Last updated: May 20, 2026
Bottom line
In Maine, child support is handled through the court system and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery, often called DSER. DSER can help locate a parent, establish parentage, set up a support order, collect payments, and enforce an order. DSER cannot give legal advice, decide custody, enforce visitation, handle property settlements, or create a divorce judgment.
Start with Maine DSER if you need help opening or enforcing a child support case. Use the Maine courts child support page if your question is about court forms, worksheets, a court hearing, or changing a court order. For plain background before you call, see ASMOM’s child support basics.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. If a court order, custody problem, safety issue, or deadline is involved, ask a legal aid office, the court clerk, DSER, or a licensed attorney before you act.
If you need help today
Child support can help long term, but it is not fast emergency cash. If you need food, rent, shelter, diapers, child care, safety help, or utility help now, use a second help path while your case moves forward.
- If you or your child are in immediate danger, call 911.
- For domestic violence support in Maine, call 1-866-834-4357. Maine DHHS also explains this safety path in its violence resources.
- For local help, dial 211, text your ZIP code to 898-211, or search 211 Maine.
- If child support cooperation could put you or your child in danger while you receive TANF, ask your TANF worker about good cause. Maine DSER says good cause may let you receive TANF without revealing information about the other parent.
ASMOM also has Maine-specific pages for emergency help, housing help, child care help, and Maine SNAP help.
Where to start
Your first step depends on what you already have. You do not need to know every legal term before asking for help. You do need to be clear about whether you already have an order, whether the other parent is legally recognized, and whether safety is a concern.
You do not have an order
Ask DSER about opening a case. DSER may help with parentage, locating the other parent, and starting the process for a support order.
You have an order
Ask DSER about full services if you need help collecting support. If your case is limited services only, DSER mainly processes payments and keeps records.
The order is wrong now
Ask DSER for an order review or ask the court about a motion to modify. Do not just agree by text to a new amount and stop following the order.
You are scared
Talk to a domestic violence advocate or your TANF worker before giving the other parent’s details. Safety planning is not a do-it-yourself legal step.
Quick reference table
| Need | Best starting point | Reality check |
|---|---|---|
| Open a child support case | Use the DSER online portal or call 207-624-4100. | An incomplete application can be returned, so gather documents before you send it. |
| Apply by mail | Download the DSER mail application. | Use the newest form from DSER, not an old copy saved online. |
| Figure out a possible amount | Use Maine’s official support calculator and court forms. | The final amount depends on facts, documents, and the court or hearing officer. |
| Change an existing order | Ask DSER for order review or file with the court. | A review can increase or decrease support. It is not a promise of a higher amount. |
| Need legal help | Start with the court’s Maine legal aid list. | Legal aid has income and case limits. Apply early if a deadline is close. |
What Maine DSER can and cannot do
DSER is Maine’s child support agency. It helps with many support tasks, but it is not your lawyer and it is not the family court judge. This matters because many parents call child support when the real problem is custody, visitation, divorce, or safety.
| DSER may help with | DSER does not handle |
|---|---|
| Locating a parent | Legal advice for your case |
| Establishing paternity or parentage | Divorce judgments or custody orders |
| Determining, collecting, and enforcing support | Visitation or parenting-time enforcement |
| Processing payments and keeping records | Property settlements |
| Reviewing whether an order may need a change | Spousal-support-only cases |
If your issue is custody, visitation, divorce, contempt, or protection from abuse, use the Maine Judicial Branch court forms page and ask legal aid what forms fit your situation.
How to apply for child support services in Maine
You can apply for DSER services online or by mail. If you receive TANF, Maine says you will receive child support services from DSER without filing a separate request. TANF families may also have cooperation rules, unless a TANF worker grants good cause because cooperation may be unsafe or not appropriate.
Before you apply
Write down what you know about the other parent. Helpful details include full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number if known, current or past address, employer, phone number, email, vehicle information, and relatives or contacts who may know where the person lives. Do not put yourself in danger to collect information.
After you apply
DSER will not move forward until your application is complete. If the other parent’s location is unknown, the case can take longer. If parentage must be established, DSER may use a voluntary acknowledgment or ask for genetic testing through the process explained on the DSER paternity page.
