Manhattan Child Support Lawyer

For many Manhattan parents, a child support order can decide whether they keep the apartment near their child’s school or have to start over somewhere less familiar. Incomes here range from hourly restaurant work and freelance design to finance salaries with large bonuses. Because of that, each case calls for a careful look at how both parents are really paid. Stephen Bilkis and the Manhattan child support lawyers at Stephen Bilkis & Associates help the parents who ask for support and the parents who are asked to pay it, in Manhattan and throughout the other boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester.

Stephen Bilkis has nearly 30 years of experience handling support orders, paternity matters, modifications, and other family law cases. His firm has handled more than 600 child support cases, and its attorneys together bring more than 300 years of experience.

Both parents usually share one worry, which is what the case will mean for the children’s daily lives. A parent with primary custody may wonder whether support will keep up with Manhattan rent and after-school programs, or whether cash tips and side income will ever reach the court. A parent asked to pay may wonder whether there will be enough left for an apartment with room for the children on overnight visits. Our first conversation focuses on your side of what happened and the pay records, leases, and school bills behind it. Every recommendation we make after that is tied to those numbers.

Throughout your case, you will have a firm behind you whose founder has received recognition from respected names in the legal field. Stephen Bilkis was named to the New York Super Lawyers list, a distinction reserved for the top 5% of attorneys in the state. Avvo has given him an Excellent score, Justia has recognized him as a Top-Rated Lawyer, and Expertise.com and TopLawyer.com have honored him as well.

How Much Child Support Will I Pay in Manhattan?

Waiting to learn what support will cost, or what it will bring in, can make every other decision feel uncertain. Stephen Bilkis and his team run the numbers at the first meeting and update them as new records arrive. That early estimate helps parents decide whether to settle or go before a support magistrate.

The basic amount comes from a percentage of the parents’ combined income after deductions the law allows, such as Social Security and Medicare taxes and New York City income tax. The percentages are 17% for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four, and at least 35% for five or more, and each parent’s share follows their portion of the combined income. Fam. Ct. Act § 413. Reasonable work-related child care and uninsured medical costs are generally divided separately in proportion to income, and the court also decides how to handle health insurance.

For example, suppose that after allowed deductions a father earns $100,000 and a mother earns $50,000, and their daughter lives mainly with her mother on the Upper West Side. Their combined income is $150,000, and 17% of that is $25,500 a year. Because the father earns two-thirds of the combined income, his basic share would be about $17,000 a year, or roughly $1,417 a month, before any added costs.

Manhattan families come from every income level. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in Manhattan was about $104,000 for 2020 to 2024, while 15.5% of residents lived in poverty. Our attorneys have handled support cases across that range, including cases where combined income goes above the $193,000 cap and the court must decide how much of the extra income to count.

Parents also want to know how child support affects their taxes. Under federal tax rules, child support is not deductible for the parent who pays it and is not taxable income for the parent who receives it. We keep that in mind when comparing settlement offers, so each parent understands what the numbers mean month to month.

Private School Tuition and Child Support in Manhattan

When parents separate, the possibility that a child may have to leave a private school, and the friends and teachers who know them there, can weigh heavily on the whole family. Stephen Bilkis helps parents on both sides of tuition disputes, whether a parent wants tuition shared or believes the cost is out of reach. We gather enrollment history, tuition statements, and both parents’ finances before raising the issue in court.

Private school tuition is not automatically part of child support. A court may order parents to share it when it finds private education appropriate, based on the family’s circumstances and the child’s best interests. Fam. Ct. Act § 413(1)(c)(7). For example, a mother on the Upper East Side may come to us because her son has attended the same private school since kindergarten, and the father now refuses to contribute. Our approach would be to document the son’s years at the school, the parents’ past decisions about his education, and the father’s ability to pay. A Manhattan child support lawyer at our firm would then ask the support magistrate to divide the tuition in proportion to income.

In Sarah L. v. Pnina P., the Appellate Division threw out an order requiring a parent to help pay private school tuition in a New York County case. The court found that the paying parent had limited income and was supporting two other children, while the other parent had more income and assets. 205 A.D.3d 503 (1st Dep’t 2022). That decision shows why we present a complete picture of both households’ finances.

Summer brings a related question for many Manhattan parents, which is whether the other parent has to help pay for camp, music lessons, or travel sports. Day camp can sometimes be treated as child care when it allows the custodial parent to work. Other activities are usually handled by agreement, so we write clear terms on which costs are shared and how.

Starting a Child Support Case in Manhattan

Taking the first step toward court can feel like a big decision, especially when the parents are still trying to get along for the children. Stephen Bilkis & Associates handles the filing so parents can focus on their family while the case moves forward. We move quickly, since support generally starts from the date the petition is filed.

