Brooklyn Child Support Lawyer

Sharing children across two Brooklyn apartments is hard enough without worrying whether the money will stretch to cover both homes. A support case here might involve parents who split the week between Crown Heights and Bay Ridge, a freelancer whose income rises and falls with each project, or a teenager with special needs who will rely on a parent long after turning 21. The law treats each of those situations differently. Stephen Bilkis & Associates helps Brooklyn parents on either side, whether they are requesting support or responding to a request.

Brooklyn child support lawyer Stephen Bilkis has practiced for nearly 30 years, handling support, paternity, and enforcement matters along with other family law cases. The firm’s attorneys have completed more than 600 child support cases, and together they have more than 300 years of legal experience.

Parents who share time with their children often arrive confused about who pays and why. A parent with the children half the week may have been told that no one owes support, while the other parent may be counting on help that never arrives. Parents of a child with a disability may be worried about what happens when support would normally end. We listen to your side of what happened before giving any advice. Each recommendation then rests on the parenting schedule, the income records, and the child’s actual needs.

A firm with a well-recognized founder stands behind every Brooklyn client. Super Lawyers has placed Stephen Bilkis on its New York list, which includes only 5% of the state’s attorneys. His other honors include Avvo’s Excellent designation and a place among Justia’s Top-Rated Lawyers, along with recognition from Expertise.com and TopLawyer.com.

Child Support With Shared Custody in Brooklyn

Splitting time with the children evenly can feel fair, so it often comes as a surprise when one parent is still expected to pay. Stephen Bilkis and his team explain how the court decides who pays before any papers are filed. We look at the real schedule, not just the one written in an agreement, because that is what the court examines.

Shared custody does not cancel child support. When neither parent has the children for most of the time, courts generally treat the parent with the higher income as the paying parent for child support purposes. Courts look at how time is actually divided, including school-day routines and overnights, rather than counting nights alone.

For example, if a father in Park Slope came to us because he has the children every other week and assumed he would owe nothing, our approach would be to review both parents’ incomes and the real calendar. If he earns more, we would explain that he will likely be treated as the paying parent and calculate the expected amount. If the schedule actually gives him more time than the mother, we would gather school pickup records, calendars, and messages to show it.

Blended families raise a related question, which is whether a stepparent can be made to pay for a spouse’s child. Generally, a stepparent does not owe support. New York law can hold a stepparent responsible only in limited situations, such as when the child is receiving or is likely to need public assistance. Fam. Ct. Act § 415.

Asking a Brooklyn Court to Change the Guideline Amount

A guideline figure can sometimes feel badly out of step with a family’s real life. Stephen Bilkis helps parents ask for a higher or lower amount when the formula produces an unfair result. We build these requests on documents, because the court must explain any departure in writing.

The law allows a different amount when the guideline share would be unjust or inappropriate. Fam. Ct. Act § 413(1)(f). The factors fall into a few groups:

• Money and resources. The court weighs each parent’s financial resources, the child’s own resources, tax consequences, either parent’s educational needs, and a large gap between the parents’ incomes.
• The child’s needs. The child’s physical and emotional health, special needs and talents, and the standard of living the child would have had if the family stayed together all matter.
• Contributions at home. Non-monetary care that a parent provides, and the needs of a parent’s other children, can be considered.
• Anything else relevant. The court can also consider other factors it finds important in a particular case.

In Nesterenko v. Reshetilov, the Appellate Division upheld a Brooklyn child support order that attributed income to a father based on his earning history and ability to work. The father claimed that health problems and responsibilities for his other children prevented him from working, but he presented no evidence supporting those claims. The court also upheld the denial of his request for a departure from the child support guidelines. 247 A.D.3d 1041 (2d Dep’t 2026).

Parents who travel far to see their children sometimes wonder whether those costs count. They can, in some cases. When the child is not on public assistance, a court may consider extraordinary costs a paying parent spends to exercise visitation. A Brooklyn child support lawyer from our firm documents those costs, such as flights or long drives, before asking the court to take them into account.

Support for an Adult Child With a Disability in Brooklyn

Watching a child with a disability approach 21 can bring real fear about how the family will manage once support would normally stop. Stephen Bilkis & Associates helps parents and other caregivers understand whether support can continue. We gather medical evidence early, since the court will require it.

New York law allows support to continue until age 26 for an adult child with a developmental disability. Fam. Ct. Act § 413-b. The court must find that the adult child lives with the person seeking support and depends mainly on that person for basic needs. The disability must also be supported by a diagnosis and report from a qualified professional, such as a physician or licensed psychologist. A parent or a relative serving as a kinship caregiver can bring the petition.

