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INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE GUIDELINES WORKSHEET
FOR THE 2017 CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINES
The “recipient” is the person who will receive child support.
The “payor” is the person who will pay child support.
Enter all income and expense amounts as weekly amounts.
General Information
To change a yearly amount to a weekly amount, divide the yearly amount by 52.
To change a monthly amount to a weekly amount, multiply the monthly amount by 12 and then divide that number by 52.
To change a semi-monthly (twice per month) amount to a weekly amount, multiply the semi-monthly amount by 24
and then divide that number by 52.
To change a bi-weekly (every other week) amount to a weekly amount, divide the bi-weekly amount by 2.
Round all amounts to the nearest dollar or whole percentage.
The only official electronic version of the Child Support Guidelines and the Guidelines Worksheet ("Worksheet") can be found at
www.mass.gov/courts. Any other version of the Worksheet is not endorsed by the Massachusetts Trial Court. It is STRONGLY
recommended to fill out the electronic version of the Worksheet on the mass.gov/court website rather than manually, as the
electronic version automatically calculates most numbers in the Worksheet and is easier to complete.
Line
Instruction
Manual Version
Electronic Version
Detailed Instructions
Calculation
At the top of the Worksheet, enter the Case
Name (the names of the plaintiff/petitioner
and defendant/respondent) and the Docket
Number assigned by the Court. Also enter
the Date Prepared and the Name of the
Preparer (self, attorney, IV-D agency, etc.).
Heading
Enter the number of children under age 18
to be covered by this order. If there is a
child who is 18 or older but still attending
high school, that child should be included in
this line and not in Line 1(b). See the Child
Support Guidelines, Section II. F.
Enter the number of children who are age 18
or older who may be eligible to be covered
by this order. See the Child Support
Guidelines, Section II. F.
Total number of children to be covered by
this order.
Line 1(a)
Line 1(b)
Line 1(c)
No calculation necessary.
No calculation necessary.
Input data only.
Input data only.
No calculation necessary.
No calculation necessary.
Input data only.
Input data only.
No calculation necessary.
No calculation necessary.
Input data only.
Input data only.
Add Lines 1(a) and 1(b) and enter that
number on Line 1(c).
Fills in automatically.
Line
Instruction
Manual Version
Electronic Version
Detailed Instructions
Calculation
Line 2(a)
Line 2(b)
Line 2(c)
Line 2(d)
Line 2(e)
Enter the total gross (before tax) weekly
income in the first column for the recipient
and in the second column for the payor. Do
not include means-tested benefits in gross
income. See the Child Support Guidelines,
Section I.
Enter the actual amounts paid for work-
related child care costs for the children
covered by this order. Enter the amount
paid by the recipient in the first column and
the amount paid by the payor in the second
column. See the Child Support Guidelines,
Section II. E.
Enter the actual amounts paid for the cost of
individual or family health care coverage.
Enter the amount paid by the recipient in
the first column and the amount paid by the
payor in the second column. The Court may
change the amounts included here for
health coverage for a person not covered by
the order. See the Child Support Guidelines,
Section II. H.
Enter the actual amounts paid for the cost of
dental/vision insurance for the children
covered by this order. Enter the amount
paid by the recipient in the first column and
the amount paid by the payor in the second
column. The Court may change the amounts
included here for dental/vision coverage for
a person not covered by the order. See the
Child Support Guidelines, Section II. I.
Enter the actual amounts paid to support a
spouse or a child not covered by this order
or the amount of a hypothetical order to
support a child not covered by this order.
Enter amounts for the recipient in the first
column and amounts for the payor in the
second column. See the Child Support
Guidelines, Section II. K.
Line 2(f)
Available income
Line 2(g) Combined available income
No calculation necessary.
No calculation necessary.
Input data only.
Input data only.
No calculation necessary.
No calculation necessary.
Input data only.
Input data only.
No calculation necessary.
No calculation necessary.
Input data only.
Input data only.
No calculation necessary.
No calculation necessary.
Input data only.
Input data only.
No calculation necessary.
No calculation necessary.
Input data only.
Input data only.
For each column, subtract Lines 2(b), 2(c),
2(d) and 2(e) from Line 2(a) and enter that
amount in Line 2(f).
Add the amount in each column of Line 2(f)
and enter that amount in Line 2(g).
Fills in automatically.
Fills in automatically.
Line
Instruction
Manual Version
Electronic Version
Line 2(h)
Share of combined available income
Fills in automatically.
Line 3(a) Applicable available income
Fills in automatically.
Line 3(b)
Fills in automatically.
The support amount for one child can be
found in the Guidelines Chart or calculated
manually. To use the Guidelines Chart, find
the amount in Line 3(a). If that amount falls
between two rows in the Guidelines Chart,
use the row for the lower amount. Enter the
bold “Combined Support Amount” in that
row in Line 3(b) of the Worksheet.
Line 3(c)
The adjustment for number and ages of
children covered by this order is found in
Table B: ADJUSTMENT FOR NUMBER AND
AGES OF CHILDREN. See Child Support
Guidelines, Section II. F. and Section II. L.
Line 3(d) Combined support amount
Line 3(e) Recipient’s share of support
Fills in automatically.
Fills in automatically.
Fills in automatically.
