Dennis Rodman, a former Chicago Bulls basketball player, is making headlines again — but not for his moves on the basketball court. Rodman and his ex-wife were in court earlier this year to settle a dispute over back child support. The judge found Rodman in contempt, and ordered Rodman to pay $500,000 in back child support. But the Huffington Post reported that this wasn’t Rodman’s first foul. In May, a judge found Rodman guilty of four counts of contempt for failure to pay child support for 2009 and 2010 for which he received a sentence of 104 hours of community service. If he doesn’t pay up this time, he could go to jail.
Unfortunately, unpaid child support is a major problem. Currently, Illinois children are due $3 billion in back child support from their deadbeat parents. And with the state typically only collecting about 58 percent of the child support currently owed, those figures are bound to grow.
Illinois calculates the amount of child support according to legislative guidelines. According to those guidelines, the percentage of the parent’s net income owed in child support is a function of the number of children:
- One child: 20 percent of the parent’s net income is owed in child support
- Two children: 28 percent of the parent’s net income is owed in child support
- Three children: 32 percent of the parent’s net income is owed in child support
- Four children: 40 percent of the parent’s net income is owed in child support
- Five children: 45 percent of the parent’s net income is owed in child support
- Six or more children: 50 percent of the parent’s net income is owed in child support
However, in some instances, the court may deviate from the guidelines after considering evidence of the best interest of the child. The court may adjust the child support amount based on certain factors, such as whether the parents have split or joint custody of the children and or whether the parent paying support has multiple children in different households.
Whether you are seeking child support, seeking to enforce an award of child support or seeking to have a child support order reduced, it is important to have an attorney on your side who can help you navigate the system. Contact a dedicated family law attorney to make sure your rights are protected.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Paul Chatzky is fluent in Spanish and English, enabling him to effectively represent a wider range of individuals and families. He is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, and is listed among Illinois Super Lawyers, which is a reflection of his high ethical standards and exceptional legal knowledge. As a…
Prior to joining the firm as a paralegal, Debbie was employed by major banking institutions as a loan processor and as an executive secretary. Debbie was also employed as an administrative assistant for the Board of Jewish Education. Having majored in Sociology, Debbie graduated from the University of Florida in 1980. Debbie completed her studies…
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