691 1075 1344 1515 1654 1768
5250 696 1083 1354 1527 1666 1781
5300 702 1091 1364 1538 1678 1794
5350 707 1099 1374 1549 1691 1807
5400 712 1107 1384 1561 1703 1821
5450 717 1115 1394 1572 1715 1834
5500 722 1123 1404 1583 1728 1847
5550 728 1131 1414 1594 1740 1860
5600 733 1139 1424 1606 1752 1873
5650 738 1147 1434 1617 1765 1886
5700 743 1155 1444 1628 1777 1899
5750 748 1163 1454 1639 1789 1912
5800 754 1171 1464 1651 1801 1926
5850 759 1179 1474 1662 1814 1939
5900 764 1187 1484 1673 1826 1952
5950 769 1195 1494 1685 1838 1965
6000 774 1203 1504 1696 1851 1978
6050 780 1211 1513 1707 1863 1991
6100 785 1219 1523 1718 1875 2004
6150 790 1227 1533 1730 1888 2017
6200 795 1235 1543 1741 1900 2030
6250 800 1243 1553 1752 1912 2044
6300 806 1251 1563 1763 1925 2057
6350 811 1259 1573 1775 1937 2070
6400 815 1266 1582 1785 1947 2081
6450 819 1271 1589 1793 1956 2091
6500 823 1277 1597 1801 1965 2100
6550 827 1283 1604 1809 1974 2110
6600 831 1289 1611 1817 1983 2119
6650 834 1294 1618 1826 1992 2129
6700 838 1300 1626 1834 2001 2138
6750 842 1306 1633 1842 2010 2148
6800 846 1311 1640 1850 2019 2157
6850 850 1317 1647 1858 2028 2167
6900 854 1323 1654 1866 2037 2176
6950 857 1329 1662 1874 2045 2186
7000 861 1334 1669 1882 2054 2195
7050 865 1340 1676 1891 2063 2205
7100 869 1346 1683 1899 2072 2214
7150 873 1351 1691 1907 2081 2224
7200 876 1357 1698 1915 2090 2233
7250 880 1363 1705 1923 2099 2243
7300 884 1369 1712 1931 2108 2253
7350 888 1374 1720 1939 2117 2262
7400 892 1380 1727 1947 2126 2272
7450 895 1386 1734 1956 2135 2281
7500 899 1391 1741 1964 2144 2291
7550 903 1397 1748 1972 2153 2300
7600 906 1402 1755 1979 2161 2309
7650 909 1407 1761 1986 2168 2317
7700 912 1412 1768 1993 2175 2325
7750 915 1417 1774 1999 2182 2333
7800 918 1422 1780 2006 2190 2340
7850 921 1427 1786 2012 2197 2348
7900 923 1431 1792 2019 2204 2356
7950 926 1436 1798 2026 2211 2364
8000 929 1441 1804 2032 2219 2372
8050 932 1446 1810 2039 2226 2380
8100 935 1451 1817 2045 2233 2388
8150 938 1456 1823 2052 2240 2396
8200 941 1461 1829 2059 2248 2404
8250 944 1465 1835 2065 2255 2412
8300 947 1470 1841 2072 2262 2420
8350 949 1475 1847 2078 2270 2428
8400 952 1480 1853 2085 2277 2436
8450 955 1485 1860 2092 2284 2444
8500 958 1490 1866 2098 2291 2452
8550 961 1494 1872 2105 2299 2460
8600 964 1499 1878 2111 2306 2468
8650 967 1504 1884 2118 2313 2476
8700 970 1509 1890 2125 2320 2484
8750 973 1514 1896 2131 2328 2492
8800 975 1518 1901 2137 2334 2498
8850 978 1521 1906 2142 2340 2504
8900 980 1525 1910 2147 2345 2510
8950 982 1528 1915 2152 2351 2516
9000 989 1539 1928 2168 2367 2534
9050 992 1543 1933 2173 2373 2540
9100 994 1547 1938 2179 2379 2546
9150 997 1551 1943 2184 2385 2552
9200 999 1554 1948 2190 2391 2559
9250 1002 1558 1953 2195 2397 2565
9300 1004 1562 1958 2201 2403 2571
9350 1007 1566 1963 2206 2409 2578
9400 1009 1570 1967 2212 2415 2584
9450 1012 1574 1972 2217 2421 2590
9500 1014 1577 1977 2223 2427 2596
9550 1017 1581 1982 2228 2433 2603
9600 1020 1585 1987 2234 2439 2609
9650 1022 1589 1992 2239 2445 2615
9700 1025 1593 1997 2245 2451 2622
9750 1027 1597 2001 2250 2457 2628
9800 1030 1601 2006 2256 2463 2634
9850 1032 1604 2011 2261 2469 2640
9900 1035 1608 2016 2267 2475 2647
9950 1037 1612 2021 2272 2481 2653
10000 1040 1616 2026 2278 2487 2659
(f) The adjusted basic child support obligation shall be determined by multiplying the basic child support obligation by one and one-half.