Reality check
Opening a case does not mean money will arrive right away. DSER may need to find the other parent, confirm parentage, gather income details, serve papers, or send an income withholding order to an employer. Keep using food, housing, child care, and emergency help while the support case is pending. ASMOM’s Maine TANF help page may also be useful if your family has very low income.
How child support is calculated in Maine
Maine uses child support guidelines, a child support affidavit, a worksheet, and a support table. The court says each parent fills out a Child Support Affidavit to show income and certain expenses. The worksheet uses the parents’ income, the number of children, child care costs, medical costs, health insurance, and other facts. If both parents provide substantially equal care, a supplemental worksheet may be needed.
The worksheet amount is usually the starting point. A court can order a different amount, called a deviation, if the evidence shows a good reason. Do not rely on an online sample table from an old article as your final answer. Use the official worksheet and ask for help if your income, self-employment, benefits, disability, child care, or shared-care facts are complicated.
For a plain-language walkthrough, Pine Tree Legal Assistance has a Pine Tree guide on calculating Maine child support. If you also need health coverage for a child, ASMOM’s Medicaid guide may help you find the right starting point.
Payments, deposits, and case status
If the order is being paid through DSER, payments may be collected by income withholding, online payment, mail, or other approved payment methods. Paying parents and employers can use Maine’s payment page for official payment options.
Some online payment methods have fees. Maine says eCheck/ACH is available for free on iPayOnline, while debit cards, credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Cash App may have a flat percentage fee. Cash payment options may also have a fee. Check the official page before paying so you do not lose money to avoidable fees.
If you receive support, Maine’s DSER guide says new custodial-parent cases may start with a ReliaCard, and direct deposit may be available if you request the paperwork. To check case information, report address changes, hear recent disbursements, or request reports, use the DSER voice system or customer portal.
How to change a child support order
Do not change payments by private agreement unless the court or agency changes the order. If the order says $300 per month, that is the order until it is changed. A parent who pays less because of a verbal deal may still build up arrears.
In Maine, you may ask to change a child support order if a change in income would increase or decrease support by 15%. If at least three years have passed since the child support order was issued, you may ask the court to review the order without showing a substantial change in circumstances. Maine’s court page on changing orders lists common forms for motions to modify and enforce.
DSER can also review some orders. DSER says a review requires financial information from both parents and child expense information. DSER also warns that a legal action cannot guarantee success and may even lead to a lower support amount if the facts support it.
If payments stop, the other parent moves, or you are ignored
If payments stop, first check whether the payment was missed, delayed by an employer, held by processing, or sent another way. Keep notes with dates, amounts, who you called, and what they told you. Ask DSER what enforcement tools may apply to your case.
If the other parent moved out of Maine, tell DSER. Child support agencies can work across state lines, but interstate cases often move slower because more than one state may be involved.
If DSER is not responding, use more than one contact path. Maine DHHS lists the Child Support Services phone number as 207-624-4100 and has an online question option on its contact page. You can also use the customer portal if you have an open case.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not count on child support as emergency money before an order is active and payments are being collected.
- Do not send original documents unless the agency or court specifically requires them.
- Do not ignore court mail. Missing a conference or hearing can hurt your case.
- Do not use old court forms. Maine courts say outdated forms may be returned as incomplete.
- Do not use custody or visitation problems as a reason to stop paying support without a court order.
Documents and information checklist
You may not need every item below, but this list can help you prepare before you call DSER, legal aid, or the court clerk.
| Item | Why it matters | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Child’s birth certificate | DSER asks for a copy if born in Maine and a certified copy if born outside Maine. | Ask vital records if you need a new certified copy. |
| Existing court order | DSER needs the complete Maine order or certified copies of an out-of-state order. | Bring every page, not just the signature page. |
| Income proof | The court worksheet uses income and some expenses. | Gather pay stubs, tax forms, benefit letters, and self-employment records. |
| Child care and health costs | The worksheet may account for daycare and medical or insurance costs. | Keep bills, receipts, provider letters, and insurance premium proof. |
| Other parent information | DSER may need it to locate, serve, or withhold income. | Share what you know, but do not contact an unsafe person yourself. |
| Payment records | Records help with arrears, missing payments, and disputes. | Save bank records, receipts, money order copies, and DSER reports. |
Backup options while child support is pending
Child support is only one part of a family budget. If the other parent cannot be found, is not working, is disputing parentage, or is behind on payments, use other help paths at the same time.
