When it comes to child support in Maryland, the state uses a formula to calculate the amount of money that each parent must contribute. This formula, known as the Child Support Guidelines, takes into account the actual cost of providing health insurance coverage for a child. Section 12-102 of the Maryland Family Law Code sets out rules for providing health insurance coverage in addition to child support. The Child Support Guidelines try to estimate the percentage of income that parents would spend on their children if they lived together.
The Department of Human Services has a child support calculator that can be used to estimate the amount of child support in a particular case. In addition, cash medical support is added to the general child support obligation and parents divide it in proportion to their actual adjusted income. When determining the payment of child support, the court will act as if the father had income. Section 12-102 also sets out the rules for providing health insurance coverage as part of a child support order under Title IV of the Federal Social Security Act. The cost is considered reasonable if it does not exceed five percent of the parents' actual income.
If the court finds that a parent who owes alimony has been “voluntarily impoverished,” the court can “impute income to father”.If you need legal assistance with child support under Maryland family law, it can be very helpful to consult with a reliable Maryland child support lawyer. With this change, the calculation of alimony under Maryland child support guidelines will now reflect consistency, as jurisdictions across the state will have more clarity from the legislature on what insurance costs they should include.
