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Your Family Matters

Protecting Your Interests In Child Support And Paternity Cases

Joseph H. Nivin is an experienced child support and paternity lawyer who can petition for support, request a support order on your behalf and represent you if you’ve been served a support petition. He will explain how child support works and the legal guidelines from the Child Support Standards Act (CSSA) that determine the calculation of child support payments.

Mr. Nivin will provide important guidance and help you to complete all necessary documents to prepare you for your child support hearing.

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Determining Child Support Payments In New York

New York began using the CSSA to determine child support payments in 2017. The formula used to determine payments can become complicated in certain situations, but the key factors are income and the number of children involved. The state looks at the combined income of both parents and sets the base child support payment using the following percentages:

  • One child: 17% of the parents’ combined income
  • Two children: 25% of the parents’ combined income
  • Three children: 29% of the parents’ combined income
  • Four children: 31% of the parents’ combined income
  • Five or more children: At least 35% of the parents’ combined income

This means that if the parents’ combined income is $100,000, annual support for one child would be $17,000, annual support for two children would be $25,000 and so on. The payments assigned are then based on the income of each parent as a percentage of the combined income – if one parent makes twice as much income as the other, their child support obligation would be twice as much as the lower-income parent.

After the base payment is established, expenses such as child care, education and medical expenses are factored in to arrive at a final number.

Child Support Modifications And Enforcement

If your child support payment is no longer enough to cover the costs of raising your children, or if your income or the income of your ex-partner has changed, you may want to request a modification in your child support payment. The court provides a process for changing your child support payment amount. If you need a modification in your child support to meet your current financial needs, Joseph H. Nivin can guide you through the modification process.

If your child support payments are chronically late or not being paid at all, we can also help you get the courts to enforce their child support ruling. There are several ways to collect past due payments and enforce future payments. These methods include garnishing wages, taking funds from tax returns or filing a lien against property or other assets. If you’re owed child support, we can help you get court-ordered payments enforced and collect past due payments.

Contact The Child Support Lawyers At The Law Offices of Joseph H. Nivin, P.C.

If you are facing a paternity suit or need help collecting child support or modifying your child support agreement, call The Law Offices of Joseph H. Nivin, P.C., for a consultation at 877-704-9920 or fill out our online contact form.