Child Support Calculations Under New York Law
The Darwish Law Offices in Syracuse provides our clients with legal advice, courtroom representation and the option of using the collaborative law process to arrive at decisions regarding child support during the process of ending a marriage. Understand your options and obligations with regard to child support — talk to a family law and divorce lawyer who can explain the process and help you move forward. Contact the Darwish Law Offices to schedule a private and complimentary initial consultation. Experienced New York divorce attorney Diane E. Darwish provides compassionate and protective advocacy in family law disputes of all kinds.
New York's Child Support Guidelines Dictate the Amount of Child Support
Child support in New York is decided based upon a formula that takes into account a number of factors, including who has physical custody of the child or children, the income of both parents and the needs of the child. The child support formula does allow for some variability of orders of child support.
Determining how much child support will be paid is not always an item of major conflict. However, when disputes do arise over child support amounts, the fight can be protracted and full of complex financial negotiations. Child support disputes can also be full of emotion, even though at its core the question of child support is a mathematical one that depends on the parents' relative financial resources and the needs of the child or children.
Questions About Child Support After the Final Divorce Decree: Parents commonly seek modifications of child support if financial circumstances change. A parent may also need to seek formal help from the family law court to enforce a child support order. Finally, there are circumstances under which the paying parent may be relieved of the duty to pay child support — specifically in cases involving parental alienation syndrome, allegations of which usually arise during disputes over child custody and visitation schedules.
Child Support Disputes Can Be Emotionally and Financially Complex
When parents fight about child support amounts, the issues at stake often include questions such as the following.
- Are both parents fully disclosing their true incomes and assets? Is one parent hiding income or assets? Is one parent purposefully remaining unemployed or underemployed in order to escape a child support obligation?
- Does the child have special medical or educational needs that increase the amount of child support that should be paid? Do the parents disagree about whether the child does in fact need special medical or educational attention?
If you predict that your divorce will involve a conflict over child support payments, you will benefit from receiving early legal counsel from a compassionate and knowledgeable family law attorney.
Contact the Darwish Law Offices to schedule a free initial appointment to discuss your child support questions and to find out if our law firm is a good match for your legal needs.