(g) (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, actual child care expenses incurred on behalf of a child due to employment or job search of either parent shall be added to the basic obligation and shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted actual incomes.
(2) Child care expenses shall be:
(i) determined by actual family experience, unless the court determines that the actual family experience is not in the best interest of the child; or
(ii) if there is no actual family experience or if the court determines that actual family experience is not in the best interest of the child:
1. the level required to provide quality care from a licensed source; or
2. if the custodial parent chooses quality child care with an actual cost of an amount less than the level required to provide quality care from a licensed source, the actual cost of the child care expense.
(3) Additional child care expenses may be considered if a child has special needs.
(h) Any extraordinary medical expenses incurred on behalf of a child shall be added to the basic child support obligation and shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted actual incomes.
(i) By agreement of the parties or by order of court, the following expenses incurred on behalf of a child may be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted actual incomes:
(1) any expenses for attending a special or private elementary or secondary school to meet the particular educational needs of the child; or
(2) any expenses for transportation of the child between the homes of the parents.
(j) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, when a disability dependency benefit, a retirement dependency benefit, or other third party dependency benefit is paid to or for a child of an obligor who is disabled, retired, or is receiving benefits from any source as a result of a compensable claim, the amount of the compensation shall be set off against the child support obligation calculated using the guidelines.
(2) (i) If the amount paid to or for a child exceeds the current child support obligation calculated using the guidelines, the excess payment shall be credited to any existing child support arrearage that accrued after the effective date the benefits were awarded.
(ii) The excess payment may not be credited to any future child support obligation.
(k) (1) Upon the expiration of a use and possession order or the expiration of the right to occupy the family home under a separation or property settlement agreement and upon motion of either party, the court shall review the child support award.
(2) If the allocation of financial responsibility for the family home was a factor in departing from the guidelines under subsection (a) of this section, the court may modify the child support, if appropriate in all the circumstances, upon the expiration of the use and possession order or the expiration of the right to occupy the family home under a separation or property settlement agreement.
(l) (1) Except in cases of shared physical custody, each parent's child support obligation shall be determined by adding each parent's respective share of the basic child support obligation, work-related child care expenses, extraordinary medical expenses, and additional expenses under subsection (i) of this section.
(2) The custodial parent shall be presumed to spend that parent's total child support obligation directly on the child or children.
(3) The noncustodial parent shall owe that parent's total child support obligation as child support to the custodial parent minus any ordered payments included in the calculations made directly by the noncustodial parent on behalf of the child or children for work-related child care expenses, extraordinary medical expenses, or additional expenses under subsection (i) of this section.
(m) (1) In cases of shared physical custody, the adjusted basic child support obligation shall first be divided between the parents in proportion to their respective adjusted actual incomes.
(2) Each parent's share of the adjusted basic child support obligation shall then be multiplied by the percentage of time the child or children spend with the other parent to determine the theoretical basic child support obligation owed to the other parent.
(3) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (4) and (5) of this subsection, the parent owing the greater amount under paragraph (2) of this subsection shall owe the difference in the 2 amounts as child support.
(4) In addition to the amount of the child support owed under paragraph (3) of this subsection, if either parent incurs child care expenses under subsection (g) of this section, extraordinary medical expenses under subsection (h) of this section, or additional expenses under subsection (i) of this section, the expense shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their respective adjusted actual incomes. The parent not incurring the expense shall pay that parent's proportionate share to:
(i) the parent making direct payments to the provider of the service; or
(ii) the provider directly, if a court order requires direct payments to the provider.
(5) The amount owed under paragraph (3) of this subsection may not exceed the amount that would be owed under subsection (l) of this section if the obligor parent were a noncustodial parent.
