Child Support Formula
Michigan’s formula aims to fairly distribute child-rearing costs based on both parents’ incomes and parenting time. It also allows for shared responsibility in healthcare and childcare expenses while providing room for justified deviations.
The Michigan Friend of the Court Bureau developed a formula guideline for figuring child support obligation amounts. The law requires courts to use this formula when setting or changing child support obligations. The child support formula is reviewed and changed periodically and its figures are updated taking into account economic changes. When these changes occur, the bureau issues a new Michigan Child Support Formula Manual.
Federal law requires the use of a statewide guideline for calculating child support amounts. State law requires the use of the Michigan Child Support Formula (MCSF) to calculate child support. A child support calculator is available on the MiChildSupport website which will provide an estimate of potential child support.
The support calculation provided by this calculator is not a support recommendation or a support order.