Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers | March 5, 2025 | Child Support in Bergen County, NJ
Parents are required to support and provide for their children regardless of whether they are married to the other parent. A parent’s relationship with their child’s other parent does not impact their legal obligation to support their child. Therefore, if your child’s other parent is not paying child support, it is important to understand how to apply for child support in New Jersey.
What Is Child Support?
Child support is a financial payment from the noncustodial parent (i.e., payor) to the custodial parent (i.e., payee). Having shared custody or joint custody does not mean you will not pay child support. Even in shared custody arrangements, the custodial parent is the one who provides the primary day-to-day care for the child, and the child’s primary residence is with the custodial parent.
Parents cannot avoid their child support obligation if they do not visit their child or participate in the child’s life. Child support is for the benefit of the child. Child support payments are used to cover expenses for the child, such as:
- Shelter, including rent and utilities
- Food for the child
- Medical expenses and co-pays
- Clothing and shoes
- Health insurance premiums
- Educational costs
- Some extracurricular activities
Child support payments may be used for other expenses that directly support a child’s needs. For example, a custodial parent may use a portion of the child support to pay for a vehicle loan. They use the vehicle to transport the child to school, doctor’s appointments, and activities.
How Does New Jersey Calculate Child Support?
New Jersey uses standard child support guidelines to calculate child support. The formula uses the combined gross income of each parent, the number of children to be supported, and the percentage of time the children spend with each parent.
However, other factors can impact how much child support a parent pays. Judges may deviate from the standard child support guidelines for specific situations. Factors that could result in deviations from the child support guidelines include, but are not limited to:
- Child support paid from a previous relationship
- The costs of childcare
- Other support being paid, including alimony
- Health insurance premiums
- The child’s quality of life when the parents were together
- Extracurricular activities
- Private school tuition
The judge can impute income to a parent who is trying to avoid paying child support because of voluntary unemployment or seeking jobs paying less than their earning potential. There are also special considerations for high-net-worth earners with income exceeding the child support guidelines.
Applying for Child Support Through the State
You can apply for child support through the New Jersey Department of Human Services. There is a $6 fee for child support services.
Many people can apply online. You can also request an application by calling 1-877-655-4371. If you live in Bergen County, you can apply for child support by calling the Family Court in Hackensack, NJ.
You must have the other parent’s name and address as well as your children’s names, dates of birth, and Social Security Numbers. Additionally, there is a checklist of helpful information to have when applying for child support through the state.
Any parent or person with custody of a child can apply for help with child support. However, you are referred to child support services if you have received assistance through Medicaid, TANF, or Forster Care programs.
Should I Hire an Attorney for a Child Support Case in Bergen County, NJ?
You are not required to hire a lawyer to seek child support in New Jersey. You can apply for child support without an attorney through the state or county. However, numerous factors can complicate a child support case. Furthermore, other matters may be related to child support that cannot be handled by child support services.
Examples of situations when hiring a child support attorney may be in your best interest include, but are not limited to:
- Child with special needs
- High-income cases
- 50/50 shared custody
- Disputes related to income used for child support calculations
- Child support deviations for special circumstances
- A parent concealing income or other resources
- Imputed income
- Non-guideline child support cases
- Parents paying child support for children with multiple partners
An experienced New Jersey child support lawyer understands the law and how to handle cases involving complex matters. An attorney also has more time and resources than the state to dedicate to your case. If your case involves other issues related to your children, including abuse allegations, paternity, child custody disputes, or visitation, your attorney handles all matters.
An experienced family law attorney puts your parental rights and child’s best interests as the top priorities.
Get Help With New Jersey Child Support Cases
Contact Our Bergen County child support lawyers at Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers help clients with all matters related to child support. Call us for a free consultation at (201) 487-1199 to discuss seeking child support, modifying child support orders, enforcing child support, and all other family law matters.
Bergen County Law Office
1 University Plaza Dr #400, Hackensack, NJ 07601, United States