Legal Question in Family Law in New York

Your first question is a question of fairness in the law. I cannot answer whether laws are fair or unfair.

Your life insurance should reflect the amount of money that would be paid toward your son's support if you continued to live until his emancipation. In other words, your son is already in high school, meaning that you would only have to support him through the remainder of high school and through college (at most). Therefore, if you would be estimated to contribute $15,000 toward his support per year, then your life insurance should equal $15,000 x (Number of Years Left Before Anticipated Emancipation). (For example: If your son is 16, then 6 years = $90,000)

If your son were young, then the life insurance you should carry would be required to be higher (for example, if your son were 2, then 20 years * 15,000 = $300,000) (as if you died today, your ex- would have to support your son for 16-20 years)

In general, you would need a lesser amount of insurance as your son grows. I don't know what your numbers are, but assume that you should have life insurance with a death benefit of your half of a SUNY tuition for your son plus 2 years of what you now pay annually.