Child Support

Child support is monetary payment from one parent to another to cover the basic day-to-day needs of their child, such as:  shelter, food, clothing, educational costs, and medical costs.  All too often, parents feel that child support is a form of punishment.  This could not be further from the truth.  Child support is about taking the child’s best interests into consideration and making sure the child is provided for each day.  Child support ensures that the child receives the things he/she needs to be happy, healthy, and secure.

Generally, child support payments are made by the non custodial parent to the custodian.  These payments are made until the child reaches 21 years of age.

Determining Child Support
When one parent receives sole custody of his/her child, the parent is entitled to child support payments from the non custodial parent.  Child support is awarded by the divorce court or family court based on each parent’s ability to contribute financially to children's expenses. 

Generally child support in New York is based upon a percent of income, after certain adjustments (such as Social Security, Medicare, NYC tax and amounts paid pursuant to other support orders). These percentages are 17% for one child, 25% for two children, 29% for three children and at least 35% for five children or more.

However, the court may sometimes make further adjustments to the support amounts based on certain factors, such as substantial differences between the income of the parties, financial resources available to each party, unusual expenses for visitation travel or (under certain circumstances) other children being supported, without court order, by the non custodial parent in the support action.

The non custodial parent must then make regular payments to fulfill his/her parental obligations.  If the child’s daily expenses increase, the child support award may be re-evaluated by the court, and is subject to change.    

Long Island Family and Business Law Firm
Wisselman, Harounian & Associates, P.C. is a reputable family and business law firm servicing the New York Metropolitan area.  We represent men, women, families, and businesses.  Our team is comprised of experienced, knowledgeable, and compassionate attorneys who strive to protect the best interests of our clients and their families.  As an accomplished family and business law firm, we have handled a variety of cases involving divorce, child custody, and child support.  Our firm also provides legal counsel for clients with real estate and estate planning endeavors. 

When our attorneys undertake a case, we put forth every effort into ensuring the comfort and security of our client.  It is our primary aim to protect and guide our clients through these emotionally turbulent times.  At Wisselman, Harounian & Associates, P.C., we are committed to providing our clients with high quality legal representation at a reasonable cost.

Contact Wisselman, Harounian & Associates, P.C.

Wisselman, Harounian & Associates, P.C. is proud to provide legal representation for clients in the New York Metropolitan area, including:  Long Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, New York City, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Rockland Counties, and New Jersey.