Child Support in New Jersey
Both parents have a legal duty to support their children. Domers Bonamassa Farrow helps parents in Burlington County, Camden County and throughout South Jersey establish, modify and enforce child support, whether the issue arises in a divorce or between parents who were never married.
The New Jersey Child Support Guidelines
Most child support awards are calculated under the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines, which are part of the New Jersey Rules of Court. The guidelines use an income shares approach: the court estimates what the parents would spend on the child based on their combined net income and divides that amount according to each parent’s share of the income. The guidelines are updated regularly; the most recent annual update took effect on June 1, 2026.
The guidelines calculation is presumed to be correct, but a court may deviate from it when applying the guidelines would be unjust or inappropriate. The calculation can account for:
- each parent’s income, including income imputed to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed;
- work-related child care costs;
- the cost of health insurance for the child and certain unreimbursed medical expenses;
- parenting time with the other parent; and
- other children each parent supports.
When the parents’ combined income exceeds the guidelines’ income range, the court supplements the guidelines amount using the factors in N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(a), such as the child’s needs, each parent’s income and earning ability, and the family’s standard of living.
College and Other Post-Secondary Costs
New Jersey courts may require parents to contribute to a child’s college or other post-secondary education. Courts consider factors first set out by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Newburgh v. Arrigo, including the parents’ financial resources, the child’s ability and aptitude, the cost of the education and the relationship between the child and the parents. Clear language in a divorce agreement can prevent later disputes.
When Child Support Ends
Under N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.67, child support ends automatically when a child marries, dies or enters the military, and when the child turns 19, unless:
- a court order or judgment sets a different end date, which cannot be later than the child’s 23rd birthday;
- a parent asks the court before the child turns 19 to continue support because the child is still in high school, is a full-time student in a post-secondary program or has a qualifying disability; or
- the child has a severe mental or physical incapacity that makes the child financially dependent on a parent.
Except for a child with a severe incapacity, child support ends no later than the child’s 23rd birthday. Parents receive written notices before a proposed termination date.
Changing or Enforcing Child Support
A child support order can be modified when there has been a substantial change in circumstances that is not temporary, such as a significant change in either parent’s income or in the child’s needs. Support is often paid through income withholding and monitored by the Probation Division of the Superior Court, which can take enforcement action when payments fall behind.
Related Family Law Pages
Speak With a South Jersey Child Support Lawyer
If you need to establish, change or enforce child support, request a consultation or call (856) 596-2888.
Disclaimer
This page provides general information about New Jersey law and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and court rules change, and the outcome of any case depends on its specific facts.