Child Support Modification - Preparation Worksheet - Maine
MAINE CHILD SUPPORT MODIFICATION PREPARATION PACKET
Do not file this document. Complete the current Maine Judicial Branch Motion to Modify packet, including Form FM-062. The original party designations, court location, and docket number remain the same as in the existing case.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Current-Form Control
- Scope and Statutory Route
- Existing-Order Record
- Grounds and Timing Screen
- Financial and Guideline Record
- Service Package
- Response, Hearing, and Mediation
- Filing Checklist
- Requested-Change Drafting Record
- Counsel Review
1. CURRENT-FORM CONTROL
Forms-index access date: [__/__/____]
Current packet downloaded: ☐ OTH-042 Motion to Modify Packet ☐ FM-088 instructions reviewed
Use the forms index immediately before filing. The index accessed on August 27, 2026 listed FM-002 (Family and Probate Matter Summary Sheet), FM-040 (Child Support Worksheet), FM-050 (Child Support Affidavit), FM-057 (Affidavit for Confidential Address), FM-062 (Motion to Modify), FM-088 (instructions), and FM-132 (Child Support Order). Revision dates and required components can change.
Current filing instrument: FM-062 Motion to Modify. Check Child Support Only when that is the only requested change. Do not convert this worksheet into a substitute pleading or proposed order.
2. SCOPE AND STATUTORY ROUTE
Section 2009(1) makes child support the sole issue on a motion to modify support unless another listed motion or petition is also filed. Identify the requested scope before completing FM-062:
☐ Child support amount only
☐ Child support plus another issue; Maine counsel has identified the additional pleading, service, and factual requirements: [________________________________]
☐ Department of Health and Human Services is providing child-support services or has issued an order; counsel has reviewed notice and party requirements: [________________________________]
Do not use a child-support-only motion to request parenting-plan, primary-residence, contact, alimony, contempt, arrears enforcement, or other relief without selecting the correct official route.
3. EXISTING-ORDER RECORD
| Item | Record |
|---|---|
| Original plaintiff | [________________________________] |
| Original defendant | [________________________________] |
| Other party, if any | [________________________________] |
| District Court location | [________________________________] |
| Docket number | [________________________________] |
| Existing order date | [__/__/____] |
| Last child-support modification date | [__/__/____] |
| Current support amount/frequency | $[________] per [________] |
| Current obligor/obligee | [________________________________] |
| Current order and incorporated worksheet obtained | ☐ Yes ☐ No |
| DHHS order or services involved | ☐ No ☐ Yes—details: [________________] |
List each child and the information required by the current FM-062 and financial forms. Use FM-057 rather than placing a confidential address in a public field when appropriate.
4. GROUNDS AND TIMING SCREEN
A. Order Issued or Modified Less Than Three Years Ago
If the guideline obligation under § 2006 differs by more than 15% from the existing order, § 2009(3) treats the variance as a substantial change, subject to the statutory exception for an order established under § 2007.
- Existing amount used for comparison: $[________]
- Current guideline result prepared on current FM-040: $[________]
- Difference and percentage calculation: [________________________________]
- Was the existing order established under § 2007? ☐ No ☐ Yes/uncertain—counsel review required
- Other claimed substantial change stated on FM-062: [________________________________]
B. Three Years or More Since Issuance or Modification
Section 2009(3) permits review without proof of a change in circumstances and modification if the existing award differs from the amount that would be awarded under the guidelines. Record the dates and calculation; do not add a 15% minimum to this route.
C. Retroactivity Gate
Section 2009(2) permits retroactive modification only from the date notice of the modification petition was served on the opposing party. Do not use filing date, a private demand date, or the date circumstances changed as an automatic effective date.
5. FINANCIAL AND GUIDELINE RECORD
Complete the current FM-050 Child Support Affidavit and attach the proof it requests. Use the current FM-040 and any required supplemental worksheet; do not calculate from this template.
