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• Only the court can order support payments
• Child Support includes basic support, medical support, and childcare support

A child support court order makes a parent legally responsible to provide child support for his or her child. This can only take place after the parent has been legally determined to be the parent and paternity is established.

Child support in Minnesota is calculated using guidelines established in state law.

What does a child support court order include?

• Basic support –the court will determine the amount of financial support to be paid by looking at the gross income of each parent, and applying the combined incomes to a support formula found in Minnesota Statutes.
• Medical support—the court may order a parent to provide health and dental insurance for the children or make a payment toward the cost of insurance coverage. The court may also decide who will pay for uninsured medical and dental expenses.
• Childcare support—the court may order a parent to pay all or part of, work or school-related childcare (day care) expenses.

If public assistance has been expended through cash (MFIP), medical assistance, or childcare assistance, the county may ask the court for an order to pay back public assistance.

How can I get a court order?

Child support is established in a court order by bringing a court action. This could be part of a divorce, legal separation, paternity, domestic abuse, or child support action.  If you are receiving child support services from Pine County the staff will assist in establishing an order. 

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

For more information on the statute changes go to Minnesota Statutes. www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/statutes.htm