Massachusetts Child Support Laws: Guidelines and Calculations

Overview of Massachusetts Child Support Laws

Massachusetts child support law requires both parents to contribute financially to raising their children, whether the parents are married, divorced, or were never married. The governing statutes include M.G.L. c. 208, s. 28 (divorce cases), M.G.L. c. 209C (unmarried parents), and M.G.L. c. 119A (child support enforcement).

The Child Support Guidelines, issued by the Chief Justice of the Trial Court, create a rebuttable presumption for the amount of support. Judges must apply these guidelines unless specific written findings justify a departure.

The most recent revision took effect on December 1, 2025, and applies to all new child support orders and modifications entered on or after that date.

2025 Child Support Guidelines: Key Changes

The 2025 Child Support Guidelines introduced several significant updates based on a comprehensive economic review conducted during 2024 and 2025.

Combined Income Cap Increased to $450,000

The maximum combined parental income used to calculate base child support rose from $400,000 to $450,000 per year. This change captures more income in the calculation for higher-earning families.

Revised Minimum Support Orders

The guidelines restructured minimum support into income-based tiers aligned with federal poverty levels:

Payor Gross Weekly Income	Weekly Support Order
Up to $301 per week	$15 per week (minimum)
$302 to $391 per week	$15 plus a percentage of income above $301
Above $391 per week	Calculated by the standard guidelines formula

These thresholds reflect the 2025 U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines and replace the previous $25 per week flat minimum.

Child Care Cost Benchmark Raised to $430 Per Week

The benchmark for child care costs increased from $355 to $430 per child per week. The task force justified this increase based on economic data showing that child care costs in Massachusetts rose by 26% since 2021 and outpaced general inflation.

Recognition of More Than Two Legal Parents

For the first time, the guidelines acknowledge that a child may have more than two legal parents. This change aligns with the Massachusetts Parentage Act, which took effect on January 1, 2025.

In cases involving more than two parents, the court must consider the financial circumstances and parenting time of all legal parents to determine the most equitable result. No specific worksheet exists yet for these situations.

Updated College Cost Benchmark

The benchmark for post-secondary education contributions is now $37,015 per year, based on the 2025-2026 cost of attendance at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (tuition, fees, housing, meals, and books).

How Child Support Is Calculated in Massachusetts

Massachusetts uses the Income Shares Model, which assumes children should receive the same proportion of parental income they would have received if the family remained intact. Both parents' incomes are combined, and each parent's share of support is proportional to their percentage of total income.

The calculation factors include:

• Gross weekly income of both parents
• Number of children covered by the order
• Ages of the children (support for children 18 to 23 uses a different calculation)
• Child care costs
• Health, dental, and vision insurance premiums
• Parenting time arrangements
• Other child support obligations

The court applies the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (CJD 304) in every case. Judges must use this worksheet, and the resulting amount carries a presumption of correctness.

Parenting Time Adjustments

The guidelines address two primary custody arrangements:

1. Primary custody: One parent has the children most of the time, and the other parent has approximately one-third of parenting time.
2. Shared custody: Parents split parenting time roughly equally (50/50).

The 2025 guidelines also formally recognize parenting schedules that fall between these two models. When a parent exercises substantially more than one-third but less than half of total parenting time, the court may adjust the support amount from the presumptive calculation.

What Counts as Income

The 2025 Guidelines Section I defines income as gross income from whatever source, regardless of whether it is reported to the IRS or any state taxing authority.

Sources of income include:

• Salaries, wages, and tips
• Self-employment income (gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses)
• Overtime and secondary job earnings
• Bonuses and commissions
• Dividends, interest, and investment income
• Rental income and royalties
• Social Security benefits
• Disability and workers' compensation payments
• Unemployment benefits
• Pensions and retirement distributions
• Trust income

Income That Does Not Count

Income from means-tested public assistance programs is excluded, including:

• Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Certain veterans' benefits based on financial need

Imputed Income

The court may attribute income to a parent who is:

• Voluntarily unemployed or underemployed
• Receiving unreported or undocumented income
• Receiving in-kind payments, expense reimbursements, or personal use of business property that reduces living costs

When imputing income, the court considers the parent's education, training, work history, job market conditions, and earning capacity.

Health Insurance and Medical Costs

The 2025 guidelines require both parents to share the cost of health, dental, and vision insurance for their children. Each parent may deduct from gross income the reasonable cost of premiums they actually pay.

Reasonable cost is defined as coverage that does not exceed 5% of the paying parent's gross income. Coverage must also be accessible, meaning the child's primary care provider is within 15 miles of the child's primary residence per M.G.L. c. 119A, s. 12.

Uninsured medical, dental, and vision expenses are divided between parents in proportion to their respective incomes.

How to Use the Child Support Worksheet

Massachusetts does not provide an official online calculator. Parents must use the fillable 2025 Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (CJD 304) (PDF format).

Information needed to complete the worksheet:

• Each parent's gross weekly income
• Weekly child care costs
• Health, dental, and vision insurance premiums paid by each parent
• Number of children covered by the order
• Whether any children are ages 18 to 23
• Other support obligations
• Parenting time arrangement

Download the worksheet instructions from the Massachusetts court system website.

The completed worksheet must be filed with the court in every case involving child support, regardless of the parents' income level.

How to Apply for Child Support

There are two main paths to establishing a child support order in Massachusetts.

Through Divorce or Custody Proceedings

If you are divorcing, include the completed Child Support Guidelines Worksheet with your divorce filings. The Probate and Family Court handles support orders as part of the divorce judgment under M.G.L. c. 208, s. 28.

