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Domestic Relations Law Section 240-c
DRL 240-c: Review and cost of living adjustment of child support orders

Domestic Relations Law Section 240-c
Review and cost of living adjustment of child support orders

1. Request.

Any party to a child support order issued on behalf of a child in receipt of public assistance, or child support enforcement services pursuant to section one hundred eleven-g of the social services law may request that the support collection unit review the order for cost of living adjustment purposes pursuant to section one hundred eleven-n of the social services law.

2. Adjustment process.

(a) A cost of living adjustment shall be made by the support collection unit with respect to an order of support under review if the sum of the annual average changes of the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CPI-U), as published annually by the United States department of labor bureau of labor statistics, is ten percent or greater.

(b) The cost of living adjustment and adjusted child support obligation amount as calculated by the review shall be reflected on the adjusted order issued by the support collection unit and mailed to the parties by first class mail. The child support obligation amount contained in the adjusted order shall be due and owing on the date the first payment is due under the terms of the order of support which was reviewed and adjusted occurring on or after the effective date of the adjusted order.

(c) The support collection unit shall provide a copy of the adjusted order to the court which issued the most recent order of support, which shall append it to the order.

3. Objection process.

(a) An objection to a cost of living adjustment, as reflected in an adjusted order issued by a support collection unit, may be made to the court by either party to the order, or by the support collection unit, and shall be submitted to the court in writing within thirty-five days from the date of mailing of the adjusted order. A copy of the written objection shall be provided by the objecting party to the other party and to the support collection unit.

(b) Where such objections are timely filed, the cost of living adjustment shall not take effect, and a hearing on the adjustment of such order shall be granted pursuant to the provisions of this section, which shall result in either:

(1) the issuance by the court of a new order of support in accordance with the child support standards as set forth in section two hundred forty of this article; or

(2) where application of the child support standards as set forth in section two hundred forty of this article results in a determination that no adjustment is appropriate, an order of no adjustment.

(c) Any order of support made by the court under this section shall occur without the requirement for proof or showing of a change in circumstances.

(d) The court shall conduct the hearing and make its determination no later than forty-five days from the date it receives an objection. If the order under review does not provide for health insurance benefits for the child, the court shall make a determination regarding such benefits pursuant to section two hundred forty of this article. The clerk of the court shall immediately transmit copies of the order of support or order of no adjustment issued by the court pursuant to this subdivision to the parties and the support collection unit. Where a hearing results in the issuance of a new order of support, the effective date of the court order shall be the earlier of the date of the court determination or the date the cost of living adjustment would have been effective had it not been challenged.

(e) Where no objection has been timely raised to a cost of living adjustment as reflected in an adjusted order, such adjustment shall become final without further review by the court or any judge or support magistrate thereof.

4. Modification of orders.

Nothing herein shall be deemed in any way to limit, restrict, expand or impair the rights of any party to file for a modification of a child support order as is otherwise provided by law.

5. Notice.

Parties eligible for adjustment of child support orders shall receive notice of the right to review such orders as follows: (a) All applications or motions by the support collection unit or by persons seeking support enforcement services through the support collection unit for the establishment, modification, enforcement, violation or adjustment of child support orders shall on their face in conspicuous type state:

NOTE: (1) A COURT ORDER OF SUPPORT RESULTING FROM A PROCEEDING COMMENCED BY THIS APPLICATION (MOTION) SHALL BE ADJUSTED BY THE APPLICATION OF A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT AT THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPPORT COLLECTION UNIT NO EARLIER THAN TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS AFTER SUCH ORDER IS ISSUED, LAST MODIFIED OR LAST ADJUSTED, UPON THE REQUEST OF ANY PARTY TO THE ORDER OR PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (2) BELOW. SUCH COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT SHALL BE ON NOTICE TO BOTH PARTIES WHO, IF THEY OBJECT TO THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD BY THE COURT AND TO PRESENT EVIDENCE WHICH THE COURT WILL CONSIDER IN ADJUSTING THE CHILD SUPPORT ORDER IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION 1-B OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED FORTY OF THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW, KNOWN AS THE CHILD SUPPORT STANDARDS ACT. (2) A PARTY SEEKING SUPPORT FOR ANY CHILD(REN) RECEIVING FAMILY ASSISTANCE SHALL HAVE A CHILD SUPPORT ORDER REVIEWED AND ADJUSTED AT THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPPORT COLLECTION UNIT NO EARLIER THAN TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS AFTER SUCH ORDER IS ISSUED, LAST MODIFIED OR LAST ADJUSTED BY THE SUPPORT COLLECTION UNIT, WITHOUT FURTHER APPLICATION BY ANY PARTY. ALL PARTIES WILL RECEIVE A COPY OF THE ADJUSTED ORDER. (3) WHERE ANY PARTY FAILS TO PROVIDE, AND UPDATE UPON ANY CHANGE, THE SUPPORT COLLECTION UNIT WITH A CURRENT ADDRESS, AS REQUIRED BY SECTION TWO HUNDRED FORTY-B OF THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW, TO WHICH AN ADJUSTED ORDER CAN BE SENT, THE SUPPORT OBLIGATION AMOUNT CONTAINED THEREIN SHALL BECOME DUE AND OWING ON THE DATE THE FIRST PAYMENT IS DUE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE ORDER OF SUPPORT WHICH WAS REVIEWED AND ADJUSTED OCCURRING ON OR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE ADJUSTED ORDER, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE PARTY HAS RECEIVED A COPY OF THE ADJUSTED ORDER.

