In New York State, a child is entitled to be supported by his or her parents until the age of 21. However, if the child is under 21 years of age, and is married, or self-supporting, or in the military, the child is considered to be "emancipated" and the parents' support obligation ends.
Child support is never deductible and isn't considered income. Additionally, if a divorce or separation instrument provides for alimony and child support, and the payer spouse pays less than the total required, the payments apply to child support first. Only the remaining amount is considered alimony.
Although you do not need a lawyer to pursue a child support case, you should consider hiring one. A family lawyer specializes in family law and can help you navigate the process. In some cases, you may need to hire a private attorney.
Spousal support may be ordered even when spouses reside together. In New York State a married person may be legally responsible to provide for the support of his or her spouse during their marriage, if that spouse lacks sufficient income or assets to provide for his or her own reasonable needs.
In a New York state divorce, child support generally continues under CSSA until you turns 21 if you are not self-supporting. The rule of thumb there is: military, married, or working full time. If you are in college, for example, child support should contribute to what your mother pays toward your educational expenses.
A custodial parent may file a petition with their local child support agency. That petition will then be forwarded to the New York City Law Department office in the county where the non-custodial parent resides. This matter will then be litigated in the New York City Family Court located in the same borough.
Download the Child Support Application (Form LDSS-3433) from the New York State Child Support website. Complete the form, attach all required documents, and mail it to the appropriate Child Support Office. Regardless of the filing method chosen, accurately complete the Child Support Application (Form LDSS-3433).
In New York, spousal support/ maintenance is determined by a guideline calculator based upon the income of the two parties and the length of their marriage. The Court is allowed to deviate from the guideline amount based on a number of potential rebuttal factors, however, such deviations are rare.
The parties may hire lawyers to represent them or may speak for themselves without a lawyer.