Nassau County Child Support Attorney
Helping Parents in Suffolk County, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Westchester County
Both legal parents are required under New York law to provide financial support for their child. It is commonly the case with divorced parents for the noncustodial parent (the parent who has less time with the child) to pay support to the custodial parent for the care of the child. Kirshblum Taber PC has decades of experience helping parents navigate child support disputes, and we can help you better understand how to calculate child support based on your income thresholds. We also help parents who feel they are paying a lot of support.
Schedule an initial consultation with our child support lawyers in Nassau County today to discuss your case in more detail. Call (516) 908-8842 or fill out our online contact form to learn more.
How Child Support Attorneys Help Families
Child support attorneys play a critical role in ensuring that children receive the financial support they need for a stable upbringing. These legal professionals are experts in the complexities of child support laws and provide essential guidance to parents navigating these issues. They assist in establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support orders to reflect the best interests of the child while ensuring fairness to both parents. By working with a child support attorney, families can resolve disputes amicably and focus on the well-being of their children, reducing conflict and fostering a healthier co-parenting relationship.
Methods Child Support Attorneys Use to Help Families
- Establishing Child Support Orders: Child support attorneys help parents finalize legally binding child support agreements through court orders, ensuring that the child's financial needs are met.
- Calculating Support Amounts: These attorneys use state guidelines and consider various factors to accurately calculate the appropriate support amount, ensuring a fair distribution of financial responsibilities.
- Modifying Existing Orders: When there are changes in financial circumstances, child support attorneys can file for modifications to existing support orders, ensuring that the support amount remains fair and realistic.
- Enforcing Child Support Orders: Child support attorneys work to ensure compliance with court-ordered support agreements. They can take legal actions such as wage garnishments or contempt proceedings against non-compliant parents.
- Navigating Interstate Issues: When parents live in different states, child support attorneys help navigate the complexities of interstate child support enforcement and ensure the proper legal procedures are followed.
- Providing Legal Representation in Court: Child support attorneys represent clients in court hearings and trials related to child support matters, presenting evidence and arguments to advocate for their client's interests.
- Alternative Dispute Resolution: To avoid contentious court battles, child support attorneys may employ mediation and negotiation techniques to reach amicable agreements between parties.
- Drafting and Reviewing Documents: These attorneys draft and review all necessary legal documents, such as support agreements and court filings, to ensure accuracy and compliance with legal standards.
- Offering Legal Advice: Child support attorneys provide expert advice on rights and obligations regarding child support, helping clients make informed decisions that align with legal requirements.
- Assisting with Government Agencies: Child support attorneys often work with state child support enforcement agencies to facilitate the collection and distribution of support payments.
By utilizing these methods, child support attorneys at the Law Office of Dana L. White ensure that children receive the financial backing they deserve, while also providing comprehensive support to parents navigating the child support system.
How Is Child Support Calculated in New York?
The amount of child support a parent needs to pay is based on both parents' income per year and the number of children to cover. To calculate the basic child support amount, the court will add the gross income of both parents and multiply it by a certain percentage based on the number of children (e.g., 17% for one child, 25% for two children). Note that gross income refers to all an individual’s earnings (with the appropriate deductions like public assistance), as well as workers’ compensation awards and pensions. After reaching the basic child support amount, the court may add other payments to cover obligations like childcare, healthcare, and education.
Note that if a parent is willingly unemployed or underemployed, the court may impute income, or assign an income value to them, based on their work history or earning potential. In other words, a parent cannot attempt to avoid their support obligation by limiting their employment.
Understanding the High-Income Child Support Cap in NY
If the combined income of both parents is more than $163,000 per year, the court has a couple of options for calculating support. It can either use the same formula as above, or it can use the formula for up to $163,000 of the combined income and consider whether to grant a further amount based on:
- the nonmonetary contributions the parents will make toward the care and wellbeing of the child;
- the financial resources of the child and both parents;
- whether one parent's gross income is substantially less than the other’s;
- the standard of living the child would have enjoyed if the parents had not divorced;
- the child's physical and emotional health and any special needs;
- the educational needs of either parent;
- the tax consequences to each spouse;
- the needs of any other children of the non-custodial parent for they may be providing support to.
Parents can reach their own child support agreement without defaulting to the court, but this agreement will still have to go through the court for approval based on the above.
Enforcing Child Support Payments in New York
Child support obligations do not go away – even if the noncustodial parent fails to pay. In New York, custodial parents can ask the court for help collecting overdue child support (arrears). The court can deduct current or overdue child support from the noncustodial parent’s wages and even intercept their tax returns and unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor.
Failing to pay child support can also ruin the noncustodial parent’s credit, and the court may seize or place a lien on the noncustodial parent’s property. In severe cases, the court can suspend the noncustodial parent’s driver’s license and issue other consequences. For example, noncustodial parents who fail to pay child support may have their professional licenses suspended or be unable to leave the country until arrears are paid.
Kirshblum Taber PC can help custodial parents access the funds they need to support their children and help noncustodial parents navigate arrears and enforcement actions. Child support is an important issue on both sides. If an arrangement isn’t working, we can always help both parents modify their child support order, as well.
Can a New York Child Support Order Be Modified?
Child support orders typically last until the children covered turn 21 years old. However, parents have the right to request termination of an order if the child has been emancipated or has otherwise become financially self-supporting.
You also have the right to request a modification of your existing child support order if you show a material change in your ability to provide financial support, such as if you were laid off from your job. To begin the modification process, you and your attorney can file a petition for modification with the same court that ordered your initial child support order.
Whatever child support concerns you are facing, Kirshblum Taber PC can take care of you. Attorney David A. Kirshblum, Esq. has even written law and adjudicated law, so he is well-versed in legal support disputes and can help you resolve your complications. Whether you believe you are paying a lot of child support or have questions about the income thresholds for calculating the amount of support, reach out to Kirshblum Taber PC.
Contact our child support lawyers online or call us at (516) 908-8842 for an initial consultation to discuss your legal options.
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“David and Orly are the definition of a DREAM TEAM!!”
Dedicated and Experienced Legal Professionals
Our lawyers serving Nassau County bring a unique background of experience. Attorney David A. Kirshblum, Esq. is a retired judge who has spent over 24 years on the family court bench, including presiding over cases involving Sean “Puffy” Combs, Al Pacino, and Mick Jagger.
He has also written decisions that have been affirmed by the NYS Appellate Division. Having been on the judicial side of the law, Attorney Kirshblum has a unique perspective that can prove advantageous to strategizing against the other side.
Further, while Attorney Kirshblum handles the family law side, Attorney Orly Taber, Esq. has significant experience with estate planning and helps clients, particularly the elderly, with estate matters and ex-spouse property disputes.
She is an energetic and client-focused lawyer who helps build estate plans that safeguard your personal and material interests.
Both Nassau County lawyers at Kirshblum Taber PC are experienced and professional advocates who treat their clients with respect.
Schedule an initial consultation with our attorneys by calling (516) 908-8842 today to get started on your case.
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