Learn about the new Child Support Guidelines for Massachusetts.

The child support guidelines for Massachusetts has been revised and updated by the Child Support Guidelines Task Force and will go into effect on October 4, 2021.

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly has published a summary of the new or modified provisions.

New Child Support Guidelines Issued

By: Mass. Lawyers Weekly Staff August 4, 2021

Trial Court Chief Justice Paula M. Carey has announced the promulgation of revised child support guidelines, effective Oct. 4, based on a comprehensive review by the 2020-2021 Child Support Guidelines Task Force.

The guidelines are used by trial court judges in setting orders for child support, in deciding whether to approve agreements for child support, and in deciding cases that are before the court to modify existing orders.

The task force recommended a number of changes, some minor while others represent new or modified provisions.

• It recommended clarifying language relating to the types of Social Security payments that are considered income when calculating child support. In addition to changes to the text of the guidelines, the task force recommended changes to the guidelines worksheet to help parties calculate child support when there is a Social Security dependency benefit involved in the case, in accordance with Rosenberg v. Merida, 428 Mass. 182 (1998), and Schmidt v. McCulloch-Schmidt, 86 Mass. App. Ct. 902 (2014).
• The task force recommended including text to highlight the recent Appeals Court decision of Calvin C. v. Amelia A., 99 Mass. App. Ct. 714 (2021). The decision reflects that there are occasions when alimony from a person who is a party to the child support order should be included as income to the recipient and deducted by the payor when calculating child support. Because there are occasions when the alimony would not be included as income, the task force recommended addressing the case in the catchall income provision of Section I. A. 30.
• Consistent with federal requirements, the task force examined self-support levels for payors and recommended creating two tranches at the minimum level in Table A of the guidelines worksheet for payors with income up to $249 per week, to include all payors with incomes below the 2021 U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines. The presumptive orders will range from $12 to $20 a week. The task force emphasized that the court may still deviate to a higher or lower order, including entering a child support order of $0.
• It recommended increasing the maximum level to $400,000 of combined available income, as the maximum level has not been increased since 2009. The task force recommended six tranches between $250 and $7,692 in weekly combined available income, for a total of eight tranches.
• It recommended eliminating both the deduction of child care costs paid from the parent’s gross income and the 15 percent cap on the child care credit from the 2017/2018 guidelines in Section II. E. 1. The task force recommended that parents share the actual costs of child care paid in proportion to their income, up to a benchmark amount of $355 per child, per week. In making its recommendations, the task force acknowledged that the changes may significantly increase child support orders. Judges should continue to consider deviation when appropriate, especially when the overall current child support order is more than 40 percent of the payor’s available income as listed in Line 3a of the guidelines worksheet. The situation is addressed in Section IV. C. of the guidelines. To assist judges, attorneys and parties, Line 7e of the worksheet indicates whether the support order is more than 40 percent of the payor’s available income.
• It recommended amending Section II. H. in its entirety to reflect the many statutory changes relating to health care coverage that occurred in July 2019. The task force recommended eliminating the 15 percent cap on the health care credit that was included in the 2017/2018 guidelines by striking the previous Section II. H. 1. b. Although parties will not receive a credit for health care costs paid, parties will still be allowed to deduct certain health care costs actually paid.
• It recommended increasing the adjustment factors in Table B of the guidelines worksheet when calculating child support for more than one child. Based on a combination of economic data and policy considerations, the incremental cost for each additional child was increased to 40 percent for two children, 20 percent for three children, 10 percent for four children, and 5 percent for five children. As a result of the increases to the incremental cost for each additional child, the adjustment factors in Table B of the guidelines worksheet were changed to: 1.4 for two children, 1.68 for three children, 1.85 for four children, and 1.94 for five children.
• The task force recommended adding Section IV. C. to include a rebuttable presumption of a substantial hardship justifying a deviation when the overall current child support order is more than 40 percent of the payor’s available income in Line 3a of the guidelines worksheet. The recommendation recognizes the need for additional protection in certain limited cases where the child support order would exceed this percentage. The worksheet in Line 7e indicates whether the current child support order is more than 40 percent of the payor’s available income.
• The task force recommended revising the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet to incorporate its recommendations. The electronic version of the worksheet is strongly encouraged for easier completion. The only official electronic version of the guidelines and the worksheet are the versions found on the court’s website.