How is Child Support Calculated in Illinois?

 Posted on July 22, 2019 in Kane

Child support payments help unmarried or divorced parents share the costs of raising a child. If you are a parent considering divorce or you have already decided to end your marriage, you probably have questions about how child support will work. Major changes to the way in which support payments are calculated in Illinois took effect in July of 2017. If you are wondering how much child support you will be required to pay or you want to estimate the child support you will receive, read on to learn more.

Which Parent Pays Child Support?

If you are like many parents, you may assume that child support is reserved for situations in which one parent has all or almost all legal custody of a child and the other parent is uninvolved in the child’s life. However, you or your spouse will be required to pay child support even if you decide to have joint custody of your children. Illinois law uses the word “parental responsibility” to refer to what we commonly think of as custody and “parenting time” to mean visitation. One parent will have the majority of parental responsibility and parenting time. This parent will be the recipient of child support while the parent with less parenting time will be the payor.

What Factors Influence Child Support Amounts?

There are many different factors which will determine the amount of child support that a parent pays. Illinois uses the income shares model of child support calculation. Both of the parent’s net income is taken into consideration in order to determine the amount of child support each parent is responsible for. Extra costs such as childcare and health insurance expenses are also considered. If a parent already has a child support obligation from a previous relationship, the amount of support he or she already pays is taken into account for purposes of the child support calculation. If each parent has the child at least 146 overnights a year, the time that each parent spends with the child is factored into the child support calculation as well.

There are a variety of other factors that could affect your support calculation. That is why it is important to have a skilled attorney on your side throughout the proceedings.

Contact a Kane County, Illinois Child Support Lawyer

For sound legal guidance on issues related to divorce, property division, child support, parental responsibilities, parenting time, and more, speak with an experienced St. Charles divorce attorney from MKFM Law. Call us today at 630-635-7300 to schedule your confidential initial consultation.

Source:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050K505.htm