Md. Fam. Law. Actions. 9-206

As amended through October 15, 2024

Rule 9-206 - Child Support Guidelines

(a) Definitions. The following definitions apply in this Rule:

(1)Shared Physical Custody. "Shared physical custody has the meaning stated in Code, Family Law Article, § 12-201(n).

(2)Worksheet. "Worksheet means a document to compute child support under the guidelines set forth in Code, Family Law Article, Title 12, Subtitle 2.

(b) Filing of Worksheet. In an action involving the establishment or modification of child support, each party shall file a worksheet in the form set forth in section (c) or (d) of this Rule. Unless the court directs otherwise, the worksheet shall be filed not later than the date of the hearing on the issue of child support.

Cross reference: See Code, Family Law Article, § 12-203(a) and Walsh v. Walsh, 333 Md. 492 (1994).

(c)Primary Physical Custody. Except in cases of shared physical custody, the worksheet shall be in substantially the following form:

______________________	In the
Circuit Court for	______________________
v.
______________________	No.
WORKSHEET A--CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION: PRIMARY PHYSICAL CUSTODY

______________________	______________________	______________________	______________________
Name of Child	Date of Birth	Name of Child	Date of Birth
______________________	______________________	______________________	______________________
Name of Child	Date of Birth	Name of Child	Date of Birth
______________________	______________________	______________________	______________________
Name of Child	Date of Birth	Name of Child	Date of Birth

Parent 1	Parent 2	Combined
1.	MONTHLY ACTUAL INCOME (Before taxes) (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-201(b) )	$	$	........................ ........................
a.	Minus preexisting child support payment actually paid	-	-	........................ ........................ ........................
b.	Minus alimony actually paid	-	-	........................ ........................
c.	Plus/minus alimony awarded in this case	+/-	+/-	........................ ........................
2.	MONTHLY ADJUSTED ACTUAL INCOME	$	$	$
3.	SHARE OF INCOME Divide each parent's income on line 2 by the combined income on line 2.)	%	%	........................ ........................ ........................
4.	BASIC CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION (Apply line 2 Combined Income to Child Support Schedule.)	........................ ........................ ........................	........................ ........................ ........................	$
a.	Work-Related Child Care Expenses (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-204(g) )	$	$	+
b.	Health Insurance Expenses (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-204(h)(1) )	$	$	+
c.	Extraordinary Medical Expenses (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-204(h)(2) )	$	$	+
d.	Cash Medical Support (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-102(c) --applies only to a child support order under Title IV, Part D of the Social Security Act)	$	$	+
e.	Additional Expenses (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-204(i) )	$	$	+
5.	TOTAL CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION (Add lines 4, 4 a, 4 b, 4 c, 4 d, and 4 e).	........................ ........................ ........................	........................ ........................ ........................	$
6.	EACH PARENT'S CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION (Multiply line 5 by line 3 for each parent.)	$	$	........................ ........................ ........................ ........................
7.	TOTAL DIRECT PAY BY EACH PARENT (Add the expenses shown on lines 4 a, 4 b, 4 c, 4 d, and 4 e paid by each parent.)	$	$	........................ ........................ ........................ ........................
8.	RECOMMENDED CHILD SUPPORT AMOUNT (Subtract line 7 from line 6 for each parent.)	$	$	........................ ........................ ........................ ........................
9.	RECOMMENDED CHILD SUPPORT ORDER (Bring down amount from line 8 for the non-custodial parent only. If this is a negative number, see Comment (2), below.)	$	$	........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

Comments or special adjustments, such as (1) any adjustment for certain third party benefits paid to or for the child of an obligor who is disabled, retired, or receiving benefits as a result of a compensable claim (see Code, Family Law Article, § 12-204(j) or (2) that there is a negative dollar amount on line 9, which indicates a recommended child support order directing the custodial parent to reimburse the non-custodial parent this amount for "direct pay expenses):

___________________________	___________________________
PREPARED BY:	DATE:

(d) Shared Physical Custody. In cases of shared physical custody, the worksheet shall be in substantially the following form:

___________________________	In the
Circuit Court for ____________________
v.
___________________________	No. _____________________

WORKSHEET B--CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION: SHARED PHYSICAL CUSTODY
__________________________________________________________________
____________________	____________________	____________________	____________________
Name of Child	Date of Birth	Name of Child	Date of Birth
____________________	____________________	____________________	____________________
Name of Child	Date of Birth	Name of Child	Date of Birth
____________________	____________________	____________________	____________________
Name of Child	Date of Birth	Name of Child	Date of Birth

Parent 1

Parent 2

Combined

MONTHLY ACTUAL INCOME (Before taxes)

.................................

(Code, Family Law Article, § 12-201(b) )

Minus preexisting child support payment actually paid

.................................

Minus alimony actually paid

.................................

lus/minus alimony awarded in this case

+/-

.................................

MONTHLY ADJUSTED ACTUAL INCOME

PERCENTAGE SHARE OF INCOME (Divide each parent's income on line 2 by the combined income on line 2.)

.................................

BASIC CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION (Apply line 2 Combined Income to Child Support Schedule.)

.................................

ADJUSTED BASIC CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION (Multiply Line 4 by 1.5)

.................................

OVERNIGHTS with each parent (must total 365)

365

PERCENTAGE WITH EACH PARENT (Divide Line 6 by 365)

A %

B %

.................................

STOP HERE IF Line 7 is less than 25% for either parent. Shared physical custody does not apply. (Use Worksheet A.)

.................................

EACH PARENT'S THEORETICAL CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION (Multiply line 5 by line 3 for each parent.)

.................................

