There are now major changes to Maryland’s child support guidelines. Below is a summary of some of the important changes that took place as of July 1, 2022.

1. Guideline Range. Prior to June 30, 2022, the Maryland child support guidelines mandatorily applied to parents with combined monthly incomes ranging from $100 – $15,000. As of July 1, 2022, the schedule has increased the amount to combined monthly incomes up to $30,000.

2. Voluntary Impoverishment. In a dispute regarding voluntary impoverishment, the law mandates that the court shall make a finding as to whether, based on the totality of the circumstances, the parent is voluntarily impoverished. If the court finds that the parent is voluntarily impoverished, the court will consider the potential income of the parent to determine child support obligation. To calculate potential income, the court will consider the following factors:

   • parent’s age;

   • parent’s assets;

   • physical and behavioral condition;

   • educational attainment;

   • special training or skills;

   • literacy;

   • residence;

   • occupational qualifications and job skills;

   • actual income from all sources;

   • employment and earnings history;

   • record of efforts to obtain and retain employment;

   • criminal record and other employment barriers;

   • any other factor bearing on the parent’s ability to obtain funds for child support; and

   • employment opportunities in the community where the parent lives.

3. Declining to order child support. The new statute will give the court authority to decline to order child support in very specific and limited circumstances.

4. Self-support reserve. The self-support amount is now $1,145 and the court can deviate if the child support obligation leaves a parent with less.

An experienced attorney can assist you in answering your questions about the revised child support guidelines and how this may impact your legal matter. Call us at (443) 741-2567 and we would be happy to meet with you to discuss your case.