Child Support and Custody

Any party can move forward in a request for child support such as when parents do not live together, a person who has third- party custody of the minor child, and/or the County Attorney’s Office if the parent receives any type of public assistance for the minor child.

Child support is composed of the following parts:

• basic support
• medical support
• child care support
• support arrears or reimbursement of public assistance

Under Minn. Stat. §518A.34 child support is calculated using both parents’ gross income known as Income Shares.  This Income Shares formula calculates support based on the following factors:

• gross income of both parents
• each party’s parenting time (visitation)
• the potential earnings of each parent

Under Minn. Stat. §518A.39, a party may request a modification to a child support order based on the following:

(1) substantially increased or decreased gross income of a party;

(2) substantially increased or decreased needs of a party or child;

(3) receipt of public assistance;

(4) change in the cost of living for either party;

(5) extraordinary medical expenses of a child;

(6) a change in the availability of appropriate health care coverage or a substantial increase or decrease in health care coverage costs;

(7) addition of or substantial increase or decrease in child care costs; or

(8) emancipation of a child.

Maclean, Mavis. “Review: Child Support: Law and Policy.” Journal of Law and Society 34.3 (2007): 407-10. Minnesota Child Support Laws. House of Representatives, Aug. 2014. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.