If both parents are unable to come to an agreement about how much support should be required in the order for support, the case must be taken to the courts. In most cases, the New York family courts will decide how much child support is due by plugging both parents’ financial details into a specific formula. If both parents’ combined income is below $148,000 per year, the total combined income is multiplied by a percentage based on the number of children being supported. At time of writing, you can expect to receive 17% for one child, 25% for two children, and 29% for 3 children. For larger numbers of children, the percentage may exceed 35%.
After the number is calculated, the courts will split the amount between both parents. If one parent only makes 30% of the combined total income, they will only be required to pay 30% of the costs required to raise the children. Likewise, if a parent makes 70% of the total income, they will be required to pay 70% of the total child care costs.