How to Calculate Child Support in New York — Use Our Calculator!
After a divorce, the parent who is not granted custody of the children generally will be the one who is charged with paying child support. If the parents have joint custody, the parent with the greater income is treated as the non-custodial parent and will therefore be obligated to pay, but the amount will be adjusted based on a complicated set of state guidelines. The process of determining child support seems mysterious to many of our clients, until we let them know about our convenient tool that easily calculates the amount likely to be ordered.
The basics of determining child support
New York’s Child Support Standards Act (CSSA) sets guidelines for calculating child support. The amount is based on the parents’ combined annual income and the number of children for whom the parents are responsible. If the combined income is $154,000 or less, the court will multiply it by these percentages:
- 17 percent for one child
- 25 percent for two children
- 29 percent for three children
- 31 percent for four children
- No less than 35 percent for five or more children
If the parents’ income is more than $154,000, courts still tend to use the percentages, at least up to $170,000.
For example, let’s say you make $60,000 and your spouse makes $70,000, for a combined income of $130,000. You are awarded physical custody of your two children. The court would multiply $130,000 x 0.25 to arrive at a basic child support obligation of $32,500. Your spouse’s income is 54 percent of the combined income, so they would be responsible for paying 54 percent of the basic obligation, which comes to $17,500 ($1,458 a month).
However, that is not the end of the calculation, since courts also take into consideration other circumstances affecting the custodial parent’s needs and the non-custodial parent’s ability to pay.
Our online child support calculator makes this easy to figure out
Our website’s child support and maintenance calculator takes the mystery out of the calculation process. Parties and their attorneys can use our calculator to arrive at accurate results. All you need to do is input basic information about your family and finances. The calculator lets you factor in alimony payments, disability benefits, investment income and other relevant facts to help you get the most accurate result. The calculator then checks the law, does the math and shows you how much child support you can expect to pay or receive.
The New York family lawyers of Bryan L. Salamone & Associates, P.C. represent parents across Long Island. Whether you are obligated to pay or entitled to receive support, we’ll protect your interests. Call 1.631.479.3839 or contact us online for a free initial consultation.