Child Support and Alimony Attorneys in Hackensack, NJ
Support orders shape your financial life for years. Whether you are owed support that is not being paid, need a fair order established, or are paying more than the law requires, the attorneys at Russo Petrullo Law Group, LLC fight to restore your financial stability and make sure your support order is right for you.
Child Support in New Jersey
Child support in New Jersey is calculated under the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines, an income-shares formula that considers both parents' incomes, the number of overnights the child spends with each parent, health insurance premiums, work-related childcare, and other factors. Support is intended to cover the child's share of housing, food, clothing, transportation, and ordinary expenses. Support generally continues until a child is emancipated, and under New Jersey law it typically terminates by operation of law at age 19 unless extended — for example, while a child is still in high school or enrolled full-time in college.
When the Guidelines Don't Tell the Whole Story
The Guidelines have limits. In high-income cases, where combined parental income exceeds the Guidelines ceiling, courts supplement the formula based on the child's needs and the family's lifestyle. Support can also deviate for children with special needs, private school tuition, or extraordinary medical expenses. And where a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, courts can impute income — calculating support based on what that parent could earn rather than what they claim to earn. These are exactly the situations where experienced counsel changes outcomes.
College Costs
Unlike many states, New Jersey can require divorced parents to contribute to their children's college expenses. Courts weigh factors including each parent's ability to pay, the child's aptitude and commitment, and the relationship between the child and the paying parent. College contribution is one of the most commonly litigated post-judgment issues — it pays to address it clearly in your settlement agreement before it becomes a fight.
Alimony in New Jersey
New Jersey recognizes several forms of alimony: open durational alimony (generally reserved for long-term marriages), limited duration alimony, rehabilitative alimony (supporting a spouse while they gain education or training), and reimbursement alimony. Which type applies — and how much — depends on statutory factors including the length of the marriage, each spouse's actual and potential earning capacity, the marital standard of living, parental responsibilities, and each party's contributions to the marriage, including as a homemaker. For marriages under 20 years, alimony generally cannot exceed the length of the marriage absent exceptional circumstances. We represent both spouses seeking support and spouses defending against excessive demands.
Modification and Termination
Support orders are not set in stone. A substantial change in circumstances — such as involuntary job loss, a significant change in income, a child's emancipation, the recipient's remarriage or cohabitation with a new partner, serious illness, or a good-faith retirement — may justify increasing, decreasing, or terminating support. If your ex-spouse is living with someone else and you are still paying alimony, you may have grounds to suspend or terminate your obligation.
Enforcement: When Support Isn't Paid
An order is only as good as its enforcement. When a parent or ex-spouse falls behind, New Jersey courts and the Probation Division have powerful tools: wage garnishment, interception of tax refunds, suspension of driver's and professional licenses, liens, and even bench warrants. We move aggressively to collect arrears — and we also defend payors who have fallen behind for legitimate reasons and need their obligation adjusted rather than punished.
We Can Assist You With
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Establishing child support orders
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Increasing or decreasing (modifying) child support
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Establishing, modifying, or terminating alimony
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Terminating child support upon emancipation
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College contribution disputes
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Enforcing existing child support or alimony orders
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Collecting or reducing child support arrears
Why Choose Russo Petrullo Law Group for Support Matters
Support cases are number cases, and we treat them that way. We scrutinize tax returns, business records, and lifestyle evidence to establish what the other party actually earns — which is where support cases involving self-employed spouses and cash businesses are won or lost. With more than 30 years in New Jersey's family courts, we know when the Guidelines number is right, when to fight for a deviation, and how to turn a court order into money actually collected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is child support calculated in New Jersey?
Most cases use the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines, an income-based formula that accounts for both parents' earnings, the number of overnights with each parent, and add-on expenses like health insurance and work-related childcare.
When does child support end?
Child support generally terminates by law when the child turns 19, unless continued by court order — commonly because the child is still in high school or is a full-time college student. Support can also end earlier upon emancipation.
Is alimony guaranteed in a divorce?
No. Alimony depends on need, ability to pay, the length of the marriage, and the other statutory factors. Some divorces involve no alimony at all; others involve substantial, long-term support. We will give you a realistic assessment at your consultation.
I lost my job. Can I stop paying support?
Not on your own — the order remains enforceable until a court changes it, and arrears cannot be retroactively erased. File for a modification promptly. The sooner you act, the sooner relief can begin.
Can alimony be stopped if my ex moves in with a new partner?
Possibly. Cohabitation is a recognized basis for suspending or terminating alimony in New Jersey. These cases are fact-sensitive, and building the right proofs is essential — we can help.
What if my ex is self-employed or paid in cash?
Self-employment is the most common way support obligations are understated. We use discovery, business records, bank deposits, and lifestyle analysis to establish true income — and courts can impute income where the records don't add up.
Is alimony taxable?
For divorces finalized after 2018, alimony is no longer deductible by the payor or taxable to the recipient on federal returns, though New Jersey state tax treats alimony differently. The tax treatment affects how much support is really worth — we factor it into every negotiation.
Get the Support Order That Is Right for You
Call (888) 332-9900 today or visit our office at 79 Main Street, Suite 2, Hackensack, NJ 07601 to schedule your free initial consultation.
