Reviewed by Joshua P. Haid, Managing Partner
Chicago Child Support Lawyers for Mothers
When you are raising children, the worry is simple and constant: will there be enough? Child support is what stands between your children and that fear — it is their right to be provided for by both parents, not a favor and not a bargaining chip. If you are worried about securing it, collecting it, or whether the amount is even fair, you are right to take it seriously.
Estimate child support now. Use the calculator below for a quick estimate based on Illinois’ income shares formula, then read on to understand how the number is really set — and how we make sure it reflects the other parent’s true income.
CHILD SUPPORT CALCULATOR / ESTIMATOR
In Illinois, child support is calculated under the income shares model (750 ILCS 5/505), which since 2017 has based support on both parents’ combined net incomes and the number of children — the idea being that your children receive the same share of their parents’ income they would have had in one household. But a formula is only as fair as the numbers that go into it, and that is exactly where the right attorney matters.
The Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group by Haid and Teich LLP has fought to secure child support for mothers across Chicagoland for more than 15 years — the first firm in the area built around women’s and mothers’ rights, recognized as Super Lawyers from 2016 through 2025 and featured in O, The Oprah Magazine and ELLE. Managing partner Joshua P. Haid built his career on business litigation before family law, which is exactly what it takes when the other parent is self-employed, paid in cash, or quietly understating what they earn. Your children’s support should reflect what the other parent truly makes — not what they claim.
Make sure your children get the support they are owed. Talk with a Chicago child support lawyer who represents mothers — free, confidential consultation, call 312-445-8830.
What is really at stake in a child support case
Child support is not abstract — it is your children’s stability. It is whether there is enough for the rent, the doctor, the winter coats, the field trips. For a mother, the fears are specific: that the amount will be set too low, that the other parent will understate what they earn, or that even a fair order will go unpaid. Those fears are well-founded, because the number is only as honest as the financial disclosure behind it, and an order on paper means nothing if it is not enforced. Getting this right protects your children for years; getting it wrong quietly shortchanges them every single month. Our work is to make sure the support reflects the truth and that it actually reaches your children.
How is child support calculated in Illinois?
Illinois uses the income shares model (750 ILCS 5/505). In simple terms: the court determines each parent’s net income, combines them, and finds the basic support obligation on the state’s schedule based on that combined income and the number of children. Each parent is then responsible for their share of that obligation in proportion to their income, and the parent with the majority of parenting time generally receives support from the other. If parenting time is close to equal — 146 or more overnights a year with each parent — a shared-care calculation applies, which can change the amount significantly. On top of the base amount, parents divide add-on expenses like health insurance, work-related childcare, and often extracurriculars, again in proportion to income.
What if the other parent hides income or won’t pay?
This is where experience matters most, and where we are at our strongest. When a parent is self-employed, paid in cash, or has income from a business, they can understate what they truly earn to lower their support — and we know how to find it. We use formal financial discovery, subpoenas, and forensic analysis to establish real income, so the support is set on the truth rather than a convenient number. And when an existing order goes unpaid, Illinois gives the courts real tools — wage garnishment, contempt proceedings, interception of tax refunds, and more. We pursue what your children are owed, including past-due support, and hold a non-paying parent accountable.
How we protect your children’s support
From the first conversation, our focus is making sure your children are provided for — accurately and reliably. We build the full, true financial picture, so the calculation starts from real numbers, not the other side’s version. We make certain the add-on expenses that matter — healthcare, childcare, activities — are accounted for, not overlooked. We handle modifications when circumstances change, whether that means seeking more as the other parent’s income grows or protecting you when they try to reduce what they owe. And when support goes unpaid, we enforce it. You should not have to choose between fighting for what your children are owed and simply getting through the week — that fight is ours to carry for you.
Related: Child Custody & Parental Responsibilities · Chicago Divorce · Spousal Support
Your children deserve every dollar of support they are entitled to. Let us make sure they get it — free, confidential consultation.
