NEW YORK SUPPORT GUIDELINE
New York child support calculator & worksheet
New York’s Child Support Standards Act uses combined parental income and child-count percentages (17 / 25 / 29 / 31 / 35 percent), with maintenance applied first when it is part of the same case.
Current module status
| State | New York |
|---|---|
| Status | Active base worksheet module |
| Guideline model | New York maintenance and child support worksheet |
| Primary income field | worksheet income |
How New York child support law works
Legal starting point. New York’s Child Support Standards Act is reflected in Family Court Act section 413. It begins with parental income as defined by the statute, applies the statutory child-count percentage to combined income, and allocates the resulting obligation between the parents. Read New York Family Court Act § 413(1)(b)(5).
How the guideline is calculated
The worksheet identifies each parent’s income, combines it within the statutory framework, calculates the basic obligation, and assigns a pro rata share. Child-care, health-care, education add-ons, high income, other support duties, and a deviation require the court’s full statutory analysis.
What this site’s worksheet covers
The active New York module estimates basic child support and guideline maintenance from annual worksheet incomes, using the March 1, 2026 income caps and low-income comparisons. Child-care, health-care and education add-ons, disputed income, existing maintenance agreements, and complex parenting arrangements require the official worksheets. Amounts above the statutory income caps are not estimated.
Documents that make the worksheet more useful
New York child support worksheet and applicable maintenance worksheet. Gather the records that support the income, parenting-time, insurance, child-care, and other adjustment entries that apply to the family. Both parties’ wages, dividends, and other countable income feed the calculation before within-case estimated maintenance. Federal/state income taxes are not offered as general CSSA deductions; qualifying FICA and local tax have separate fields.
For a filing or agreement, complete the official court forms linked on this page. They use the same guideline structure explained here, and the court applies it to the facts of the case.
Before you enter your numbers
Which taxes can New York subtract from income?
New York's statutory income calculation does not generally subtract federal or New York State income tax the way a take-home-pay calculation would. It provides specified deductions, including FICA and qualifying New York City or Yonkers income taxes. Maintenance treatment and statutory income limits must also be handled in the correct sequence.
Prepare this: Keep W-2 tax details, local tax information, and maintenance figures separate. Use the current court worksheet's income definitions rather than entering the net amount on a pay stub.
Read the relevant official instructions: New York Family Court Act section 413.
These preparation notes explain one part of the state guideline. A new estimate does not change an existing order; a modification request does.
How New York cases actually get to a number
Derive CSSA income for each parent, apply maintenance if the worksheet requires it, combine income up to the current cap, apply the child-count percentage, then prorate. Add-ons for child care, health insurance, and education are separate CSSA categories.
New York’s Child Support Standards Act uses combined parental income and child-count percentages (17 / 25 / 29 / 31 / 35 percent), with maintenance applied first when it is part of the same case. That is a different path from neighboring states that use another model, so do not import a table, percentage, or overnight credit from somewhere else.
Parenting time in New York
CSSA basic support is not an overnight-credit statute in the Illinois/Indiana sense. Shared custody can affect who is the noncustodial parent and how add-ons are split, but the percentage still runs on combined income. Do not treat a 50/50 plan as a 50 percent reduction of CSSA.
Costs New York usually treats separately
- Child-care expenses
- Health-insurance premiums and unreimbursed health costs
- Educational expenses the court includes
- Low-income and self-support calculations on the worksheet
When New York courts leave the guideline
The court may deviate from CSSA based on the statutory factors, including a child’s needs and a parent’s other resources. Income above the cap is a discrete finding, not an automatic extra percentage.
Official New York forms to keep beside this guide
New York child support worksheet and applicable maintenance worksheet. Both parties’ wages, dividends, and other countable income feed the calculation before within-case estimated maintenance. Federal/state income taxes are not offered as general CSSA deductions; qualifying FICA and local tax have separate fields. The primary authority is the published New York source. Fill the official form from source documents. Use this page only to check that you chose the right New York path—primary versus shared, table versus percentage, add-ons versus basic support.
Where this is typically filed
Supreme Court (divorce) or Family Court (petitions) hear these cases. Use the current CSSA cap and the post-2016 worksheet for cases commenced on or after January 25, 2016.
Questions specific to New York
What are the CSSA percentages?
17% for one child, 25% for two, 29% for three, 31% for four, and 35% for five or more, applied to combined CSSA income up to the cap.
Why does maintenance come first?
When maintenance is determined in the same case, it can change the incomes used for child support. The obligations remain separate.
Is the cap the maximum anyone can pay?
The cap limits the automatic percentage. Courts may apply CSSA factors to income above the cap.
Run the calculator
Open the free support calculator, select New York, complete the state worksheet, and print or export the output for review.