For example, if a mother in Bensonhurst came to us because her son with autism is turning 21 and still lives at home, our approach would be to obtain an updated evaluation from his doctor or psychologist. We would document his daily needs and the household costs she covers. A Brooklyn child support lawyer at our firm would then file the petition and ask the court to continue support from the father.

Bringing a Child Support Case in Brooklyn

Getting a support order in place quickly can make the difference between a stable month and a scramble. Stephen Bilkis and his team handle the paperwork and court dates from start to finish. Since money owed starts adding up only once a petition is on file, we move quickly.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 20.7% of Brooklyn’s roughly 2.65 million residents are under 18, and our attorneys have helped many Brooklyn families through the support process. Either parent’s home county is a proper place to file. Fam. Ct. Act § 421. For Brooklyn families, that is usually Kings County Family Court at 330 Jay Street, where support magistrates hear most cases. The city’s Office of Child Support Services keeps a branch on the 12th floor of the same building. If a divorce is already underway, support is generally handled in Kings County Supreme Court. A Brooklyn child support lawyer with our firm can take a case through each stage:

• Mapping the parenting schedule. We confirm who has the children and when, since that affects who pays.
• Pulling together income proof. We collect tax returns, pay records, and business statements for both parents.
• Choosing Family Court or Supreme Court. We file where the case belongs based on whether a divorce is pending.
• Delivering the papers. We make sure the other parent is properly served.
• Making the first court date count. We ask for temporary support so payments can begin while the case continues.
• Working toward a final order. We negotiate terms or present evidence and testimony at a hearing.

When a Brooklyn Support Order No Longer Fits

An outdated order can leave one parent paying too much and the other receiving too little, and both households feel the strain. Stephen Bilkis & Associates takes on modification cases for whichever parent needs the change. We start by checking the order’s date and terms, since they decide which grounds are available.

Orders dated October 13, 2010, or later can generally be revisited in three ways. A parent may show a substantial change in circumstances. A parent may also rely on three years passing since the order was entered, modified, or adjusted, or on a change of at least 15% in either parent’s gross income. An income loss supports a change on the 15% ground only if it was involuntary and the parent has diligently looked for work matching their education and experience. Parents who signed a valid agreement waiving the three-year and 15% grounds are held to that choice, and orders entered before that date can follow different rules. Fam. Ct. Act § 451.

Families also ask what happens when a child moves in with the parent who has been paying. The old order does not change on its own. A parent should file to end or modify that order, and the parent now caring for the child can seek support from the other parent. Since changes generally take effect only from the filing date, we file both requests quickly.

Brooklyn Child Support Enforcement

A missed payment is more than a number on a statement when a child needs new shoes or a field trip fee. Stephen Bilkis looks at the full picture first, including what is owed, what the other parent earns, and whether an agreement on add-on costs has also been broken. That review tells us which remedies to request.

Courts in Brooklyn have a range of options when support goes unpaid. They can enter money judgments for arrears, suspend a driver’s or professional license, place a parent on probation, or order jail of up to six months for a willful violation. Fam. Ct. Act § 454. In Rezza v. Gebron, the Appellate Division upheld probation for a Brooklyn father who failed to pay both monthly support and his agreed half of the children’s add-on expenses. 248 A.D.3d 923 (2d Dep’t 2026).

Paying what is owed can change the outcome. In Sylvestre v. Burgess, a Brooklyn mother found in willful violation paid the required amount, and the Appellate Division agreed that the court could decline to impose further sanctions. 235 A.D.3d 880 (2d Dep’t 2025). A Brooklyn child support lawyer can help either parent work toward a resolution like that.

Paying parents sometimes ask whether buying clothes or handing over cash outside the order counts toward support. Generally, it does not. Voluntary payments made outside a court order usually cannot be credited against support owed, so we advise parents to pay through the order and keep records of every payment.

Request a Free, No-Obligation Consultation with Stephen Bilkis & Associates

A free consultation is the first step for any Brooklyn parent dealing with child support, from a new request or a recently served petition to an order that needs changing or enforcing. To get started, phone 800.696.9529 today and ask for a consultation with an experienced child support attorney serving Brooklyn at Stephen Bilkis & Associates. It helps to have your current order, recent pay stubs, and the children’s schedule on hand. We will discuss your situation and identify the next steps that may be available.

Your case will be handled by a firm led by Stephen Bilkis, whichever of our attorneys you meet. His recognitions range from the New York Super Lawyers list, limited to the top 5% of New York attorneys, to an Excellent standing on Avvo. Justia includes him in its list of Top-Rated Lawyers, and both Expertise.com and TopLawyer.com have honored him.

Stephen Bilkis & Associates works with clients throughout Brooklyn, from Williamsburg and Bushwick to Flatbush and Canarsie, as well as Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, and other communities in the New York area.