Support in Minnesota

How Minnesota Calculates Child Support

Minnesota uses an income shares model governed by Minn. Stat. Section 518A. The model determines child support based on the combined financial resources of both parents and the concept of Parental Income for Child Support (PICS).

The calculation begins with each parent’s gross income, which includes all earned and unearned income: wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, pensions, Social Security, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, disability payments, rental income, dividends, and other recurring sources. Courts may impute income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.

From gross income, Minnesota calculates each parent’s PICS by subtracting certain allowable deductions, including federal and state taxes based on each parent’s filing status, Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA), reasonable pension contributions, union dues, health insurance costs for the parent, and support obligations for other children. The parents’ PICS are combined, and the guidelines schedule identifies the basic support obligation based on the combined PICS and the number of children.

Each parent’s share of the basic support obligation is proportional to their share of the combined PICS. The custodial parent’s share is presumed spent directly on the child, while the non-custodial parent’s share becomes the child support obligation.

For a general overview of income shares models, see our guide on how child support is calculated. You can also estimate your potential obligation with our child support calculator.

Parenting Time Adjustments

Minnesota’s guidelines provide a parenting expense adjustment that reduces the non-custodial parent’s obligation when they exercise significant parenting time. The adjustment applies based on the percentage of parenting time:

• No adjustment for parenting time below 10%
• A graduated adjustment for parenting time between 10% and 45%
• A full offset calculation for parenting time of 45.1% or more, where each parent’s obligation is calculated and offset against the other’s

The parenting expense adjustment recognizes that the non-custodial parent incurs direct costs — including food, housing, and activities — during their parenting time. The greater the parenting time, the larger the adjustment.

Additional Child-Related Costs

Beyond the basic support obligation, Minnesota allocates several additional costs between the parents:

• Child care costs necessary for employment, education, or job training
• Health and dental insurance premiums for the child
• Unreimbursed medical and dental expenses exceeding $250 per child per year

These costs are divided between the parents in proportion to their respective PICS, and they are added to or addressed separately from the basic support obligation.

Modifying or Terminating Child Support

Either parent may petition for modification by showing a substantial change of circumstances that makes the existing order unreasonable and unfair. Minnesota also permits modification when the existing support amount differs from the guidelines by at least 20% and $75 per month.

Child support in Minnesota continues until the child turns 18, or until age 20 if the child is still attending secondary school. Support also terminates upon the child’s marriage, emancipation, or entry into military service. Minnesota does not generally order parents to contribute to post-secondary education expenses, though parents may voluntarily agree to do so.

Enforcement of Child Support Orders

Minnesota’s Child Support Enforcement Division has robust enforcement mechanisms:

• Automatic income withholding from wages
• Interception of state and federal tax refunds
• Suspension of driver’s licenses, recreational licenses, and professional licenses
• Liens on real and personal property
• Financial institution account seizures
• Passport denial for arrearages exceeding $2,500
• Contempt of court, which can result in jail time

Arrearages cannot be retroactively forgiven, and modifications take effect from the date the motion is served on the other party.

Spousal Maintenance in Minnesota

Minnesota uses the term “spousal maintenance” and addresses it under Minn. Stat. Section 518.552. The court may grant maintenance if the requesting spouse demonstrates that they lack sufficient property to meet their reasonable needs or are unable to provide adequate self-support through appropriate employment, or are the custodian of a child whose condition or circumstances make it appropriate that the custodian not be required to seek employment outside the home.

Minnesota recognizes two forms of maintenance:

• Temporary maintenance. Awarded for a defined period to enable the receiving spouse to become self-supporting through education, training, or workforce re-entry.
• Permanent (indefinite) maintenance. Awarded when the receiving spouse is unlikely to become fully self-supporting due to age, health, long absence from the workforce, or other factors. Despite the label, permanent maintenance is still subject to modification.

Minnesota does not have a statutory formula for maintenance. Courts exercise broad discretion based on the statutory factors.

Factors in Spousal Maintenance Determinations

Under Minn. Stat. Section 518.552, the court considers:

• The financial resources of the party seeking maintenance, including marital property apportioned to them and their ability to meet needs independently
• The time necessary to acquire sufficient education or training to find appropriate employment
• The standard of living established during the marriage
• The duration of the marriage and, in the case of a homemaker, the length of absence from employment and the extent to which education, skills, or experience have become outdated
• The loss of earnings, seniority, retirement benefits, and other employment opportunities foregone by the spouse seeking maintenance
• The age and physical and emotional condition of the spouse seeking maintenance
• The ability of the paying spouse to meet their own needs while paying maintenance
• The contribution of each party to the marital property and the enhancement or diminishment of earning capacity during the marriage

Modification and Termination of Maintenance

Either party may seek modification by showing a substantial change in circumstances that makes the existing order unreasonable and unfair. The death of either party terminates maintenance. Remarriage of the recipient also terminates maintenance unless the dissolution decree provides otherwise. Cohabitation by the recipient does not automatically terminate maintenance but may constitute grounds for modification.

When to Seek Legal Guidance

Minnesota’s PICS-based child support model and the court’s broad discretion in maintenance cases make early legal analysis important. If you are evaluating a child support or spousal maintenance issue, consider scheduling a free consultation with an experienced family law attorney.

Statutes referenced: Minn. Stat. Section 518A (child support), Minn. Stat. Section 518.552 (spousal maintenance).