Detailed Instructions
Calculation
For each column, divide Line 2(f) by Line
2(g). Then to get the percentage for each
column, multiply that number by 100 and
round to the nearest whole number. Enter
that final number in Line 2(h).
Enter the amount from Line 2(g), unless the
amount in Line 2(g) is more than $4,808. If
the amount in Line 2(g) is more than $4,808,
enter $4,808 in Line 3(a).
To manually calculate the combined support
amount for one child, use the amounts and
percentages in Table A: CHILD SUPPORT
OBLIGATION SCHEDULE. Enter the resulting
amount in Line 3(b).
In the left-hand column of Table B, find the
row listing the number in Line 1(a). Then
follow across to the right, to the column
listing the number in Line 1(b). Enter the
number from the corresponding row and
column in Line 3(c).
Multiply the amount in Line 3(b) by the
number in Line 3(c) and enter that amount
in Line 3(d).
Multiply the amount in Line 3(d) by the
percentage in the first column of Line 2(h)
and enter that amount in Line 3(e).
Subtract Line 3(e) from Line 3(d). If the
amount is $25 or more, enter that amount in
Line 3(f). If the amount is less than $25,
enter $25 in Line 3(f).
For each column, add Lines 2(b), 2(c), and
2(d) and enter that amount in Line 4(a).
Enter the amount for the recipient in the
first column and the amount for the payor in
the second column.
Multiply the amount in the first column of
Line 4(a) (the recipient's child care and
health care costs paid) by the percentage in
the second column of Line 2(h) (the payor's
share of combined available income) and
enter that amount in Line 4(b).
Line 3(f)
Payor’s share of support
Fills in automatically.
Line 4(a) Child care and health care costs paid
Fills in automatically.
Line 4(b) Payor’s share of recipient’s cost
Fills in automatically.
Line
Instruction
Manual Version
Electronic Version
Line 4(c) Recipient’s share of payor’s cost
Fills in automatically.
Line 4(d) Payor’s net cost
Line 4(e) Maximum adjustment amount
Fills in automatically.
Fills in automatically.
Line 4(f)
Adjustment applied to order
Fills in automatically.
Line 4(g) Adjustment applied to order
Fills in automatically.
Line 4(h) Payor’s net cost
Fills in automatically.
Detailed Instructions
Calculation
Multiply the amount in the second column
of Line 4(a) (the payor's child care and health
care costs paid) by the percentage in the
first column of Line 2(h) (the recipient's
share of combined available income) and
enter that amount in Line 4(c). This amount
could be a negative number.
Subtract Line 4(c) from Line 4(b) and enter
that amount in Line 4(d).
If the amounts in Line 4(a) total more than
$0, multiply Line 3(f) by 0.15 and enter that
amount in Line 4(e). Otherwise, enter $0.
If the amount in Line 4(d) is $0 or higher,
enter the lesser of the amounts in Line 4(d)
or Line 4(e). If the amount in Line 4(d) is a
negative number, enter zero.
If Line 4(d) is a positive number, enter zero
in Line 4(g). If Line 4(d) is a negative
number, enter the value of Line 4(d) as a
positive number or the value of Line 4(e),
whichever is less.
Add Lines 3(f) and 4(f) then subtract Line
4(g) from that amount. If that amount is $25
or more, enter that amount in Line 4(h). If
that amount is less than $25, enter $25.
If the amount in the first column of Line 2(f)
(the recipient's available income) equals $0,
enter 100 in Line 5(a). Otherwise, divide
Line 4(h) by the amount in the first column
of Line 2(f) (the recipient's available
income). Then to get the percentage,
multiply that number by 100 and round to
the nearest whole number. Enter that final
number in Line 5(a).
Line 5(a)
Support as a % of Recipient income
Fills in automatically.
Line
Instruction
Manual Version
Electronic Version
Line 5(b)
In most cases, the adjustment in Line 5(b)
will not change the weekly support amount
shown in Line 4(g). The adjustment in Line
5(b) changes the payor's weekly support
amount only in cases with relatively high-
income recipients and low-income payors.
Detailed Instructions
Calculation
If Line 5(a) is 10% or more, enter the amount
from Line 4(h) or $25, whichever is higher. If
Line 5(a) is less than 10%, add 10% to the
percentage in Line 5(a) and multiply that
percentage by the payor's available income
in the second column of Line 2(f). If that
amount is equal to or greater than $25 but
less than the amount in Line 4(h), enter it in
Line 5(b). Otherwise, enter the amount
from Line 4(h) or $25, whichever is less.
Fills in automatically.
Line 6(a)
This line is purely informational. It shows
the amount of combined available income
beyond the $4,808 perweek maximum
amount of income considered under the
Child Support Guidelines. See the Child
Support Guidelines, Section C.
Line 6(b)
This line is purely informational. It shows
the shares of available income for the Payor
and Recipient beyond the $4,808 per week
maximum considered under the Guidelines.
See the Child Support Guidelines, Section C.
If the amount of combined available income
in Line 2(g) is less than $4,808, leave Lines
6(a) and 6(b) blank. If the amount of
combined available income in Line 2(g) is
greater than $4,808, subtract $4,808 from
the amount in Line 2(g) and enter that
amount in Line 6(a).
Multiply Line 6(a) by each column of Line
2(h) and enter those amounts in each of the
same columns of Line 6(b).
Fills in automatically.
Fills in automatically.
