Westchester, NY family law attorney Andrea B. Friedman talks about which parent is responsible for child support. She shares that in New York State, child support is determined under the Child Support Standards Act (CSSA), which uses a formula based on the combined parental incomes of both parties. While both parents are legally obligated to support their children, the parent with whom the children primarily reside—referred to as the residential custodial parent—receives the basic child support payments from the non-residential parent.

She further notes that additional expenses, often called “add-on” expenses, are shared by both parents proportionally to their incomes. These expenses are intended for the direct benefit of the child or children, ensuring that both parents contribute fairly to the child’s needs.