(b) All court orders of support payable through a support collection unit shall on their face in conspicuous type state:

NOTE: (1) THIS ORDER OF CHILD SUPPORT SHALL BE ADJUSTED BY THE APPLICATION OF A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT AT THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPPORT COLLECTION UNIT NO EARLIER THAN TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS AFTER THIS ORDER IS ISSUED, LAST MODIFIED OR LAST ADJUSTED, UPON THE REQUEST OF ANY PARTY TO THE ORDER OR PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (2) BELOW. UPON APPLICATION OF A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT AT THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPPORT COLLECTION UNIT, AN ADJUSTED ORDER SHALL BE SENT TO THE PARTIES WHO, IF THEY OBJECT TO THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, SHALL HAVE THIRTY-FIVE (35) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF MAILING TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN OBJECTION TO THE COURT INDICATED ON SUCH ADJUSTED ORDER. UPON RECEIPT OF SUCH WRITTEN OBJECTION, THE COURT SHALL SCHEDULE A HEARING AT WHICH THE PARTIES MAY BE PRESENT TO OFFER EVIDENCE WHICH THE COURT WILL CONSIDER IN ADJUSTING THE CHILD SUPPORT ORDER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHILD SUPPORT STANDARDS ACT.

(2) A RECIPIENT OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE SHALL HAVE THE CHILD SUPPORT ORDER REVIEWED AND ADJUSTED AT THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPPORT COLLECTION UNIT NO EARLIER THAN TWENTY-FOUR MONTHS AFTER SUCH ORDER IS ISSUED, LAST MODIFIED OR LAST ADJUSTED WITHOUT FURTHER APPLICATION BY ANY PARTY. ALL PARTIES WILL RECEIVE A COPY OF THE ADJUSTED ORDER. (3) WHERE ANY PARTY FAILS TO PROVIDE, AND UPDATE UPON ANY CHANGE, THE SUPPORT COLLECTION UNIT WITH A CURRENT ADDRESS, AS REQUIRED BY SECTION TWO HUNDRED FORTY-B OF THE DOMESTIC RELATIONS LAW, TO WHICH AN ADJUSTED ORDER CAN BE SENT, THE SUPPORT OBLIGATION AMOUNT CONTAINED THEREIN SHALL BECOME DUE AND OWING ON THE DATE THE FIRST PAYMENT IS DUE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE ORDER OF SUPPORT WHICH WAS REVIEWED AND ADJUSTED OCCURRING ON OR AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE ADJUSTED ORDER, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE PARTY HAS RECEIVED A COPY OF THE ADJUSTED ORDER

This section of the Domestic Relations Law is provided as part of a free educational service by J. Douglas Barics, attorney at law for reference only. Statutes and codes such as DRL 240-c are frequently amended, and no representation is made that the above version of DRL 240-c is current. Updated statutes and codes may be available at the New York State Legislature Website. No statute should be relied on without understanding controlling case law which may further interpret it. An attorney should be consulted for legal advice.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Mr. Barics at lawyer@jdbar.com or (631) 864-2600. For more articles and information, please visit www.jdbar.com.

J. Douglas Barics, Esq. – Divorce, family, matrimonial, trial and appeals lawyer in Long Island, New York.