☐ Last year's earned income recorded
☐ Current-year expected wages or self-employment income recorded
☐ Other gross income and employment fringe benefits recorded
☐ Existing support obligations and other children reviewed
☐ Child-only health-insurance cost documented
☐ Work-related child-care cost documented
☐ Extraordinary medical expenses documented
☐ Assets, debts, public assistance, dependent benefits, and imputed-income issues reviewed
Current guideline table/version: [________________________________]
Person who prepared the calculation: [________________________________]
6. SERVICE PACKAGE
Section 2009(4-A) requires Rule 4 service and says the served motion must be accompanied by the statutory notices, the moving party's income affidavit, a proposed order incorporating the child-support worksheet, and any stipulation. The current FM-088 instructions list the motion and child-support affidavit in each service route and say the court may require FM-040. Because those official sources do not list identical package contents, Maine counsel must reconcile the current statute, rules, packet, and clerk requirements before service.
Selected current service route:
☐ Mail/hand delivery seeking signed acknowledgment
☐ Certified mail, restricted delivery, return receipt
☐ Sheriff or other Rule 4 service approved by counsel
Materials served:
☐ FM-062 Motion to Modify, including its warning and service page
☐ FM-050 Child Support Affidavit and required attachments
☐ Statutory notices and current electronic-service notices
☐ Proposed order incorporating current FM-040 worksheet, if required after reconciliation
☐ Any stipulation
☐ Other current packet item: [________________________________]
Date notice was served: [__/__/____]
Proof of service: [________________________________]
7. RESPONSE, HEARING, AND MEDIATION
- A written hearing request under § 2009(5) is due within 30 days after receipt of service and must include the requesting party's income affidavit and child-support worksheet.
- If a hearing is requested, the statute requires mediation before trial.
- If no hearing is requested within 30 days, the court may use the no-hearing route only subject to § 2009(6). A proposed downward deviation requires a hearing.
- Setting aside an order entered without hearing requires a motion showing both good cause for the missed request and a meritorious defense.
Service received by responding party: [__/__/____]
Calculated response/hearing-request deadline: [__/__/____]
Hearing requested: ☐ No ☐ Yes—date and accompanying documents: [________________]
Mediation information: [________________________________]
8. FILING CHECKLIST
The current FM-088 instructions state that the originals are filed within 20 days after service. Confirm the deadline and current requirements immediately before filing.
☐ FM-002 Family and Probate Matter Summary Sheet
☐ FM-062 Motion to Modify
☐ CV-CR-FM-PC-200 Social Security Number Disclosure Form, handled as confidential
☐ FM-050 Child Support Affidavit with required attachments
☐ Proof of service for each other party
☐ Signed acknowledgment or certified-mail return receipt, if applicable
☐ Current e-service notices, if applicable
☐ Filing fee or current fee-waiver application
☐ FM-052 Federal Affidavit if the current instructions require it for a nonappearing party
☐ Other clerk/counsel-required item: [________________________________]
9. REQUESTED-CHANGE DRAFTING RECORD
Use the current FM-062 request field and any required proposed order. Do not add automatic enforcement, income-withholding, fee, interest, tax, insurance, arrears, contempt, or effective-date terms from this worksheet without separate current authority and factual support.
| Requested item | Proposed term | Authority/form field checked | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support amount/frequency | [________] | [________] | [________] |
| Service-date retroactivity request | [________] | § 2009(2) | [________] |
| Health insurance | [________] | [________] | [________] |
| Child care/medical expenses | [________] | [________] | [________] |
| Deviation, if any | [________] | [________] | [________] |
| Other | [________] | [________] | [________] |
10. COUNSEL REVIEW
☐ Current forms and revision dates rechecked
☐ Caption and original party designations copied from the existing case
☐ Child-support-only scope confirmed or additional pleading selected
☐ § 2009(3) route and any § 2007 exception checked
☐ Current guideline calculation independently reviewed
☐ Statute/form service-package discrepancy resolved
☐ Service date and retroactivity request verified
☐ Confidential identifiers and addresses handled on current protected forms
☐ No custom cure period, annual disclosure, forum, jury, arbitration, severability, integration, indemnity, liability-cap, or automatic-remedy clause carried into the filing
Reviewed by: [________________________________]
Review date: [__/__/____]
This preparation aid is not a court form and must not be filed.
