Skokie Child Support Attorney Fights for Fair Orders

Divorce law firm serving Skokie and Northfield

Under Illinois law, each parent has a duty to provide financial support for a child’s basic needs, such as shelter, food, clothing, education and medical care. The child’s standard of living should match that of the parents. Therefore, when parents enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, the child should have access to a good school, athletics, enrichment activities, summer camp and other amenities. When a child has special needs, a court can require a supporting parent to pay more to cover those expenses. At Law Offices of Paul Chatzky, our family law attorneys obtain fair arrangements for parents paying or receiving child support and, when necessary, help them seek or oppose modifications.

How is child support determined in Illinois?

As of July 1, 2017, Illinois began using an “income shares” model to calculate child support, which involves these steps:

• The parents each report their gross income from all sources, then deduct allowances to find their net incomes.
• The net incomes of both parents are added together to get total net income.
• The percentage each parent contributes to the total net income is noted.
• Based on total net income and the number of children to be supported, the income shares chart provides a total child support obligation.
• The total child support obligation is multiplied by the percentage each parent contributes to the total net income to determine each parent’s child support obligation.

The court then can adjust either parent’s child support obligation to account for parenting time. The more time is spent with a parent, the more support that parent may be entitled to receive. If one parent has sole physical custody and the other parent has no overnights, the court assumes the custodial parent is spending the required amount to care for the child. In that event, the court orders the noncustodial parent to pay 100 percent of the obligation. The opposite scenario is joint physical custody, where each parent provides a home for the child for a specified number of days. In that case, the high-earning spouse’s obligation may be adjusted downward in proportion to the time the child spends with him or her.

What if my child support order was calculated under the old law in Illinois?

If you have an existing child support order calculated before 2017, that order is still valid and enforceable unless modified by a court. The fact that your order was calculated under the old law is not, by itself, a reason to request a modification.

What can cause child support to be modified?

If you feel you should be entitled to receive more support or pay less, you can ask the court for a modification. This requires showing there has been a substantial change in circumstances, such as an income change of at least 10 percent.

What are the consequences for not paying child support in IL?

A child support order has the force of law behind it. A delinquent payer can be held in contempt of court, which can lead to these enforcement measures:

• Suspension of a driver’s license, professional license or sporting license
• Interception of federal and state tax refunds
• Seizure of bank assets
• Reporting the financial obligation to credit reporting agencies
• Jail time

A parent who is unable to pay their child support obligation should immediately speak to an attorney about requesting a modification of the order.

Contact an experienced and attentive family law attorney in Northfield, IL

The Law Offices of Paul Chatzky helps parents in Northfield and Skokie obtain fair child support orders, and provides representation in actions to modify and enforce existing orders. Call us today at 847-416-1646 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. Our offices are conveniently located at 790 West Frontage Road in Northfield, just off I-94.