Legal Question in Family Law in New York
Income for support
I pruchased a home with my boyfriend and now his exwife is taking him to court so she can decrease her support payments because of my income. She does not have custody nor does she take the children as according to the divorce decree. Can they take my income into consideration to lower support payments?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Income for support
As I understand it, your boyfriend has custody and an order of child support in his favor. The standard for modifying the order depends somewhat on how the order came to be and, of course, the terms of the order itself. At the very least, however, the mother must show a change of circumstances warranting modification. If she is paying support in accordance with the statutory guidelines and her earning-capacity hasn't changed, there's probably no basis for modification. Even if the court entertains modification, your income would not be considered, except to the extent that it may be imputed to your boyfriend. Your boyfriend should consult an attorney before answering the petition or appearing in court.