New York Child Support Calculator — Parenting
Time Calculator

New York calculates the basic child support obligation under the Child Support Standards Act (CSSA), codified in Domestic Relations Law Section 240 and Family Court Act Section 413. The CSSA child support formula applies child support percentages to the parents' combined parental income up to a statutory income cap (currently $193,000 as of 2026, adjusted every two years): 17% for 1 child, 25% for 2 children, 29% for 3 children, 31% for 4 children, and 35% or more for 5 or more children.

To calculate adjusted CSSA income, the court deducts FICA tax, Social Security taxes paid, New York City or Yonkers income tax (if applicable), and unreimbursed employee business expenses from each parent's annual income.

The CSSA percentage is applied to combined parental income, and the noncustodial parent pays their proportional share — their percentage of combined income multiplied by the basic child support obligation. For income above the cap, courts exercise discretion using guideline amounts and statutory factors.

The court also considers each parent's self-support reserve — a minimum income floor below which support paid by the noncustodial parent is reduced to prevent impoverishment. Parents receiving public assistance may have their child support amount calculated differently.

New York also requires courts to add child care costs for employment or education and unreimbursed health insurance premiums to the basic child support obligation. These add-ons are divided in proportion to income.

Post-divorce maintenance (alimony) interacts with the child support formula — maintenance and child support are calculated together, with the amount of maintenance paid or received adjusting the CSSA income base. The New York State Child Support Enforcement Unit (CSEU) administers enforcement through the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

This new york child support calculator applies the CSSA formula to estimate your basic child support obligation and monthly child support payment. A parenting time calculator for New York custody arrangements maps the child's overnights between parents — while New York child support under the CSSA formula is not directly reduced for parenting time in the way other states use a parenting time calculator, courts have discretion to deviate from the basic child support calculation when a shared parenting arrangement results in each parent bearing substantial direct child expenses.

New york state parents use this child support calculator before consulting a family law attorney for a preliminary child support calculation. Maintenance and child support interact under New York state law — the court calculates guideline maintenance first, then uses the post-maintenance income figures for the child support calculation.

For any parenting time schedule — whether primary custody, shared custody, or split custody — this new york child support calculator provides a starting child support payment estimate based on the CSSA statutory formula. The New York State Child Support Enforcement Unit can establish and enforce child support orders at no cost to qualifying families.

Under New York's Income Shares model, the calculation begins by determining each parent's gross income from all sources, including wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, rental income, and certain benefits. The court then applies allowable deductions — such as taxes, mandatory retirement contributions, and pre-existing child support obligations — to arrive at each parent's adjusted or net income.

Both incomes are combined to find the total household income available for child support.

The combined income figure is then matched against New York's child support schedule (referenced in Income Shares formula: combined parental income percentage (17% one child, 25% two, 29% three, 31% four, 35% five+) prorated by income share), which provides a base obligation amount for the number of children involved. For example, under a typical Income Shares schedule, parents with a combined monthly income of $8,000 and two children have a presumptive obligation of $1,400 per month.

Each parent's share is then calculated in proportion to their contribution to the combined income — if one parent earns 60% of the total, they are responsible for 60% of the base obligation.

Additional expenses are layered on top of the base obligation. Health insurance premiums for the child, work-related childcare costs, and extraordinary expenses (such as special education or medical needs) are typically added to the base figure and divided proportionally between the parents.

The custodial parent's share is assumed to be spent directly on the child, while the non-custodial parent's share becomes the child support payment.

The number of children is the most direct factor in any New York child support calculation under the child support guidelines in Income Shares formula: combined parental income percentage (17% one child, 25% two, 29% three, 31% four, 35% five+) prorated by income share. The basic child support obligation increases with each additional child, though not in a strictly linear fashion.

The amount of child support also depends on each parent's monthly gross income, which includes wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, and other recurring sources. The noncustodial parent's share is calculated based on their proportion of the combined monthly gross income.

Health care and child care costs play a major role. The parent who carries the child's health insurance receives a credit or offset, and unreimbursed medical expenses exceeding a threshold are typically split between the parents.

Child care costs necessary for employment or education are added to the basic child support obligation and divided proportionally between parents.

Children with special needs — whether physical, developmental, or educational — can significantly increase the amount of child support. New York courts operating under N.Y.

Dom. Rel.

Law § 240(1-b) have discretion to deviate upward from the guideline amount when a child requires therapies, specialized schooling, or ongoing medical treatment that exceeds ordinary expenses. Similarly, extracurricular activities and private school tuition may be considered, though courts vary in how they treat these costs.

