Long Island Child Support Lawyers
When a marriage ends in divorce or an unmarried couple decides to separate, parents still have a legal obligation to ensure their children have the financial means to carry on the same standard of living they had before. Child support laws were established to ensure that children of divorced or separated parents are provided for, even if they no longer live with both of their parents. Food, clothing, shelter, educational needs, and healthcare costs are just a few of the necessities that child support provides for.
How Child Support is Determined in New York
Sometimes parents are able to agree upon a child support arrangement on their own, in which case the judge will generally honor their arrangement. If parents cannot come to an agreement, there is a formula the judge will use to determine child support. Child support is determined by multiplying the combined parental income (up to $80,000) by the appropriate child support percentage:
- One Child=17% of the combined income
- Two Children=25% of the combined income
- Three Children= 29% of the combined income
- Four Children= 31% of the combined income
- Five or more Children= 35% of the combined income
After the combined income has been multiplied by the appropriate percentage, the amount each parent owes is determined by their share of the total income. Where the combined parental income exceeds $80,000, the court has the discretion to make an award based on this additional income by considering such factors as:
- Each parent's financial resources
- If the children have any special needs
- The standard of living the children would have enjoyed had the marriage not been dissolved
- The non-monetary contributions each parent makes toward the children
- Each parent's educational needs
- Whether or not one parent's income is substantially less than the other parent's income
Child Support Modifications & Enforcement on Long Island
At Samuelson Hause & Samuelson, we also offer representation to parents seeking an enforcement or modification of a child support order. There are countless parents throughout New York who have failed and continued to fail to make court-ordered child support payments. If your child's parent is not paying child support, we can help you seek enforcement from the court. In addition, if you need help modifying a child support order, whether to increase or decrease the amount, we can help. We've represented both parents receiving support, as well as the parent paying support. We can review your financial records and current situation to help you seek a modification that better serves your specific needs.
To learn more about the child support services offered at Samuelson Hause & Samuelson, please contact an experienced Long Island child support attorney at our office today!