Nassau County Child Support Lawyer

A child support order decides whether a Nassau County parent can keep up with the mortgage and daycare, or how much of a paycheck is gone before it is spent. Here, the numbers can involve two incomes, overtime, year-end bonuses, or a family business, and small details can change an order by hundreds of dollars a month. Stephen Bilkis & Associates helps parents who are seeking support and parents who are being asked to pay it, in Nassau courts and across New York City, Suffolk, and Westchester.

Nassau County child support lawyer Stephen Bilkis has nearly 30 years of experience with support, paternity, enforcement, and other family law matters. The firm has handled more than 600 child support cases, and its attorneys share more than 300 years of combined experience.

If you are raising your children, you may wonder whether support will let you stay in the family home, or whether the other parent will report a base salary and leave out the bonus. If you are the parent being asked to pay, you may worry about an order built on last year’s overtime, a garnished paycheck, or a suspended license. We begin by hearing your side of what happened and going through both parents’ financial records. Then we work toward an order based on real earnings.

At every stage, you will be working with a firm whose founder has been widely recognized. Stephen Bilkis was selected for the New York Super Lawyers list, an honor held by only 5% of attorneys in the state. Avvo has given him its Excellent designation, Justia lists him as a Top-Rated Lawyer, and Expertise.com and TopLawyer.com have also recognized him.

Filing for Child Support in Nassau County

Waiting to file can cost a parent money that may never be recovered, since support generally starts on the day the petition is filed. Stephen Bilkis & Associates files quickly and stays with clients through the final order. We also prepare you for each court date.

Most support cases are heard by a support magistrate at Nassau County Family Court, 101 County Seat Drive in Mineola. If a divorce is pending, support is decided within that case in Nassau County Supreme Court. Every Family Court petition here must include the court’s local information sheet. When a parent lives beyond Nassau and its neighboring counties, is incarcerated, or would face undue hardship coming to court, the court may allow testimony by phone or video. Fam. Ct. Act § 433(c). Here is how a Nassau County child support lawyer at our firm moves a case forward:

• Tracking the children’s costs. We document daycare, medical, and school costs from the start.
• Choosing where to file. We confirm whether the case belongs in Family Court or a pending divorce, and in which county.
• Filing and service. We file the petition with the information sheet and have the other parent properly served.
• The first appearance. We ask the support magistrate for temporary support so payments can start while the case continues.
• Discovery. We exchange sworn financial statements and subpoena records the other parent leaves out.
• The hearing. We present testimony and documents and question the other parent about income.
• After the order. We set up payments through the Support Collection Unit and file objections within the deadline if the order is wrong. Fam. Ct. Act § 439(e).

How Nassau County Courts Calculate Child Support

Not knowing what the monthly child support payment will be makes it hard to plan for the mortgage, daycare, and the rest of your family’s needs. Stephen Bilkis and his team give clients an estimate at the start, then refine it as tax returns, pay stubs, and business records come in. You go into negotiations or a hearing knowing where the numbers should land.

Under New York’s Child Support Standards Act, the math generally works in four steps. DRL § 240(1-b); Fam. Ct. Act § 413.

• Start with gross income. Each parent’s income comes from tax returns and records.
• Subtract allowed deductions. Social Security and Medicare taxes come out, and spousal maintenance may change the figures depending on who pays it.
• Apply the percentage. Combined income up to the cap is multiplied by 17% for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four, or at least 35% for five or more.
• Divide by income share. Each parent covers their portion, and the parent with less parenting time pays that amount to the other.

Income above the statutory cap comes up often here. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in Nassau County was about $146,000 for 2020 to 2024. With the combined income cap currently at $193,000, many families here have combined incomes near or above it. Above the cap, the court may apply the percentages, weigh factors listed in the law, or both, and must explain its choice. Having handled hundreds of child support cases, we know what evidence affects that decision.

