Child Support Lawyers
Serving Fairfield, CT; Manhattan, NY; All of New York and Connecticut
When a couple has made the difficult decision to get a divorce, one of the biggest concerns is maintaining the quality of life their children always have enjoyed after they have terminated their relationship and started two separate households. In order to do this, the courts follow carefully constructed guidelines, discussed in more detail below. Heidi E. Opinsky is an experienced Connecticut and New York child support attorney and is committed to not just meeting your expectations, but to exceeding them. As such, we apply our many years of legal experience to provide you with the utmost care, respect and dedication when representing your interests.
Fairfield County child support attorney Heidi E. Opinsky handles all types of Connecticut and New York child support issues for moderate to high net worth individuals, including, but not limited to, those who are (i) going through a divorce, (ii) need to enforce an existing order, or (iii) wish to modify payments.
Get answers to your frequently asked questions about CT child support here.
Child Support In Connecticut And New York
In both Connecticut and New York, child support is paid to the custodial parent in order to provide the child with the following:
- The basics of living, including food, clothing and appropriate housing
- Education
- Extracurricular activities, which may include music lessons, sports’ leagues, enrichment events, travel, summer camp and any other activities with which the child(ren) was/were involved prior to the divorce
- Health insurance and other medical coverage for the child
- Provision of additional funds that may be necessary to cover health-related costs not covered by insurance, such as orthodontic work or other elective health care expenses
- Any necessary child care, including a nanny, au pair or day-to-day and live-in child care provider who provides after-school or other supervision of the child(ren); generally, this amount is based on care provided because the custodial parent is required to work
In light of the above considerations, courts determining child support in both Connecticut and New York look at the combined income of the parents and then apply a mathematical analysis to determine payments, although the courts do have discretion to deviate from the guidelines. Specifically, in Connecticut, when the couple has combined net income up to a threshold of $4,000 per week, then the courts in Connecticut determine child support based upon a formula and percentage given the number of children you may have and the parents’ combined net income.
In New York, child support is based upon a percentage of the parents’ gross (total) income; specifically, a percentage scale is then applied, from 17 percent of income dedicated for support of one child up to at least 35 percent for five or more children.
In certain situations it may be necessary for courts to deviate from the guidelines, particularly in high net worth couples where there is substantial income and extraordinary disparity in the incomes of the parties and particular needs of the children, and the standard of living that the child enjoyed prior to the divorce is an important consideration in determining the amount of child support. In addition to direct and basic child support payments, there are additional components which must be considered by the parties on behalf of the children, such as medical insurance, unreimbursed medical expenses, educational and child care expenses to be shared by the parents. These are based upon their ability to provide for these expenses and the relative incomes of the two parents. For further details, speak with Heidi E. Opinsky and her team of legal professionals.
Modification Of Child Support Orders
The volatility of the stock market in recent years has reinforced the notion that life’s circumstances are always subject to change. If there is a substantial change in the financial condition of one parent, it is possible to go to court to seek a modification of the child support order in order to get a reduction or an increase in child support payments. For many moderate to high net worth individuals, their income and assets have rebounded after the recent recession. It is important to also reevaluate the current payments in order to ensure that children are receiving everything they need to thrive.
Contact Our Family Law Attorney
to Schedule a Confidential Consultation
When a high-powered couple gets a divorce, it is critical to have a high net worth divorce lawyer who understands all the nuances of the situation, particularly child custody and expenses for children support. Contact our Fairfield County child support lawyer Heidi E. Opinsky today to schedule a confidential consultation. You can reach her online or call her at 203-653-3542.
For over 30 years, our child support lawyer has been proud to represent clients throughout Stamford, CT; Fairfield, CT; Greenwich, CT; Darien, CT; Wilton, CT; New Canaan, CT; Ridgefield, CT; Manhattan, NY; and all of Westchester County, NY during their child support cases.