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Maintenance & child support
Enter yearly incomes and see the New York guideline results update as you go. Estimates are planning tools, not a determination of an award.
Children
Number of unemancipated children of the marriage.
The maintenance and child support figures shown alongside are what the guideline formulas produce if the court applies the statutory income caps. A court can consider income above those caps, so treat these numbers as a starting point for discussion with your attorney, not a prediction of an award.
Where do the children live most of the time?
The parent they sleep with more than half the nights each year.
The higher earner pays child support to the lower earner.
Incomes
Gross yearly income for each party, before taxes.
Where the higher earner lives Required
Where the lower earner lives Required
Both residences are required. Taxes are calculated slightly differently for New York City and Yonkers residents, and those taxes come off income before support is figured.
Income used for support (CSSA income)
New York starts from gross income and subtracts Social Security, Medicare, and any New York City or Yonkers income tax. What is left is the income the guideline formulas use.
Choose where each party lives above to include city income tax.
| Line | Higher earner | Lower earner |
|---|---|---|
| Gross annual income | $150,000 | $60,000 |
| Less Social Security & Medicare | − $11,475 | − $4,590 |
| Less city income tax | − $0 | − $0 |
| CSSA income | $138,525 | $55,410 |
Combined CSSA income
$193,935
Higher earner's share of combined income
71.4%
Calculate Maintenance & Child Support
Statutory income caps effective March 1, 2026 — $241,000 for maintenance and $193,000 combined for child support. Editable as they change.
Maintenance is the lower of two statutory formulas. Both calculations are available.
When does a court go above the cap?
The caps are a starting point, not a ceiling. A court may award support on income above them after weighing the statutory factors — the length of the marriage, the standard of living the family enjoyed, each party's health, earning capacity and future needs, care of the children, and any wasteful spending. Awards above the cap are discretionary and fact-specific.
How long does maintenance last?
New York suggests a duration based on how long you were married — from the date of the marriage to the date the divorce action is commenced.
Enter both dates and the length of the marriage is calculated for you.
Marriage of 0–15 years
0 – 0 months
About 0 to 0 years — 15% to 30% of the length of the marriage.
0–15 years: 15%–30%
Over 15 to 20 years: 30%–40%
Over 20 years: 35%–50%
This schedule is advisory. A court may order a shorter or longer term — or lifetime maintenance — after weighing the statutory factors, and maintenance generally ends on remarriage or the death of either party.
For your file
Full recap & calculation worksheet
Every figure above, with the math shown line by line. Copy the worksheet or the drafted paragraphs straight into an affidavit, a memo, or a settlement proposal.
1.Income as reported
- Higher earner gross annual income
- $150,000
- Lower earner gross annual income
- $60,000
- Unemancipated children
- 2
- Children reside primarily with
- Lower earner
2.Statutory deductions (DRL 240(1-b)(b)(5)(vii))
- Higher earner residence
- outside New York City and Yonkers
- Higher earner Social Security & Medicare
- − $11,475
- Higher earner city income tax
- − $0
- Higher earner CSSA income
- $138,525
- Lower earner residence
- outside New York City and Yonkers
- Lower earner Social Security & Medicare
- − $4,590
- Lower earner city income tax
- − $0
- Lower earner CSSA income
- $55,410
3.Maintenance guideline (DRL 236B(6))
- Maintenance income cap
- $241,000
- Payor income subject to the cap
- $138,525
- Formula A(20% of payor income) − (25% of payee income)
- $13,853
- Formula B40% of combined income − payee income
- $22,164
- Guideline maintenance, per yearlower of Formula A and Formula B, not less than zero
- $13,853
- Guideline maintenance, per month
- $1,154
4.Duration of maintenance (DRL 236B(6)(f) advisory schedule)
- Length of the marriage
- 0 years
- Advisory bracket
- Marriage of 0–15 years
- Advisory range
- 15% – 30% of the marriage
- Duration range0 – 0 years
- 0 – 0 months
5.Child support (CSSA — DRL 240(1-b) / FCA 413)
- Non-custodial income after maintenance
- $124,673
- Custodial income after maintenance
- $69,263
- Combined parental income
- $193,935
- Statutory combined income cap
- $193,000
- Combined income used
- $193,000
- Child support percentage (2 children)
- 25.00%
- Non-custodial pro rata share
- 64.29%
- Basic child support obligation
- $31,018
- Amount on income above the cap
- $0
- Child support, per year
- $31,018
- Child support, per month
- $2,585
6.Combined result
- Maintenance, per month
- $1,154
- Child support, per month
- $2,585
- Total support, per month
- $3,739
- Total support, per year
- $44,870
Drafted paragraphs
The payor reports gross annual income of $150,000 and the payee reports gross annual income of $60,000. After the deductions required by DRL 240(1-b)(b)(5)(vii) — Social Security and Medicare of $11,475 and $4,590 respectively — the parties' CSSA incomes are $138,525 and $55,410.
Applying DRL 236B(6) to payor income capped at $241,000, Formula A yields $13,853 and Formula B yields $22,164. The lesser figure controls, producing guideline maintenance of $13,853 per year, or $1,154 per month.
For child support, maintenance is added to the custodial parent's income and deducted from the non-custodial parent's income, yielding combined parental income of $193,935. The statutory cap of $193,000 is applied, so $193,000 is used. The non-custodial parent's pro rata share is 64.29%, producing a basic child support obligation of $31,018 per year, or $2,585 per month, payable by the higher earner.
Total guideline support is $3,739 per month, or $44,870 per year. These figures are the guideline results only; add-on expenses under DRL 240(1-b)(c)(4)-(7) and any basis for deviation are not included.