Relates to the establishment and modification of child support orders; requires the court to consider the specific circumstances of the parent

This bill updates New York State laws regarding child support to give judges clearer guidance on how to calculate payments when a parent's income is unclear or missing. It requires courts to consider a parent's specific personal and financial circumstances, such as their job skills, health, and barriers to employment, when deciding if they should be assigned a higher income level than they currently earn. The legislation also clarifies that a parent's incarceration is not considered voluntary unemployment unless it was caused by failing to pay child support or committing a crime against the other parent or child. Additionally, the bill allows for child support orders to be increased retroactively in cases where a parent has defaulted or provided insufficient financial information. Finally, it prevents incarceration from automatically blocking a request to modify a support order, ensuring that parents can seek adjustments based on other substantial changes in their situation.