How New York calculates child support
New York applies the Child Support Standards Act (CSSA): the court multiplies the parents' combined income, up to a statutory cap, by a fixed percentage and then prorates that basic obligation between the parents by income share. For one child the percentage is "seventeen percent of the combined parental income." N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 240(1-b)1 Family Court applies the parallel formula in N.Y. Fam. Ct. Act § 4132.
- Percentages — 17% for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four, and no less than 35% for five or more. N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 240(1-b)1
- Current cap: $193,000 — The combined parental income amount rose to $193,000 on March 1, 2026 (it was $183,000). OTDA's chart notes that above that figure "the law permits, but does not require, the use of the child support percentages." N.Y. OTDA, Child Support Standards Chart, LDSS-4515 (rel. Mar. 1, 2026)3
- How the cap moves — Starting from $141,000, the amount is adjusted every two years (from March 1, 2016) by CPI-U and rounded to the nearest $1,000, so the next change is due March 1, 2028. N.Y. Soc. Serv. Law § 111-i(2)(b)4
- Income above the cap — For the excess, the court sets support by weighing the paragraph (f) factors, the child support percentage, or both. N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 240(1-b)1; N.Y. Fam. Ct. Act § 4132
- Add-ons — Reasonable child care costs tied to work or education are prorated by income share, as are health insurance and unreimbursed health costs. The court may also award educational expenses. N.Y. Fam. Ct. Act § 4132
- Low-income floors — If the obligation would push the paying parent below the federal poverty guideline, support is $25 per month. If it would push them below the self-support reserve, support is the greater of $50 per month or the difference between their income and the reserve. For 2026 those figures are $15,960 and $21,546. N.Y. Fam. Ct. Act § 4132; LDSS-45153
- Deviation — The court may depart from the formula only on findings tied to the statutory factors. These include the parents' and the child's financial resources, the child's needs, the standard of living the child would have had, and tax consequences. N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 240(1-b)1