Changing a Support Order

Child Support Laws

Only the court can change the amount of basic support, child care, and medical support that a parent has been court ordered to pay. Child support in

Minnesota is calculated using guidelines established in state law. The Minnesota Legislature passed new child support laws in June 2005. These changes in establishing child support were effective January 1, 2007. The new law did not automatically change existing child support orders.

Changes Due to New Law

In addition to using the income shares formula for calculating child support, the new law

  • Directs courts to take family situations into account by giving a deduction for children living in the home and not covered under the court order
  • Gives the courts more direction on which parent should carry the health care coverage
  • May give credit for court-ordered percentages of time a parent spends with the child

Guidelines Calculator

The State of Minnesota has an onlineGuidelines Calculator to help you estimate the amount of child support that the court may order on a case.

Additional Resources

Changing your order is possible. Read when to ask the court for a change and how to change to the order (PDF).

Legal Assistance, resources and information