A support petition can be filed in the county where either parent lives. Fam. Ct. Act § 421. For parents living in Manhattan, that is often New York County Family Court at 60 Lafayette Street, where support magistrates hear most cases. When a divorce is pending, support is usually decided in New York County Supreme Court instead. The city’s Office of Child Support Services also has an office on the courthouse’s first floor. A Manhattan child support lawyer from our firm can handle each part of the process:

• Choosing the court. We decide whether the request belongs in Family Court or in a pending divorce.
• Documenting the child’s needs. We list child care, school, and medical costs so the court sees what the child requires.
• Filing and serving the petition. We prepare the papers and arrange proper service on the other parent.
• Exchanging sworn financial statements. We complete your financial disclosure and review the one the other parent files.
• Pressing for missing records. We ask the support magistrate to order tax returns and pay records the other parent has not produced.
• Settling or presenting the case. We negotiate terms that meet legal requirements or present evidence at a hearing.
• Securing payment. We ask for payments through income deduction so support arrives on schedule.

Parents who were never married often ask whether they can file at all. They can, but if paternity has not been established, it must be addressed as well. Paternity can be set when both parents sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity or through a court petition, which may involve genetic testing. Fam. Ct. Act art. 5. When needed, we file the paternity and support petitions together in Manhattan Family Court.

Child Support When a Manhattan Parent Is Out of Work

A sudden layoff or a slow season in freelance work can turn a support case into a source of real anxiety. Stephen Bilkis and his team handle these cases for both sides, whether a parent has lost income or believes the other parent is earning more than they claim. We look at work history, job search records, and spending to show what each parent can realistically earn.

New York law allows a support magistrate to base support on what a parent is able to earn, not only what that parent earned last year. A magistrate is not required to do so when the proof does not support it. In Stefani L. v. Eugene B., the Appellate Division upheld a Manhattan support magistrate’s refusal to assign extra income to a father, since the mother’s evidence related to a time before the child was born. 142 A.D.3d 919 (1st Dep’t 2016).

For example, if a father in Harlem came to us after losing his job at a Midtown marketing firm, our approach would be to present his layoff notice, severance terms, and job applications. If the mother asked the court to set support at his old salary, we would ask the support magistrate to base it on what he can realistically earn now.

Enforcing a Manhattan Child Support Order

Missed payments can leave a parent covering rent, school costs, and groceries alone while wondering when the next check will come. Stephen Bilkis acts quickly when payments stop, starting with a detailed record of what is owed. We then file a violation petition and ask the court to use the remedies available.

Collection often begins with steps that do not require a hearing, such as income withholding or a tax refund intercept. When arrears continue to grow, a parent may lose a driver’s license or professional license, and the unpaid amount can become a money judgment. If the court finds the failure to pay was willful, it can order jail time of up to six months. Fam. Ct. Act § 454.

Failing to pay as ordered is treated as evidence that the violation was willful, and the paying parent must then prove an inability to pay. In Jamila-Kai M.R. v. Lonnie L.M., the Appellate Division upheld a willfulness finding against a father in a New York County case who offered no financial disclosure or W-2s to support his claimed income drop. 237 A.D.3d 553 (1st Dep’t 2025). For either parent in a violation case, a Manhattan child support lawyer can make sure the court sees the records that matter.

Paying parents sometimes ask whether support ends when a child turns 18. In New York, it generally continues until 21, unless the child becomes legally emancipated earlier. Payments should continue until a court changes the order, and we file the right request when a parent believes support should end.

Raising or Lowering Child Support in Manhattan

Life rarely stays still for long in New York City, and a support order that worked a few years ago may no longer fit. Stephen Bilkis & Associates helps parents ask the court to raise or lower support when circumstances change. Since a new amount generally applies only from the filing date, we review the order and file promptly.

For orders entered on or after October 13, 2010, we look at three questions before filing. Fam. Ct. Act § 451.

• Has something significant changed? A substantial change in circumstances, such as a child’s new medical needs, can justify a new amount.
• Have three years passed? A court can modify an order once three years have passed since it was entered, last modified, or adjusted.
• Has income changed by 15%? A change of 15% or more in either parent’s gross income can qualify, though a drop must be involuntary and the parent must have made real efforts to find suitable work.

Parents can opt out of the second and third grounds in a valid written agreement, and older orders may follow different rules. We review the order’s terms first so the request rests on the right ground.

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

If you are seeking child support, have been served with a support petition, or need an existing order changed or enforced, call 800.696.9529 for a free consultation with an experienced child support attorney serving Manhattan at Stephen Bilkis & Associates. Share what happened, whether an order or court date is pending, and what you hope to accomplish. We will discuss your situation and identify the next steps that may be available.

Any attorney you speak with is part of a firm led by Stephen Bilkis. He was selected for the New York Super Lawyers list, which includes only the top 5% of attorneys in the state, and Avvo has rated him Excellent. Justia has named him a Top-Rated Lawyer, and he has also been recognized by Expertise.com and TopLawyer.com. Stephen Bilkis & Associates works with clients throughout Manhattan, from Inwood and Harlem to the Upper East Side and Tribeca, as well as Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, and other communities in the New York area.