In October 2025, the Maryland Courts adopted the Multifamily Adjustment, a new deduction used when calculating child support under Maryland’s guidelines. This adjustment recognizes a parent’s financial responsibility for children living with them who are not the subject of the current support order.
Who Qualifies for the Multifamily Adjustment?
To be eligible, a parent must meet the following criteria:
- Have a legal duty of support to the children (not covered by the current support order) living in their home.
- Not be under an existing support order for those children.
- Have the children for more than 92 overnights in a year.
When Courts Apply the Multifamily Adjustment
- The adjustment can be considered when establishing or modifying child support.
- Courts can only consider the parent’s actual income, not imputed income.
How the Multifamily Adjustment Is Calculated
- Determine actual income: Calculate the parent’s actual income according to Maryland’s child-support guidelines.
- Calculate basic support: Determine the basic support amount for the children not covered by the current order using only that parent’s income.
- Apply the adjustment: Multiply that basic support amount by 75% to determine the multifamily allowance.
The Multifamily Adjustment provides a fair way for courts to account for a parent’s financial obligations to other children while ensuring that child support calculations are equitable for all parties involved.