Once paternity has been established, the court can order support payments as part of a divorce, legal separation, paternity, domestic abuse or child support court action.
Minnesota child support guidelines use a formula to calculate child support payment that uses both parents gross income to determine each parent’s share of the cost of raising a child. The state of Minnesota has an online
Guidelines Calculator to help you estimate the amount of child support that the court may order on a case.
What a child support order covers
- Basic support: The court will determine the amount of financial support to be paid by looking at the income of each parent, and applying the combined incomes to a support formula found in Minnesota Statutes.
- Medical support: The court may order a parent to provide health and dental insurance for children or make a payment toward the cost of insurance coverage or medical expenses. The court may also decide who will pay for uninsured medical expenses.
- Childcare support: The court may order a parent to pay all or part of, work or school-related childcare (daycare) expenses.
If public assistance has been expended through cash (MFIP), medical assistance, Minnesota care, or childcare expense, the county may ask the court for an order to pay back public assistance.
Getting a child support order
For more information on child support calculation and establishing a court order go to the state of
Minnesota Department of Human Service website.
Changing a child support order
Only the court can change the amount of basic support, childcare, and medical support that a parent has been court ordered to pay.
Find out how to change a child support order. Cost-of-living adjustments
Most child support orders include a requirement to adjust the amount of support every two years based on the cost of living.
Find out more about cost-of-living adjustments.