How it works · official guideline
How child support is calculated in Maine
Maine adds both parents' annual gross incomes, reads the weekly support amount per child from the state child support table, and divides the total between the parents in proportion to their incomes; the parent without primary residential care pays their share. Special rules apply to substantially equal care, low-income payers and combined incomes over $400,000.[1]
Key facts: child support in Maine
| Guideline model | Income shares[1] |
|---|---|
| Income counted | Combined annual gross income[1] |
| Top of the guidelines | Table not applicable above $400,000 combined (but at least the $400,000 amount)[1] |
| Low income | Below the poverty guideline: capped at 10% of weekly gross income; self-support reserve up to $22,800/year[1] |
| Official worksheet | Child Support Worksheet (FM-040) and Supplemental Worksheet (FM-040-A), Maine Judicial Branch |
| Guideline last checked | October 26, 2026 |
Maine’s model
Income shares
Income shares: combined annual gross income, then DHHS child support table (weekly amount per child), divided in proportion to gross incomes.
Official worksheet · Maine Judicial Branch
Child Support Worksheet (FM-040) and Supplemental Worksheet (FM-040-A), Maine Judicial BranchLink checked October 26, 2026
Why no calculator here? We publish a calculator only after it reproduces the state’s official numbers exactly. We haven’t matched Maine’s yet, so use the official worksheet for a number.
From the official text
The rules behind Maine’s numbers
The guideline is 19-A M.R.S. § 2006. Open each rule to read the exact words.
- Income counted
Combined annual gross income
The two parents' annual gross incomes are added together and applied to the child support table to find the basic support entitlement for each child.[1]
Official text · 19-A M.R.S. § 2006
“After the court or hearing officer determines the annual gross income of both parties, the 2 incomes must be added together to provide a combined annual gross income and applied to the child support table to determine the basic support entitlement for each child.”
- Top of the guidelines
Table not applicable above $400,000 combined (but at least the $400,000 amount)
Above $400,000 of combined annual gross income the table does not apply, though each child’s weekly entitlement is presumed to be at least the table amount at $400,000.[1]
Official text · 19-A M.R.S. § 2006
“When the parties' combined annual gross income exceeds $400,000, the child support table is not applicable, except that the basic weekly child support entitlement of a child is presumed to be not less than that set forth in the table for a combined annual gross income of $400,000.”
- Low income
Below the poverty guideline: capped at 10% of weekly gross income; self-support reserve up to $22,800/year
If the paying parent’s income is under the federal poverty guideline, their weekly support may not exceed 10% of weekly gross income; the table also has a self-support reserve for payers earning $22,800 or less a year.[1]
Official text · 19-A M.R.S. § 2006
“If the annual gross income of the nonprimary care provider is less than the federal poverty guideline, the nonprimary care provider's weekly parental support obligation may not exceed 10% of the nonprimary care provider's weekly gross income, regardless of the amount of the parties' combined annual gross income.”
- Shared parenting time
Substantially equal care: enhanced entitlement split by income; equal incomes = no payment
When parents provide substantially equal care, an enhanced support entitlement is split by income and the higher earner pays the lower of the difference or the normal amount; if incomes are also equal, neither pays.[1]
Official text · 19-A M.R.S. § 2006
“When the parties have equal annual gross incomes and provide substantially equal care for each child for whom support is being determined, neither party is required to pay the other a parental support obligation.”
Guideline: 19-A M.R.S. § 2006 (Maine Legislature), checked October 26, 2026.
Estimate and general information only — not legal advice. MediationList is a directory, not a law firm, and doesn’t endorse any mediator. Guidelines change; confirm with the official worksheet (sources checked October 26, 2026). See also divorce laws in Maine and child support in every state.
Sources
Maine’s child support guideline, rules and official tools, read on the official sites, with the date we checked each.