When you get divorced, you may wish to make a clean break from your ex and move on with your life. However, if you have children together, you must still provide for your children in the same way you did before the divorce. This means meeting their needs for a home, transportation, clothing, and food. It also means providing educational opportunities and recreational activities. To do this, Illinois law provides children with child support and both parents must pay this support to help their children. Your parental responsibilities are not optional and this child support obligation must be met.

It is important to have an experienced Barrington child support attorney on your side. Your attorney can make sure you are paying or receiving the proper amount of child support, so you can provide for your children in the best way possible.

custody support

Calculating Child Support in Illinois

child support agreement on table next to gavel

Illinois Compiled Statutes 750 ILCS 5/505 outlines the duties parents have to financially support their children after a divorce. This obligation is mandatory. Court guidelines require a minimum of between 20 and 50 percent of each parent’s income to go towards raising the children. While no one wants to pay more than their fair share of child support, it is important for these payments to be calculated properly.

Whether you are paying or receiving child support, you want the calculations to be fair. To calculate child support in Illinois, there are specific formulas that apply. When parents share parenting, both parents spend a significant amount of time with their children. If one parent spends considerably more time with their children, the parent with less parenting time may have to pay the other parent-child support.

To calculate this support, the courts start by finding the basic support obligation based on the income shares schedule. This obligation is increased by 150% to estimate the shared expenses between both parents’ homes. This amount is then multiplied by the percentage of time the child spends with the parent. The parent owing more support will then pay the difference.

This is just a generic starting point for child support, however. There are often other circumstances that will make the amount of child support varied. Some of those include income thresholds, split care, and special needs. The courts have the discretion to make parents pay additional lifestyle expenses, such as private school tuition, and even sports teams and summer camps.

Taking Action & Child Support

With Manassa Law P.C., the primary concern is the children. We know that you need money to pay for their care and provide them with the lifestyle they have grown accustomed to. We work tirelessly to make sure you and your children have the support you need to make that happen. Our attorneys can help you through a variety of child support issues, including:

We know that life doesn't always work out the way you plan. That is why we want to be there throughout your life to help you long after your divorce is finalized. When life changes, you may need to update your child support agreement or enforce an existing agreement. We can help you do that and advocate for you in the Illinois family court.

Like many other states, Illinois has resources to help parents enforce child support payments. Child support payments are not optional. When a parent refuses to pay support or misses payments, the courts have the power to garnish wages and tax refunds. They can also incarcerate any parent who refuses to pay child support even though they have the ability to pay this support.

If you fall on hard times, such as losing your job or getting an illness, you need to have an attorney on your side to help you have your child support order modified. Your Barrington divorce lawyer can demonstrate the hardship you endured so you are not accused of violating a court order.

Contact Manassa Law P.C.

Attorney Larry Manassa
Barrington Child Support Lawyer, Larry Manassa

Our firm has the experience and resources to help families through the divorce process efficiently and swiftly. Our Barrington family law attorneys can protect your parenting rights and make sure all child support calculations are done right the first time. This will help you provide for your children after the divorce is finalized.

We can answer your questions about child support, spousal support, and divorce. We take our attorney-client relationships seriously and want to be there for you every step of the way. Call our office to schedule an initial consultation and review.

Our law office is based in North Barrington, with additional offices in Waukegan and Hinsdale, Illinois. However, we also serve clients in Chicago, Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Barrington Hills, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elgin, Buffalo Grove, Lakewood, Cook County, Lake County, McHenry County, DuPage County, Kane County, and the surrounding communities.

Manassa Law - Barrington Office

1000 Hart Rd 3rd Floor
Barrington, IL 60010
P: (847) 996-9177