Through the Department of Revenue (DOR)

If you are not married to the other parent, apply for child support services through the DOR's Child Support Services Division. The DOR can:

• Establish legal parentage
• Locate the other parent
• Obtain a child support order
• Enforce existing orders
• Modify orders when circumstances change

Contact the Child Support Services Division at (800) 332-2733 or visit the DOR website.

How to Modify a Child Support Order

Massachusetts law allows modification of child support when there is a material change in circumstances. Under M.G.L. c. 208, s. 28, the court may modify an order if:

• There is a substantial change in circumstances since the last order
• There is an inconsistency between the existing order and the amount that current guidelines would produce
• Health care coverage that was previously ordered no longer exists or is no longer available at reasonable cost
• Health care coverage that was previously unavailable has become available

Common Reasons for Modification

Situations that may justify a change include:

• Job loss, layoff, or significant income reduction
• Substantial increase in either parent's income
• Change in the child's needs (medical, educational)
• Change in parenting time arrangement
• Incarceration
• Extraordinary medical or travel expenses
• A child reaching age 18 or becoming emancipated

To request a modification, file a Complaint for Modification with the Probate and Family Court. The DOR can also assist with modifications for cases in their system.

Important: Support obligations continue to accrue at the existing rate until a new court order is issued. If your circumstances change, act immediately.

Out-of-Court Agreements

Parents may negotiate support changes outside court, but the agreement must be approved by a judge. The court will verify that the amount is fair, reasonable, and in the child's best interests before issuing a modified order.

Enforcement of Child Support in Massachusetts

Failure to pay court-ordered child support triggers enforcement actions by the DOR's Child Support Services Division or through the court system.

Available Enforcement Actions

The state has broad authority to collect unpaid support, including:

• Immediate income withholding: Every child support order must include a wage withholding provision. Employers can withhold up to 60% of disposable earnings (50% if the payor supports a spouse or other children). If the payor is 12 or more weeks behind, limits increase to 65% and 55% respectively.
• License suspension: Driver's licenses, professional licenses, and recreational licenses may be suspended.
• Tax refund interception: Federal and state tax refunds can be seized.
• Bank account seizure: The DOR can levy bank accounts.
• Liens on property: Liens may be placed on real estate and personal property.
• Credit bureau reporting: Unpaid support is reported to credit agencies.
• Passport denial: The federal government can deny or revoke passports for arrears over $2,500.

Interest and Penalties on Arrears

Under Massachusetts regulations, if you owe more than $500 in past-due support and have not made the required minimum monthly payment:

• Interest: 0.5% per month on the total past-due balance
• Penalty: 0.5% per month on the total past-due balance

These charges are assessed on the last day of each month.

Contempt of Court

The parent owed support can file a Complaint for Contempt in Probate and Family Court. If the judge finds the nonpaying parent willfully failed to comply with the order, consequences may include fines and jail time. There are no filing fees for contempt actions, though deputy sheriffs charge up to $40 for service of process.

Child Support Arrears

Under M.G.L. c. 119A, s. 13, each missed child support payment automatically becomes a judgment by operation of law on the date it is due. This means:

• Arrears carry the full force of a court judgment
• Retroactive modification is generally not permitted, except from the date a modification complaint is filed and served
• There is no statute of limitations on collecting child support arrears in Massachusetts

The DOR may reduce amounts owed to the state (such as reimbursement for public assistance), but cannot forgive amounts owed directly to the child or custodial parent.

If you lose your job, become incarcerated, or face other circumstances that prevent payment, contact an attorney or the DOR immediately. Arrears will continue to accumulate until a court issues a new order.

When Does Child Support End in Massachusetts

Child support obligations generally terminate when the child turns 18. However, Massachusetts law provides extensions in specific situations:

• Until age 21: If the child is still dependent on a parent for support, the court may extend support to age 21.
• Until age 23: If the child is dependent on a parent, lives with a parent, and is enrolled full-time in a college, university, or post-secondary educational institution.
• Indefinitely: If the child has a mental or physical disability that prevents self-support.

The DOR will automatically close cases when the youngest child reaches age 21, or age 23 if the order specifies that condition.

College Support Contributions

Massachusetts courts can order parents to contribute to post-secondary education costs for children up to age 23. Under the 2025 guidelines, each parent's maximum contribution is capped at 50% of the undergraduate in-state resident cost of UMass Amherst ($37,015 for the 2025-2026 academic year), unless the court finds a parent can afford to pay more.

Establishing Parentage for Unmarried Parents

For unmarried parents, establishing legal parentage is a prerequisite to obtaining a child support order. Under the Massachusetts Parentage Act (effective January 1, 2025), parentage can be established through:

• Voluntary acknowledgment: Both parents sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage at the hospital or later through the Registry of Vital Records
• Court adjudication: Filing a complaint in Probate and Family Court under M.G.L. c. 209C
• Genetic testing: DNA testing can be ordered by the court

The Parentage Act ensures that all children have the same rights regardless of their parents' marital status, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Termination of Parental Rights

Termination of parental rights ends all legal obligations, including child support. In Massachusetts, termination can be:

• Voluntary: A parent signs the Voluntary and Unconditional Surrender of Parental Rights form under M.G.L. c. 210, s. 2, typically in adoption cases.
• Involuntary: The court may terminate rights if a parent is found unfit due to abandonment, neglect, abuse, or conviction of a violent crime.

Voluntary surrender is final and irreversible. It removes all legal rights and responsibilities regarding the child.

Emancipation in Massachusetts

Massachusetts does not have a formal emancipation statute. The age of majority is 18, but courts have held that there is no fixed age when complete emancipation occurs. A child may be considered emancipated before 18 through marriage, military service, or other circumstances, which can affect child support obligations.