Michigan Child Support Calculator

1. Each parent's monthly net income

The formula starts with net income: gross income from all sources minus taxes and certain allowed deductions. If a parent has minor children from another relationship, part of that parent's income is set aside for them (the remaining income is multiplied by 83% for one other child, down to 60% for five or more). Courts can also impute income to a parent who is voluntarily earning less than they could.

2. The Low Income Threshold

For 2025 the threshold is $1,255 of monthly net income. A parent at or below it pays 10% of income as base support, and that parent's income is left out when figuring the other parent's support. Parents just above the threshold are protected by a transition equation that caps support until income rises.

3. The General Care Support Table

The parents' net incomes are combined into a family income. The table for the number of children gives a base amount plus a percentage of income above a bracket. Each parent's base obligation is that family amount multiplied by the parent's share of the combined income. For one child, a family earning $9,996 a month in combined net income lands in the bracket of $1,726.10 plus 12.01% of income over $9,432.22.

4. The parental time offset

Because a parent who has the children overnight pays many of their costs directly, the base obligations are adjusted by each parent's annual overnights using the formula's offset equation, which raises each parent's overnights to the 2.5 power. The effect grows quickly: more overnights shift support meaningfully, and with roughly equal time the higher earner usually still pays a smaller amount.

5. Health insurance, medical, and child care

The children's share of each parent's health insurance premium is split by income share and offset. An annual ordinary medical amount ($200 for one child, up to $1,000 for five or more) is added, and the paying parent's share is paid monthly. Work-related child care costs are split by income share and offset the same way.

A worked example

Parent A earns $107,000 a year and Parent B earns $50,000, both filing single, with one child. Using rough tax estimates, their monthly net incomes are about $6,627 and $3,369. Parent A's base support is about $1,189 and Parent B's is about $605. If the child spends 128 nights a year with Parent A and 237 with Parent B, the parental time offset leaves Parent A paying about $872, plus about $11 a month toward ordinary medical expenses: roughly $883 a month. At about 52 overnights with Parent A, the same family's estimate rises to about $1,180; at an even 182.5 overnights each, it falls to about $303.

Change any fact (a bonus, a business, a new schedule, insurance) and the number moves. That is why the real figure needs a real conversation.

Does 50/50 parenting time mean no child support?

Not necessarily. With equal overnights the offset largely cancels out, but the higher earner usually still pays because each parent's base obligation is tied to income.

What if a parent is self-employed or has bonuses?

Income from a business, bonuses, commissions, and equity compensation all count, and they are often where the biggest disputes are. This calculator takes one income number; a real case looks at how that income is earned and documented.

What if our income is very high?

When family income greatly exceeds the top of the support tables, the court may use discretion instead of simply extending the formula. Estimates at high incomes are especially uncertain.

Can child support be changed later?

Yes, when circumstances change, such as income or the parenting time schedule. Read more: Modifying Child Support in Michigan

Is there a spousal support calculator too?

Michigan has no spousal support formula, but we built a rough range estimator. Try the Michigan spousal support estimator