Massachusetts follows the “Income Shares” model to calculate child support. This approach estimates the cost of raising a child in a two-parent household and divides that amount between both parents based on their incomes.

Key factors include:

Gross income of both parents
Cost of childcare and health insurance
Number of children involved
Existing support obligations for other children
Extraordinary expenses such as educational or medical needs

The court uses official Child Support Guidelines to determine the amount, but adjustments can be made depending on unique family circumstances.