About this template
- Last updated
- August 27, 2026
- Citations checked
- August 27, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Maine
- Category
- Family Law
Legal authority
- 19-A M.R.S. § 2009(1)-(7) (motion, timing, variance, service, response, hearing, and set-aside rules)
Family law covers the paperwork that shapes divorce, custody, child support, adoption, guardianship, and other family matters. These filings are emotional and high-stakes, and they also have to meet strict procedural rules for service, financial disclosure, and parenting plans. Clean, accurate paperwork keeps the focus on getting a workable outcome for the family instead of getting derailed by technical problems that delay hearings or force amended filings.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on August 27, 2026.
19-A M.R.S. § 2009(1)-(3) (checked August 27, 2026): "A party, including the department, may file a motion to modify support. Unless a party also files a motion to amend the divorce judgment, a petition to amend under section 1653, subsection 10 or a motion for judicial review under Title 22, section 4038, the child support obligation is the sole issue to be determined by the court on a motion to modify support. Child support orders may be modified retroactively but only from the date that notice of a petition for modification has been served upon the opposing party, pursuant to the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure. If a child support order varies more than 15% from a parental support obligation determined under section 2006, the court or hearing officer shall consider the variation a substantial change of circumstances and if it has been less than 3 years since the order was issued or modified, the court or hearing officer shall modify the order according to the child support guidelines under chapter 63. If it has been 3 years or longer since the order was issued or modified, the court or hearing officer shall review the order without requiring proof or showing of a change of circumstances and shall modify the order if the amount of the child support award under the order differs from the amount that would be awarded under the guidelines. If a child support order was established under section 2007, a 15% variation between the amount of the order and the parental support obligation determined under section 2006 does not constitute a substantial change of circumstances."
19-A M.R.S. § 2009(4-A)-(7) (checked August 27, 2026): "Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, service of a motion to modify support must be made in the manner provided for service of summons by the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 4. Service of the motion must be accompanied by: a notice that the court may enter an order without hearing if the party does not request a hearing; a notice of the right to request a hearing; a notice of the requirement of mediation prior to a hearing; the income affidavit of the moving party or the party receiving the assistance of the department, as well as the responding party's affidavit, if available; a proposed order, incorporating the child support worksheet; and any stipulation entered into by the parties. A request for hearing must be made in writing within 30 days of receipt of service and be accompanied by the requesting party's income affidavit and child support worksheet. If a party requests a hearing, the matter must be referred for mediation prior to trial. If a party does not request a hearing within 30 days after service, the court may enter an order modifying support without hearing using the proposed order, as long as the proposed modified support obligation is equal to or greater than the obligation resulting from the application of section 2005. If a downward deviation is proposed, the court shall hold a hearing prior to entering an order. An order entered without hearing pursuant to this section may not be set aside except on motion in which the moving party demonstrates good cause for the failure to request a hearing and a meritorious defense to the proposed order."
Maine Judicial Branch forms index (checked August 27, 2026): "If the use of a court form is required the current version must be used. Outdated forms will be returned as incomplete. This site contains the most up-to-date version of all court forms."
Maine Judicial Branch Form FM-088, Rev. 08/24 (checked August 27, 2026): "The section at the top of the form is called the "caption." Look at the caption on your original Court Order and copy the court location, docket number and names of Plaintiff and Defendant. This information stays the same. If you are trying to change the amount of child support only, check that box that reads "Child Support Only" under the words "Motion to Modify." The court may also require you to complete a Child Support Worksheet (form FM-040), which is available on the Maine Judicial Branch website. Within 20 days after serving the other party, hand-deliver or mail to the court clerk these original forms: Summary Sheet; Motion; SSN Disclosure Form; Child Support Affidavit (if child support is an issue); and proof of service."
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