Even with an even time split, one parent still pays, usually the higher earner. Parents who settle can choose a different figure, but only if the agreement contains specific statements. It must confirm both parents were told about the Child Support Standards Act and that the guidelines would normally apply, show the guideline amount, and explain the reason for the different figure. Our agreements include each one.

Bonuses, Commissions, and Child Support in Nassau County

A year-end bonus or a strong commission year can be the difference between a fair order and one that misses the mark. Stephen Bilkis looks closely at how each parent is actually paid, not just the base salary. We gather bonus statements, commission reports, and overtime records.

Income for child support generally includes bonuses, commissions, and overtime reported on a parent’s tax return. When pay rises and falls from year to year, courts may look at several years of income instead of one. For example, a mother in Garden City comes to us because her ex, who commutes to a Manhattan sales job, reports only his base salary. Our approach would be to subpoena his employer’s commission records and three years of W-2s. We would then ask the support magistrate to base the order on his full earnings.

Self-Employed Parents and Hidden Income in Nassau County

When a parent owns a business, deciding what counts as personal income can become the hardest part of a support case. Stephen Bilkis & Associates looks at the business itself, not just the owner’s personal tax return. We bring in forensic accountants when records are complex.

Some signs that reported income may not tell the whole story include:

• Personal bills paid by the company. Car leases or meals run through a business can point to income missing from a W-2.
• Deposits that do not match the return. Bank statements showing more money than the tax return reports can reveal unreported earnings.
• A lifestyle that outpaces the paycheck. Vacations or a boat on a modest reported income often call for a closer look.

A support magistrate can base support on what a parent is able to earn, including when a parent cuts back work to pay less. In Vittorio v. Vittorio, the Appellate Division upheld income assigned to a Nassau mother based on her work experience and earning ability. 236 A.D.3d 805 (2d Dep’t 2025). For instance, if a mother in Massapequa came to us because her ex runs a home improvement company yet reports little personal income, we  would subpoena the company’s bank statements and tax returns. We would then ask the support magistrate to look at the company’s earnings, the money available to him, and personal expenses paid through the business. In Sinzieri v. Kaminsky, the record supported a Nassau support magistrate’s decision to count a father’s company gross profit as his income. 218 A.D.3d 592 (2d Dep’t 2023).

Child Care, Health Insurance, and College Costs in Nassau County

Arguments over who pays for daycare, braces, or a school trip can keep parents fighting long after the order is signed. Stephen Bilkis and his team ask the court to address these costs up front, with a clear share for each parent. We bring daycare contracts and school bills to the first hearing.

These extra costs are generally handled as follows. DRL § 240(1-b)(c).

• Child care for work. Reasonable child care costs tied to the custodial parent’s job are generally split by each parent’s share of income.
• Child care for school, training, or a job search. Courts may divide these costs too, depending on the circumstances.
• Health care. Uninsured medical costs are generally shared by income, and the court decides who carries insurance and how to split the child’s part of the premium.
• Education. Courts may order parents to share private school or other educational costs.

College is a separate question. New York parents are not automatically required to pay for it, but courts can order contributions because support can last until 21. In settlements, we spell out who pays for tuition, housing, and books.

A child can become legally emancipated before 21, for example by marrying, joining the military, or becoming fully self-supporting. Courts may also suspend support when a working-age child refuses all contact with the paying parent without good reason, but this is not automatic. The court considers the child’s conduct and whether the paying parent caused or contributed to the breakdown. Since the order stays in effect until a court rules, we file the right request before payments stop.

Child Support for Unmarried Parents in Nassau County

For unmarried parents, the first hurdle is often that the law does not yet recognize the father. Stephen Bilkis starts by checking whether parentage has already been established, since a final support order generally depends on it. If it has not, we file the paternity and support petitions together.

Parentage is usually established in one of two ways:

• Acknowledgment of Paternity. Both parents sign this form, often at the hospital after the birth.
• Court order. Either parent can file a paternity petition, and the court can order genetic testing. Fam. Ct. Act art. 5.

