Your marriage has ended. That is not how you believed things would unfold between you and your ex when you hitched up, but that is what has happened. You had some good years and it was not all bad. Most importantly, the marriage produced children—children whom you love, cherish, and adore, children you would do anything for and whom you wish to see comfortable and kept free of harm and deprivation. New York State law stipulates that both parents are responsible for the children produced by the marriage until they are 21 years of age. If you have custody of the kids, then your former spouse will receive a child support order and you should expect the benefits of it. New York State is quite rigorous in its enforcement of child support orders. That said the mechanism by which such organs of enforcement operate depends on accurate information and insight into the life and doings of the payer. It is not always easy to obtain that information, and it is up to you as the person responsible for looking after the children to ensure that your former spouse is paying what they should and providing other resources to help raise the children you have together.

Do I need a lawyer for child support in NY?

The state can only take action if they know that your partner has not been following the letter and spirit of the child support order against them. If your children are being deprived of what is rightfully theirs, then you should hire a lawyer and take legal action against your ex. Child support orders contain a direct payments plan that is based on percentage of income, not fixed amounts. It may be the case that the financial circumstances of the mother or father of your children have changed significantly. Their assets and net wealth may have increased significantly since the initial child support order was issued. You may have solid evidence that proves they owe more money than they are paying out, and that they have deliberately withheld information concerning their changed circumstances in order to avoid paying what they should. If this is the case, your first action should be to contact a child support lawyer. Such an attorney will possess the knowledge, skill, ability, and experience to handle the situation with accuracy and deftness; they will ensure that the new facts and circumstances of the case are presented to the court in a way that is convincing and compelling. Your children should see the benefits of increased wealth by either of their parents. If your former spouse is holding out on them, then you must act on their behalf. You must take them to court and get the child support order enforced. It is also important to remember that child support is not limited to money. Any resource, including benefits such as health care plans, must be made available to the children of divorced parents. Your children’s health and well-being should not be put in jeopardy because your ex is unwilling to do right by them. If you have evidence that they have means and resources that they are not making available to their children, then your best recourse is to hire a child support attorney and take your ex-partner back to court. Working with an attorney who is specialized in this area of law will ensure that your children are given the material support that they deserve. It will ensure that they do not want because of what has happened between their parents.