New York Law Firm Issues Guidance For Handling Child Support Cases

Brooklyn, New York-based Gordon Law, a PC-Brooklyn Family and Divorce Lawyer has recently issued a public advisory on the importance of finding a reputable lawyer who specializes in child support cases.

“Dealing with divorce is not easy, as much as you want to move on with your life, there are so many legalities and strict rules to abide by. Your situation becomes even more difficult when it comes to your children,” says one of their attorneys.

Gordon Law, PC-Brooklyn Family and Divorce Lawyer not only handles child support issues but, they also have extenive experience and knowledge in other types of family law issues such as contensted and uncontested divorces. annulments, prenuptial agreements, father's rights, spousal support, guardianship and adoptions.

In New York, the law states that parents are required to share the support of their children until they reach the age of 21. This law ensures that the children will be able to maintain their current standard of living, even when their parents separate. The payments that are made to the custodial parent are referred to as child support.

Generally, child support can be categorized as “basic” or “add-on” support. Basic support is determined based on the combined income of both parents, and it will depend on the total number of their children. It covers all expenses for primary necessities, such as shelter, food, and clothing. Meanwhile, add-on support covers all the other miscellaneous expenses, such as medical bills, insurance, and educational expenses. Add-on support is required to be shared by both parents, and is directly proportional to their salaries. This can either be paid to the custodial parent or directly to the hospital, school, or to the insurance provider.

The court determines the amount of child support from each of the parent’s gross annual income. This includes profits from stocks, dividends, capital gains, pension income and from bonuses. Next, the court subtracts eligible deductions, these are based on the sum of the total social security, medical and self-employment taxes, and state income tax for the year. In accordance with the latest “cap” on the state of New York, the statutory percentages are 17% for a single child, 25% for two children, 29% for three children, 31% for four children and no less than 35% for five or more children. The court will then calculate each of the parent’s share by pro-rating their individual income to their total combined income. Finally, the court calculates the child support of the non-custodial parent, this is done by multiplying the pro-rata share percentage of the non-custodial parent to the presumed total amount of basic child support.

In cases where both parents have 50-50 custody or more commonly referred to as equal custody of a child, it does not necessarily mean that the child support will no longer be paid. New York’s high court ruled that the child support, in cases of equal custody, will be paid to the lesser earning parent. However, some courts occasionally deviate from this ruling and calculate the amount of child support that they deem to be fair and necessary.

Those who are looking for a child support lawyer in Brooklyn, may decide to consider Gordon Law, PC-Brooklyn Family and Divorce Lawyer. Their team of lawyers has years of experience handling divorce and child support cases. In addition, they strive to be one of the best divorce lawyers in Brooklyn by providing knowledgeable and trustworthy repersentation with a client centric approach.

In conclusion, while both parents are always free to settle their own share of child support in private and behind closed doors, it is usually recommended that the parties retain an experienced family law attorney that can draft a good child support agreement that is in compliance with the latest state laws and regulations.

More information about the company’s legal services can be found on their website. Interested parties may also find them on Google Maps at https://goo.gl/maps/yfXZuZYRY8o, for straightforward driving instructions on how to reach the law firm’s location.