Minnesota modifications of child support

MINNESOTA MODIFICATIONS OF CHILD SUPPORT

The Court in Minnesota always retain jurisdiction to modify a child support order after it has been established.  Minnesota law provides that the terms of an order regarding child support may be modified upon a showing of one or more of the following, any of which makes the terms of the child support order "unreasonable and unfair":

(1) substantially increased or decreased gross income of either parent;

(2) substantially increased or decreased need of either parent or the child or children;

(3) receipt of assistance under the AFDC program;

(4) a change in the cost of living for either party as measured by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics;

(5) extraordinary medical expenses of the child not provided for under section 518A.41;

(6) a change in the availability of appropriate health care coverage or a substantial increase or decrease in health care coverage costs;

(7) the addition of work-related or education-related child care expenses of the obligee or a substantial increase or decrease in existing work-related or education-related child care expenses; or

(8) upon the emancipation of the child.

It is presumed that there has been a "substantial change in circumstances" and the terms of a current child support order shall be rebuttably presumed to be unreasonable and unfair if, "the application of the child support guidelines in section 518A.35, to the current circumstances of the parties results in a calculated court order that is at least 20 percent and at least $75 per month higher or lower than the current support order or, if the current support order is less than $75, it results in a calculated court order that is at least 20 percent per month higher or lower."