High-income cases present unique challenges. Where New York's schedule under Income Shares formula: combined parental income percentage (17% one child, 25% two, 29% three, 31% four, 35% five+) prorated by income share sets a maximum combined income threshold, courts exercise independent discretion above that cap rather than applying the standard table.

When a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, New York courts may impute income — assigning an earning capacity based on the parent's education, work history, job market conditions, and prior earnings — to prevent artificially lowering the child support amount by choosing not to work or accepting a lower-paying job without justification.

New York's child support obligation generally continues until the child reaches the age of majority under state law — check N.Y. Dom.

Rel. Law § 240(1-b) for the specific cutoff age, which may extend beyond 18 in certain circumstances such as a child still in high school or college.

Support may also end earlier if the child becomes emancipated through marriage, military service, or court order.

Either parent may petition the court under N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 240(1-b) to modify a child support order when there has been a material change in circumstances. Common triggers include:

• A significant income change for either parent (a material change in circumstances — such as a significant income shift, change in custody arrangement, or change in the child's needs — is generally required to modify the existing order; the exact threshold under N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 240(1-b) controls for New York)
• Loss of employment or onset of a disability
• A significant change in the child's medical, educational, or developmental needs
• A substantial change in the custody or parenting-time arrangement

The parent seeking modification bears the burden of proving that circumstances have genuinely changed since the last order.

Modifications in New York under N.Y. Dom.

Rel. Law § 240(1-b) are not automatic — even when circumstances change, the existing order remains in effect until a court enters a new one.

Filing promptly matters because modifications typically take effect from the date of the petition, not retroactively to when the change occurred. Parents who delay filing risk accumulating arrears under the original order that cannot be forgiven, since federal law prohibits retroactive reduction of child support arrears.

Families navigating this process should contact a New York family law attorney to confirm the specific modification threshold and filing procedures that apply to their order.

New York has multiple enforcement mechanisms under N.Y. Dom.

Rel. Law § 240(1-b) to ensure child support is paid.

The most common tool is income withholding (wage garnishment), which is now mandatory for most new and modified child support orders. Under an income withholding order, the obligor's employer deducts the support amount directly from their paycheck and sends it to the state disbursement unit.

This approach removes the obligation from the paying parent's discretion and provides the custodial parent with reliable, timely payments.

When wage garnishment is insufficient or the obligor is self-employed, New York can pursue additional enforcement actions:

• Intercepting federal and state tax refunds
• Placing liens on real and personal property
• Suspending driver's licenses and professional or occupational licenses
• Denying or revoking passport applications for arrears exceeding $2,500
• Reporting delinquent obligors to credit bureaus

Each tool creates significant practical consequences that apply without a separate court hearing.

In severe cases, New York courts may hold a non-paying parent in contempt of court, which can result in fines, community service, or incarceration. Repeated willful failure to pay can lead to criminal prosecution under both state and federal law.

The Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act makes it a federal crime to willfully fail to pay child support for a child living in another state when the arrearage exceeds $5,000 or has been unpaid for more than one year. The federal Office of Child Support Services (OCSE) can assist custodial parents with enforcement at no cost.

To contact the New York child support program directly, use the OCSE state programs directory.

The amount of parenting time each parent exercises directly affects the child support calculation in New York. When the non-custodial parent has the child for a significant number of overnights — typically 25% or more of the year (approximately 92 overnights in many jurisdictions) — New York's guidelines under Income Shares formula: combined parental income percentage (17% one child, 25% two, 29% three, 31% four, 35% five+) prorated by income share apply a shared-custody or parenting-time adjustment that reduces the non-custodial parent's obligation.

A parent who has the child more often incurs more direct expenses for housing, food, and daily needs, so the transfer payment to the other parent reflects that shared financial responsibility.

In cases where parents share custody equally (50/50), New York courts typically still calculate support based on the income differential between the parents. The higher-earning parent generally pays support to the lower-earning parent, even in a true 50/50 arrangement, because the child's standard of living should be roughly comparable in both households.

The amount is usually significantly lower than in a traditional custody arrangement as calculated under Income Shares formula: combined parental income percentage (17% one child, 25% two, 29% three, 31% four, 35% five+) prorated by income share. Even small changes in the overnight count — such as moving from 120 to 128 overnights — can cross a threshold that triggers a meaningful change in the support calculation.

Use the New York Custody Time Calculator to track overnights precisely and determine which parenting time threshold applies to your schedule.