In the state of Minnesota, courts use a very specific formula for determining the amount of child support that will change hands during and after a divorce. That’s good news if you’re a divorcing parent; you’re unlikely to be surprised when your judge makes a ruling in your case.
However, sometimes there are challenges – and that can be bad news.
Child Support Challenges
During your divorce, you’ll be required to prove how much money you make, and so will your spouse. That can be difficult when there are special circumstances, such as self-employment or intermittent employment. Sometimes the courts will deviate from Minnesota’s standard child support guidelines in order to provide for the children involved.
Types of Child Support in Minnesota
Basic support, which helps one parent provide food and shelter for their children during and after divorce, is the baseline of child support in Minnesota. It’s a payment from one parent to another, and it’s a fixed amount; the court will order it in your divorce decree.
Medical support refers to medical and dental insurance for the children. It also includes healthcare expenses that insurance companies will not cover. Depending on how much money each parent makes, the courts will assign a figure for which each party is responsible.
Daycare support helps single parents juggle the costs of childcare so that they can work. The court may order the parties to divide daycare expenses so that both are able to work or go to school in order to further their professional lives.
Minnesota’s Child Support Guidelines
Judges rely on Minnesota’s official Child Support Guidelines to determine how much money will change hands after a divorce. Generally, they consider:
- The gross monthly incomes of both parents (or the potential income)
- The number of children the parties share
- How much parenting time each parent has
- How much medical insurance and dental insurance cost for the kids
- How much childcare costs
If you are paying child support before you have a court order, keep your receipts. They may be helpful when you appear before the judge.
Under state law, parents must only pay child support until their children reach the age of 18, or no later than the age of 20 if the child has not yet graduated from high school.
Questions About Child Support?
If you have questions about Minnesota’s child support guidelines and you aren’t sure how they apply in your case, call us at (763) 783-5146 for a confidential case evaluation. We’ll be glad to evaluate your situation and get you pointed in the right direction.