New York Child Support Attorney
Protecting Your Children, Protecting Your Rights
When two parents file for divorce, whether the divorce is highly contested or amicably resolved through settlement negotiations, it may be necessary to address the issue of child support. Your children are not ending a marriage, which is why the court will focus on the needs and support of the children. Without properly addressing this issue with the help of a knowledgeable divorce lawyer, both children and parents can face repercussions, including financial pressures.
Calculating Child Support Payments in New York
Regardless of what your particular case may entail, it is important to understand how child support will be handled by the court if you and the other parent cannot come to an agreement on your own. In New York, the courts determine child support based on the Child Support Act (CSSA). First, they start by applying the percentage of combined parental income, depending on how many children are involved. Currently, these percentages are:
- One child: 17%
- Two children: 25%
- Three children: 29%
- Four children: 31%
- Five+ children: 35%
Next, they allocate support between the parents based on their respective incomes. “Income” refers to gross income reported, or what should have been reported on the parents’ income tax returns. In some cases, the court may also impute income based on the parent’s resources, including gifts and employee benefits.
Aside from awarding basic child support, courts may also order awards for any applicable costs related to healthcare, child care, additional education, and possibly other extracurricular activities, among other justifiable expenses. It is important to ensure that you are represented by an experienced attorney so you do not overlook anything. Lois M. Brenner, Esq. and our team have been serving and protecting NYC families for more than 35 years.
Contact Lois M. Brenner, Esq. today at (646) 663-4546 for more information about your situation.
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I just wanted to take a moment to personally thank you for the wonderful job you did mediating our separation agreement and putting this document together. You not only saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars but helped avoid what would have been a disastrous future in court. I'm grateful you did not give up on us. If I ever am involved in another situation like this, and I hope I never am, I would certainly recommend your services.- J.M.
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Lois Brenner was great to work with. She was very thorough and efficient! I would recommend Lois to anyone seeking an amicable divorce.- RW
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I had read about Lois’ unusual divorce method in one of her blog posts. It was refreshing to see someone was working with the psychological issues in divorce. My husband is bipolar and getting him to agree to a divorce and commit to the process was tough. When we met with Lois she really understood him. She immediately identified his mental health issues, and because she has a psych background, she was empathetic to his needs and was skillful at guiding him through her divorce mediation process. It took a while but she really got us to a point where we could actually discuss things without my husband blowing up. Her method is unique and it really helped in our situation. She actually recommended a great psychiatrist who changed my husband’s meds at her urging (she has a medical degree too), and my husband is coping much better. We can’t thank her enough for her compassion and advice! If you need a divorce attorney, especially if mental illness is a part of the fabric of your marriage, go see Lois! Thanks Lois - Lorna P.
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“Thank you for doing such a tremendous job!”- Bill
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Lois is a “Rock Star” I was very worried about my daughter who was in a really bad marriage. I started researching divorce attorneys and found Lois Brenner. I called her, discussed my daughter’s horrible marriage and she agreed to meet with us. Since my daughter’s husband wanted out of the marriage too (he was cheating), Lois suggested she help them dissolve their marriage in mediation. To my surprise it worked out. Lois was able to keep my daughter and husband from fighting during their sessions, and she helped them resolve all their financial issues. Since I was paying the fees to help my daughter, not having to go to court saved us a great deal of money. As a father, I am truly grateful for everything Lois did. Her talks with me in the beginning of the process, to calm me down, really helped. I would highly recommend her to anyone thinking of divorce.- Graham (happy dad)
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Thanks to Lois Brenner our wedding went well because we had our prenuptial agreement in place. We literally had her draft our prenuptial agreement 2 weeks before our wedding. She was thorough, made suggestions to include things we hadn’t even thought of, and got it done really quickly. Thanks Lois :)- Tanya S
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You two are really the dynamic duo! I can’t thank you both enough for the incredible job you did on my case. As a young career woman and working mother of a toddler I could not have been in better hands. You really toughened me up and guided me when I was feeling really lost. I was afraid of my husband’s clever antics but you worked hard on my case and encouraged me to fight. The settlement I received exceeded my expectations. You both listened, always returned e-mails, phone calls and even reached out to me on the weekends when I was having trouble. If anyone is going through a divorce and needs the best people to fight for you call Lois and Matt. It was the best thing I ever did. There are no words to express how grateful I am.- Tara P.
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Connecting with Lois was the best thing that could have happened during what has been very difficult and fraught divorce. Lois took on my case with knowledge, wisdom and care that have been above and beyond in every way. She recognized abusive and unstable behavior in my ex-husband, and offered both strong legal guidance, as well as personal encouragement and strength to stand up to him. Her support has been invaluable to me, and I am so deeply grateful for everything she has done in helping forge a better more stable future for me and for my son.- SC
