After the process of determining child custody is finished, the newly divorced parents must then deal with the matter of child support. Even though only one parent maintains physical custody of their child, the other parent involved must still financially support the child. Child support requires the non-custodial parent to make payments to continue care even after the divorce is final. This is because, in the state of New York, both parents are required to financially assist their children, as childcare is too expensive for one parent to take care of on their own. These payments are to be used solely for matters relating to the child.
NYS Child Support Standards Act
There is not one solution when it comes to determining child support for every family. In order to make the best decisions for every individual family throughout the state, the state created the New York State Child Support Standards Act. These calculations consider a number of things that allows the court to come to a decision for a family. The goal of the state is to maintain the standard of living that the child is accustomed to. In order to do so, the guidelines follow a percentage system. The system takes a percentage of the parents’ combined income and distributes it in proportion to an income of $80,000. The state came to the following conclusion:
- One child – 17%
- Two children – 25%
- Three children – 29%
- Four children – 31%
- Five or more children – no less than 35%
There are several other factors that are taken into consideration when determining child support. This may include which parent has physical custody, both parents’ earning capacity, income, debts/assets, taxes, age, health, and more.
When Does Child Support Stop?
Parents are only required to pay child support until their child reaches a certain age. In most cases, the state of New York allows child support payments to end when a child turns 21 years old. There are some exceptions to this. Circumstances surrounding child support are subject to change depending on the family. If a child is deemed financially independent and is emancipated, parents may no longer be required to support them. Child support payments may also continue if the child decides to seek higher education. In this case, a court may extend support payments until the child graduates from college.
Contact our Firm
If you or a family member is seeking representation for a child support case, contact the Law Office of Peter L. Jameson, PLLC. today.
The Law Office of Peter L. Jameson, PLLC is an experienced divorce and family law firm located in New City, NY. It is essential to retain effective legal guidance during such pivotal times in life. Contact our firm today to discuss your legal matter and get the quality legal representation you deserve.
