Member of:
Justia Lawyer Rating
American Association for Justice
NYSTLA
Union Plus
AARP

Lowering Child Support Payments in New York

A lower child support attorney in New York can help you if you believe that you have had substantial change in your life circumstances since the order was last put together or modified. A lower child support lawyer in New York is the first person you should turn to when you have questions of filing a petition.

It might seem easier to handle a situation like this on your own but you are more prone to making mistakes that could ultimately jeopardize your ability to lower child support. A New York lower child support attorney will have practiced in this field for years and can help advise you against making some of the most common mistakes engaged in by people who need to decrease their child support significantly. Certain situations must apply in order for you to decrease your child support payments in the state of New York.

Either parent is eligible to pursue a modification of the existing child support order. There are three specific circumstances that must apply for lowering child support:

  • There has been a substantial change in circumstances such as a decrease or loss of a parent's income or a significant increase in the cost to raise a child. Court can then modify the child support amount to make it lower.
  • If it has been more than three years since the last order was established or adjusted, either parent is eligible to request a modification in child support. Although the most common method pursued by someone in this type of case is to lower child support, it is important to remember that the other parent has the ability to request a raised child support amount.
  • If either party's gross income has been affected by 15% or more since the order was last modified or adjusted, this means that when that parent is actively seeking higher paying work, the child support order may be modified for a decreased amount.

These situations can also be waived if a settlement can be agreed upon between the two parents. It is critical to seek modification as soon as possible in New York if there has been a significant disruption to your job. This can include the loss of a job completely or a significant decrease in the amount of wages paid. The longer that you wait to get these important benefits, the more challenging it will be for you to pursue this avenue. A lawyer can help you from the moment you decide to file based on your grounds for divorce in NY.

An experienced child support lawyer will help you to put together the necessary information and present it to the court in a compelling way. You must be able to show that your attorney is knowledgeable about this field and thoroughly prepared to gather the relevant evidence to help you lower child support. This will have a major impact in your financial life and is not something that should be overlooked, so you need to consult with a dedicated attorney who will help you. Lowering child support is often very contentious even in a post modification or after divorce setting. This is because the other parent is very unlikely to agree with decreasing child support. This means that you need to have your documents prepared appropriately and to show with strong evidence that your life has been significantly changed by an update in circumstances and that this applies to your ability to pay child support. The right lawyer can help you navigate this situation with ease.

Client Reviews
★★★★★
My ex-husband hadn't paid child support or the mortgage on the house as he was supposed to. Stephen Bilkis and his team of lawyers were amazing. They stopped the foreclosure on the house, Got a judgment against him and most importantly kept me and my children in the house. Can't say enough good things about him in the firm their compassion hard work and dedication were exceptional. I.G.
★★★★★
From the very first phone call to Stephen Bilkis' office, the staff was extremely polite and helpful in assisting me. Mr. Bilkis was honest and upfront with me from the beginning in what he projected the outcome of my case would be; in the end we got better results than either of us anticipated. He was very genuine and compassionate in understanding my situation and how this legal matter could effect not only myself but my family as well. I highly recommend this law firm and will most definitely continue using them for any future legal needs. Jarrett
★★★★★
Stephen has handled numerous estate matters, criminal matters and family court matters effectively and with a goal-oriented approach. He gets great results and is a results-oriented attorney. Dustin