THEORETICAL BASIC CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION FOR TIME WITH OTHER PARENT (Multiply line 8A by line 7B; put answer on Line 9A.) (Multiply line 8B by line 7A; and put answer on line 9B.)

.................................

10.

SHARED PHYSICAL CUSTODY ADJUSMENT (If Line 7 for a parent is more than 25%, but less than 30%, multiply that parent's Line 9 by the amount below:

#	of overnights	amount
*	92-94	.10
*	95-98	.08
*	99-102	.06
*	103-105	.04
*	106-109	.02

.................................

11.

ADJUSTED THEORETICAL BASIC CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION (If the shared physical custody A$ B$ Adjustment applies, add Line 10 to that parent's Line 9; put the answer on Line 11.)

.................................

12.

NET BASIC CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION (If there is no shared physical custody adjustment: Subtract Line 9 lesser amount from greater amount place answer here under column with greater amount in Line 9. Shared physical custody Adjustment: For that parent use amount from Line 11 instead of Line 9 when completing calculation.)

.................................

13.

EXPENSES:

.................................

Work-Related Child Care Expenses (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-204(g) )

.................................

Health Insurance Expenses (Code, Family Law Article § 12-204(h)(1) )

.................................

Extraordinary Medical Expenses (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-204(h)(2) )

.................................

Cash Medical Support (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-102(c) --applies only to a child support order under Title IV, Part D of the Social Security Act)

.................................

Additional Expenses (Code, Family Law Article, § 12-204(i) )

.................................

14.

NET ADJUSTMENT FROM WORKSHEET C. Enter amount from line 1, WORKSHEET C, if applicable. If not, continue to Line 15.

.................................

15.

NET BASIC CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATION (From Line 12, WORKSHEET B)

.................................

16.

RECOMMENDED CHILD SUPPORT ORDER (If the same parent owes money under Lines 14 and 15, add these two figures to obtain the amount owed by that parent. If one parent owes money under Line 14 and the other owes money under Line 15, subtract the lesser amount from the greater amount. The parent owing the greater of the two amounts on Lines 14 and 15 will owe that difference as the child support obligation. NOTE: The amount owed in a shared custody arrangement may not exceed the amount that would be owed if the obligor parent were a non-custodial parent. See WORKSHEET A).

.................................

Comments or special adjustments, such as any adjustment for certain third party benefits paid to or for the child of an obligor who is disabled, retired, or receiving benefits as a result of a compensable claim (see Code, Family Law Article, § 12-204(j) ):

PREPARED BY:	DATE:
____________________________	____________________________

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WORKSHEET C: Use Worksheet C ONLY if any of the Expenses listed in lines 13 is paid or received by the parents in a different proportion than the percentage share of income entered on line 3 of Worksheet B. Example: One parent pays 100% of day care, or parents split education/medical costs 50/50 and line 3 is other than 50/50. If there is more than one 11 e expense, make calculations on lines i and j below for each expense.

WORKSHEET C--FOR ADJUSTMENTS, LINE 12, WORKSHEET B

Parent 1	Parent 2
a.	Payments made for Line 13 a expenses multiplied by each parent's percentage of income (Line 3, WORKSHEET B) (Proportionate share)	$	$
b.	Excess payments made by the parent who pays more than the amount in Line a, above. (Subtract proportionate share from amount paid)	$	$
c.	Total amount of direct payments made for Line 13 b expenses multiplied by each parent's percentage of income (Line 3, WORKSHEET B)	$	$
d.	The excess amount of direct payments mad by the parent who pays more than the amount calculated in Line c, above.	$	$
e.	Total amount of direct payments made for Line 13 c expenses multiplied by each parent's percentage of income (Line 3, WORKSHEET B)	$	$
f.	The excess amount of direct payments made by the parent who pays more than the amount calculated in Line e, above.	$	$
g.	Total amount of direct payments made for Line 13 d expenses multiplied by each parent's percentage of income (Line 3, WORKSHEET B)	$	$
h.	The excess amount of direct payments made by the parent who pays more than the amount calculated in line g, above.	$	$
i.	Total amount of direct payments made for Line 13 e expenses multiplied by each parent's percentage of income (Line 3, WORKSHEET B)	$	$
j.	The excess amount of direct payments made by the parent who pays more than the amount calculated in line i, above.	$	$
k.	For each parent, add lines b, d, f, h, and j	$	$
l.	Subtract lesser amount from greater amount in Line k, above. Place the answer on this line under the lesser amount in Line k. Also enter this answer on Line 14 of WORKSHEET B, in the same parent's column.	$	$

Md. Fam. Law. Actions. 9-206

This Rule is new.

Adopted March 5, 2001, effective 7/1/2001. Amended eff. Dec. 4, 2007; Oct. 5, 2009; March 2, 2015, eff. March 15, 2015; amended March 30, 2021, eff. 7/1/2021.

HISTORICAL NOTES

2007 Orders

The December 4, 2007, order, rewrote Worksheets A, B, and C.

2009 Orders

The October 5, 2009, order, added provisions concerning cash medical support to the worksheets.

Prior Rules:

Rule 9-206, adopted as Maryland Rule of Procedure S74, adopted March 3, 1987, eff. July 1, 1987, transferred to Rule 9-206, June 5, 1996, eff. Jan. 1, 1997, amended June 5, 1996, eff. Jan. 1, 1997, related to joint statements of marital and non-marital property, rescinded March 5, 2001, eff. July 1, 2001. See Md. Rule 9-207.

2015 Orders

The March 2, 2015 order replaced references to "mother and "father with references to "Parent 1, "Parent 2, and "parent.