The parties may hire lawyers to represent them or may speak for themselves without a lawyer.
If you mean the custodial parent and child live in another state from the noncustodial parent, yes, you can. Make an appointment at your local state child support enforcement office. They will tell you what information to bring with you to the appointment. They will do all the filing.
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 most cases, if a spouse can work and their former spouse cannot afford to provide spousal support, the court can deny alimony. It is pertinent to note that New York is a no-fault divorce state, meaning both parties could cite fault grounds, however, it will not affect whether a spouse is granted spousal maintenance.
A lawyer is not needed for child support. First of all most states have a child support calculator. Both parents income are added, minus any previous children from other parents, then an amount of child support is determined.
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.
Typically, the judge will take 20% of the lower-earning spouse's income and subtract that number from 30% of the higher-earning spouse's income. For example, one spouse makes $100,000, and the other makes $20,000. Thirty percent of $100,000 is $30,000, and 20% of $20,000 is $4,000.
For one child, you take 17% of the parents' combined income, for two children you take 25%, for three children you take 29%, for four children you take 31% and for five children you take no less than 35% of the parents' combined income and this percentage amount represents the basic child support obligation.
The best way to avoid paying alimony in the event of a divorce is to sign a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. These agreements, once seen as unromantic, now serve as a strategic way to protect individual assets in case of separation or the need to dissolve the marriage.