In New York State, parents have the legal obligation to financially support their child until they become emancipated. Officially, the age of emancipation in New York is 21 but it can be extended for several additional years. Child support is a frequently contested issue in New York divorces because some parents may feel as though they are paying more than they should have to. The primary goal of child support is to ensure that the child is not feeling tremendous financial impacts of their parents’ divorce and can continue with a similar standard of living.
New York State uses the Child Support Standards Act as a tool to calculate a base amount of how much the parent should pay for child support. A percentage of the combined parental income is used to determine the base pay.
- One child- 17%
- Two children- 25%
- Three children- 29%
- Four children- 31%
- Five or more children- no less than 35%
However, the court will often take a number of other factors into consideration when deciding on child support, such as:
- The financial situation of each parent
- The child’s income, if any
- The age and health of the child
- The standard of living established before the divorce
- Whether either parent has other children outside of the marriage
- The contributions in caring for the child during the marriage
- The tax consequences faced by each parent
If you require an experienced attorney to guide you through matters of divorce and family law in New York City, contact our firm today.
Zimmet Law Group, P.C. is an experienced team of attorneys guiding clients through matters of estate planning and administration, divorce and family law, real estate, commercial litigation, business law, bankruptcy, and landlord-tenant law. If you require the services of an effective New York City attorney, contact our firm today to schedule a consultation.