- For food, start with SNAP, WIC, school meals, food pantries, and 211.
- For rent, call your town office, local housing authority, 211, and emergency rental programs when open.
- For child care, ask about Maine child care subsidy help before you accept work or school hours you cannot cover.
- For baby items, look for local diaper banks, pregnancy centers, community closets, and verified charities. ASMOM’s baby supplies help page can help you start.
- For bills and shutoff problems, look at ASMOM’s bill help guide and call 211 for local options.
If you want a broader Maine starting page, use ASMOM’s Maine help page. For national and local search tips, use the ASMOM 211 guide.
If the other parent has hurt or threatened you
Child support can be important, but safety comes first. If giving information about the other parent could put you or your child at risk, talk to a domestic violence advocate, TANF worker, legal aid, or the court before you file papers or share a location.
Maine DSER says a TANF worker may grant good cause when a parent is afraid that naming the other parent may put the parent or child in danger. The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, also called MCEDV, can connect survivors with local advocacy. ASMOM also has Maine-specific domestic violence help.
Phone scripts you can use
Calling DSER to open a case
“Hi, I am a Maine parent or caretaker and I need help opening a child support case. I want to know whether I should apply online or by mail, what documents I need, and whether my situation should be full services or limited services.”
Calling about a missing payment
“Hi, I have an open DSER case. My case number is ______. I expected a payment on ______ and do not see it. Can you tell me whether a payment was received, held, returned, or not paid by the employer?”
Calling about a change in income
“Hi, I need to ask about reviewing a child support order because income or child expenses changed. Can you tell me whether DSER can review this order, what financial records you need, and whether I also need court forms?”
Calling when safety is a concern
“Hi, I need child support or TANF help, but I am afraid that sharing information about the other parent could put me or my child in danger. Can you connect me with the right person to talk about good cause, confidentiality, and safety options before I give more information?”
Resumen en español
En Maine, la oficina DSER ayuda con manutención de menores. Puede ayudar a encontrar al otro padre, establecer paternidad, crear una orden, cobrar pagos y hacer cumplir una orden. DSER no da consejo legal y no decide custodia o visitas.
Si necesita ayuda, puede llamar a DSER al 207-624-4100. Si hay violencia doméstica o miedo por su seguridad, llame al 1-866-834-4357 o hable con un trabajador de TANF sobre “good cause” antes de dar información sobre el otro padre.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get child support in Maine if I was never married?
Yes. Maine courts say child support can be part of a divorce case or a parental rights and responsibilities case for unmarried parents. Parentage may need to be established first.
Do I have to apply for DSER services if I receive TANF?
Maine says TANF families receive child support services from DSER without asking for them. If cooperation may put you or your child in danger, ask your TANF worker about good cause.
Can DSER help me with custody or visitation?
No. DSER says child support services do not include custody matters, visitation enforcement, divorce judgments, property settlements, or legal advice.
How much child support will I get?
There is no one amount for every family. Maine uses child support guidelines, income information, child care costs, medical costs, and the care arrangement. The court or hearing officer decides the order.
Can a Maine child support order be changed?
Yes, in some cases. Maine courts say a child support order may be reviewed after three years, or sooner if a change would raise or lower support by 15%.
What should I do if payments stop?
Check your DSER case status, keep records, and contact DSER. If you need emergency help while waiting, call 211 and apply for food, housing, child care, or bill help as needed.
About this guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
A Single Mother is independent and is not a government agency, benefits office, lender, law firm, medical provider, or tax advisor.
Program rules, funding, local availability, and eligibility can change. Always confirm details with the official program before you apply or make decisions.
Verification: Last verified May 20, 2026, next review August 20, 2026.
Corrections: If you see something wrong or outdated, email suggestions@asinglemother.org.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, immigration, disability, safety, or government-agency advice.