Lake Forest Child Support Lawyer

Do you have questions about how child support works in Illinois? An experienced Lake Forest child support lawyer can help. At the Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group, our dedicated attorneys regularly assist women in Lake Forest with a variety of family law issues that include child support. It is especially important to reach out to an advocate if you have questions about child support in the state given that changes to Illinois child support law (750 ILCS 5/505) have taken effect.

The state used to rely on a child support model that only looked at the one parent’s net income and based the child support obligation on a percentage of that net income. Now, the state uses an “income shares” model that is used in most states across the country. Under the income shares model, the court takes into account the net income of both parents and determines the percentage of the child support obligation for which each parent is responsible.

Income Shares Model and an Equitable Approach to Child Support in Lake Forest

According to an FAQ page from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, “income share is considered a more equitable approach to computing child support.” To be clear, under the income shares model, both parents are responsible for the child support obligation, but the percentages of their obligation can vary. To determine the appropriate support obligation, these are the steps the court must take:

• First, the court must determine the amount of each parent’s net monthly income;
• Second, the court adds together each parent’s net monthly income to determine a total net monthly income;
• Third, the court uses Illinois child support guidelines to determine what the child support obligation should be based on the combined net monthly income; and
• Fourth, calculate each parent’s percentage of the child support obligation.

With the income shares model, the court essentially determines what the child’s support obligation would be if the two parents were still together in the same household, and then it looks to a number of different factors to decide what percentage of that obligation each parent should pay. The income shares model also allows for adjustments to each parent’s obligation based on, for instance, previous child support obligations or spousal maintenance payments.

What Happens if the Guidelines Are Not Appropriate in My Case?

In some situations, applying the child support guidelines might not be in the best interests of the child. In such cases, the court does not need to apply the guidelines and instead can examine one or more of the following factors in determining child support:

• Financial resources and needs of the child;
• Financial resources and needs of the parents;
• Standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marriage or civil union not been dissolved; and
• Physical and emotional condition of the child and his or her educational needs.

A Lake Forest Child Support Attorney Can Help

If you are thinking about filing for divorce but have concerns about child support, an experienced child support attorney in Lake Forest can assist with your case. Contact the Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group to learn more about the services we provide to mothers in Lake Forest.