Before paternity is established, a court may issue temporary support in limited circumstances. These include when the respondent willfully fails to appear after genetic testing that does not exclude him as the father, or when clear and convincing evidence of paternity exists. Temporary support may also be ordered when the respondent willfully fails to comply with a genetic-testing order and fails to appear as required. Fam. Ct. Act § 542.  After parentage is established, the usual guidelines apply, and the father may also seek custody or visitation.

Missed payments and missed visits often get tangled, but the law keeps them apart. A parent owed support cannot block court-ordered visits on their own and must use the court’s enforcement process. A parent whose visits are being blocked cannot stop paying either. Only in exceptional cases of deliberate interference may a court suspend future support, and support already due must still be paid.

Changing a Nassau County Child Support Order

An order written when the children were toddlers may not reflect what the family needs once they are teenagers. Stephen Bilkis & Associates helps parents on both sides ask the court to update support. We first confirm which ground applies, then file promptly, since a new amount generally takes effect only from the filing date.

For orders entered on or after October 13, 2010, a court can generally modify support for three reasons. These are a substantial change in circumstances, three years passing since the order was entered, last modified, or adjusted, or a 15% change in either parent’s gross income. When the request rests on a 15% drop in income, the 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 options in a valid written agreement, and older orders may follow different rules. Fam. Ct. Act § 451.

For example, when a mother in Valley Stream comes to us because her ex has moved into a much higher-paying job, our approach would be to request his current pay records. If his income has risen by 15% or more and the order qualifies, we would file for an increase right away.

A parent who remarries may worry that a new spouse’s salary will be pulled into the case. In most cases it is not, because the guideline calculation uses only the parents’ own incomes. A court may consider shared household resources in limited cases, and when that comes up, a Nassau County child support lawyer from our firm can show the court what each parent actually earns.

Collecting Unpaid Child Support in Nassau County

When support stops arriving, the parent raising the children often covers everything alone. Stephen Bilkis and his team start by documenting every missed payment, then file a violation petition. Parents who have fallen behind can also turn to us, since acting early may help avoid the harshest penalties.

Nassau’s Office of Child Support Enforcement in Uniondale can pursue some collection on its own, such as wage withholding and tax refund intercepts. Unpaid support can also become a money judgment, and a parent who falls far enough behind may lose a driver’s license or professional license. If the court finds the nonpayment was willful, it can order up to six months in jail. Fam. Ct. Act § 454.

A parent who misses payments is presumed to have done so willfully, but proof of a real inability to pay can overcome that. In Dukofsky v. Dukofsky, the Appellate Division reversed a willfulness finding against a Nassau parent whose medical records showed surgery kept her from working. 237 A.D.3d 812 (2d Dep’t 2025). On either side of a violation case, a Nassau County child support lawyer can gather the medical, employment, or payment records that decide the outcome.

Moving to another state does not let a parent leave a Nassau order behind. Under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, the order can be registered and enforced where that parent now lives. Fam. Ct. Act art. 5-B. We work with that state’s agency to keep payments coming.

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

If you are asking for child support, have been served with a support petition, or need an existing order changed or enforced, contact an experienced child support attorney serving Nassau County at Stephen Bilkis & Associates today for a free consultation at 800.696.9529. Let us know what happened, whether an order or court date is already in place, and what you hope to accomplish. We will discuss your situation and identify the next steps that may be available.

Whichever of our attorneys you speak with, your case is backed by a firm led by Stephen Bilkis. He has earned a place on the New York Super Lawyers list, which is limited to the top 5% of attorneys in the state, and Avvo has rated him Excellent. Justia has named him a Top-Rated Lawyer, and Expertise.com and TopLawyer.com have recognized him as well. Stephen Bilkis & Associates works with clients throughout Nassau County, from Hempstead and Levittown to Great Neck and Long Beach, as well as New York City, Suffolk County, Westchester County, and other communities in the New York area.