How child support is calculated in Michigan

How the guideline works, what the official calculator needs, and the low-income and health insurance rules.

Checked against official sources: Oct 25, 2026.

Short answer

Michigan uses the income-shares model: both parents' incomes count, and each parent pays a share of the child's support. Support is figured with the Michigan Child Support Formula. Each parent's monthly net income is used to set a base support amount for the children, adjusted for the number of overnights each parent has.

Model
Income shares
Official calculator
Official Michigan child support calculator

Get the number from Michigan's official tool

Support is figured with the Michigan Child Support Formula. Each parent's monthly net income is used to set a base support amount for the children, adjusted for the number of overnights each parent has. Child care, health insurance premiums and ordinary medical costs are added and shared by the parents' share of income.

Law: MCL 552.519 (formula); 2025 Michigan Child Support Formula Manual, effective January 1, 2025

We don't estimate Michigan's amount here: its formula uses both parents' incomes and other facts, and a home-made number could mislead you. The official tool gives the real starting number:

Official Michigan child support calculator

Health insurance in Michigan

A parent can be ordered to provide health care coverage if it is accessible and costs that parent no more than 6% of gross income (the added cost of covering the children). Parents with net income below 133% of the poverty level, or whose child has Medicaid based on that parent's income, generally should not be ordered to pay for coverage.

Law: 2025 MCSF §3.05(A)

What goes into support in Michigan

Support is figured with the Michigan Child Support Formula. Each parent's monthly net income is used to set a base support amount for the children, adjusted for the number of overnights each parent has. Child care, health insurance premiums and ordinary medical costs are added and shared by the parents' share of income.

Law: MCL 552.519 (formula); 2025 Michigan Child Support Formula Manual, effective January 1, 2025

What the model means

Income shares means the child should get what the parents would spend if they lived together. Both incomes are combined, and each parent's share of the total sets their part.

Every state must have one set of child support guidelines, review them at least every 4 years, and use the guideline amount unless a written finding says it would be unjust.

Law: 45 CFR 302.56

The low-income rule in Michigan

If a parent's monthly net income is at or below the Low Income Threshold ($1,255 in the 2025 supplement), that parent's base support is 10% of their net income.

Law: 2025 MCSF §3.02(C); 2025 Supplement §2.01

State guidelines may not treat time in jail or prison as choosing not to work, when support is set or changed.

Law: 45 CFR 302.56(c)(3)

In nearby states

Get your number in Michigan

  1. Collect proof of income

    Pay stubs, tax returns and benefit letters for both parents, if you have them.

  2. Use the official tool

    The official number comes from Official Michigan child support calculator.

  3. Count health and child care

    Insurance and child care often go on top of the basic amount.

  4. Open a case

    Only a court or the agency can set the amount. Open a case with Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), Office of Child Support · Apply online

Where to get free help in Michigan

Questions about the Michigan guidelines

How is child support calculated in Michigan?

Support is figured with the Michigan Child Support Formula. Each parent's monthly net income is used to set a base support amount for the children, adjusted for the number of overnights each parent has. Child care, health insurance premiums and ordinary medical costs are added and shared by the parents' share of income.

Does Michigan have an online support calculator?

Yes: Official Michigan child support calculator.

Is there a low-income rule in Michigan?

If a parent's monthly net income is at or below the Low Income Threshold ($1,255 in the 2025 supplement), that parent's base support is 10% of their net income.

Is health insurance part of child support in Michigan?

A parent can be ordered to provide health care coverage if it is accessible and costs that parent no more than 6% of gross income (the added cost of covering the children). Parents with net income below 133% of the poverty level, or whose child has Medicaid based on that parent's income, generally should not be ordered to pay for coverage.

Related Michigan pages

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 25, 2026.

Federal sources