Inputs you need for Alimony Child Support in New York
6 min read
Published April 15, 2026 • By DocketMath Team
Inputs you will need
To calculate alimony and child support in New York with DocketMath, you’ll need a set of personal and financial inputs. The tool is jurisdiction-aware for US-NY, but the accuracy of your results still depends on the numbers and details you enter.
Note: This checklist is for gathering inputs for a calculation workflow—not legal advice. Real case facts, court orders, and agreements can change outcomes.
Core inputs (alimony + child support)
Use this table to confirm you have everything before you start:
| Input category | What you’ll enter | Why it matters for the calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Household + case basics | County (if relevant), number of children, custody/parenting-time basics | Child support depends on the children involved and how care is allocated. |
| Income (each parent) | Gross income amounts and income type (salary, self-employment, commissions, bonuses where applicable) | Both support components are driven by income figures. |
| Health insurance | Whether either parent provides coverage and what it costs (monthly) | Medical/health insurance costs are often accounted for in support calculations. |
| Child care (if any) | Monthly child care expense | Child care may be included depending on the case facts and inputs. |
| Other support obligations | Existing child support/alimony orders and monthly amount | Existing obligations can affect available resources used in the calculation. |
| Deductions/adjustments | Recurring credits, documented expenses, or other adjustments (as applicable) | Adjustments can change the final computed amounts. |
Alimony-specific inputs (spousal support)
Alimony can be sensitive to income patterns and certain case-specific factors. Gather:
- Each spouse’s income (same income inputs used above)
- Any employment/earning capacity information you can document
- Key timing details you want reflected in your workflow (e.g., the period you’re modeling)
- Any recurring obligations that may affect net resources
Child support-specific inputs (non-negotiable for most workflows)
For child support, you’ll typically need:
- Number of children
- Each parent’s income
- Medical insurance information (who provides coverage and monthly cost)
- Whether child care is paid and the monthly cost
- Parenting time/custody inputs consistent with your situation
Payment and timing inputs
Even if you mainly care about the “amount,” your output depends on how the tool interprets timing:
- Requested calculation date or the period you’re modeling
- Monthly cadence (when the tool requires monthly inputs, keep values consistent)
Optional but helpful inputs
Including these can improve how realistic your run is:
- Recent pay stubs or year-to-date income summaries (useful for estimating a monthly equivalent)
- Estimates of variable income (commissions/bonuses) using a consistent method
- A list of recurring expenses that are documented and actually paid
Where to find each input
You don’t need “perfect” paperwork on day one—but you do want information from sources you can reasonably verify.
Most inputs live in the case file, contracts, or docket entries. Dates usually come from the triggering event notice; rates and caps come from governing documents or statute; and amounts come from the ledger or judgment. Record the source for each value so the run is reproducible.
Income
Common sources for income figures:
- Pay stubs (last 4–8 weeks) and year-to-date totals
- W-2s and/or 1099s (most recent tax year)
- Self-employment records: profit/loss statements and bookkeeping summaries
- Employer statements or summaries for recurring commissions/bonuses
Tip: If income varies, use a consistent approach (for example, a running average) so the tool models a realistic monthly number.
Parenting time / custody basics
Look for:
- Your court order (if there is one)
- Any written agreement (separation agreement, draft stipulation, etc.)
- A calendar-based summary of the typical week/month schedule
Tip: If the schedule changes seasonally, describe the “typical” period you want the tool to model.
Health insurance and medical costs
Sources include:
- Employer benefits portal statements
- Premium notices and monthly premium amounts
- Enrollment summaries or confirmation emails
Child care
Gather:
- Monthly provider invoices
- Payment receipts
- Contract/retainer summaries showing the monthly cost
Existing support obligations
Collect:
- Prior child support orders (and proof of current monthly amounts, if available)
- Prior alimony orders
- Records showing ongoing monthly payment obligations
Run it
After you collect your inputs, run the calculation in DocketMath using the alimony-child-support tool.
- Primary CTA: alimony-child-support
Enter the inputs in DocketMath and run the Alimony Child Support calculation to generate a clean breakdown: Run the calculator.
How to structure your run (so results are comparable)
To keep outputs meaningful, consider this workflow:
- Enter the household/case basics (especially the children count and parenting-time inputs) so the tool models the correct child-support baseline.
- Input each parent’s monthly gross income, using the same measurement method for both parents.
- Add medical insurance and child care (if applicable) so costs aren’t omitted.
- Include any existing support obligations if your case has them, to reflect constraints on available income.
- Review the output breakdown (alimony vs. child support) and then adjust one input at a time to see how the numbers move.
What typically changes the output most
When you update a single input, these are usually the biggest drivers:
- Income changes for either parent
- Parenting time/custody inputs (child support baseline)
- Medical insurance premiums
- Child care monthly costs
- Existing support obligations
Warning: Make sure you’re using consistent units. For example, entering annual income where the tool expects monthly figures (or vice versa) can materially distort results.
Timeline note (general statute reference, not a support calculation input)
If you encounter timing questions (for example, when certain actions might be pursued), New York’s general statute of limitations is 5 years under N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 30.10(2)(c). This is the general/default period, not a claim-type-specific rule.
- General SOL period cited: 5 years
- Statute: N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 30.10(2)(c)
Note clearly: No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in the provided jurisdiction data, so treat this as the general/default period referenced above.