Arlington Heights, IL Child Support Lawyers

Dedicated Lawyers Representing Clients in Child Financial Support Cases in Arlington Heights, Illinois

If you are a parent who is planning to get divorced or who is separated from your child's other parent, determining how to handle the legal issues related to your children can seem overwhelming. You will need to address how to divide or share decision-making responsibility for your children, and a parenting time schedule will need to be created to specify when children will be with you or your ex-spouse. In addition to resolving these concerns, the court will want to be sure that your children's ongoing needs will be met.

In a divorce or family law case, both parents will have the obligation to provide financial support for their children. Whether you expect to pay or receive child support, A. Traub & Associates will help you understand your rights, and we will work with you to make sure that all relevant factors are considered when calculating the amount of child support obligations.

Child Support Calculations

Illinois uses an "income shares" model of calculating child support, and both parents' incomes are taken into consideration when determining the amount that will be required to meet children's ongoing needs. To calculate child support obligations, each parent's net annual income will be used. These amounts will be added together, with the resulting total being used to determine what parents would have spent to provide for their children's needs while they were married. This amount, known as the Basic Support Obligation, is divided between parents based on the percentage that each parent contributes toward the amount of combined income.

Typically, the parent who is considered the non-custodial parent (that is, the parent with the minority of the parenting time) will pay his or her portion of the Basic Support Obligation to the other parent. The custodial parent is presumed to directly spend his or her portion of the Basic Support Obligation to care for the children.

When parents have equal or near-equal amounts of parenting time, additional calculations will be necessary. Rules for Shared Physical Care apply when children will be staying with each parent overnight at least 146 days per year. In these cases, the Basic Support Obligation for each parent will be multiplied by 1.5. The percentage of each parent's overnight parenting time will be applied to the other parent's Basic Support Obligation. The difference between the two resulting amounts will be the amount of child support that will be paid by one parent to the other.

Parents' child support obligations are intended to meet children's ongoing daily needs, including food, clothing, and housing. In addition to these obligations, parents may need to divide other child-related expenses, such as medical costs, childcare expenses, and extracurricular activities. Divorced or separated parents may also be required to contribute to their children's college expenses.

Contact Our Arlington Heights, IL Child Support Lawyers

You will want to make sure that your children will have the financial support they need after you complete your divorce or split from the other parent. However, you will also want to be sure to protect your own financial resources. At A. Traub & Associates, we can help you make sure all relevant aspects of your finances are considered when determining child support, and we will advocate for your interests throughout the legal process. With our help, you can be prepared for success as you begin the next stage of your life.

To set up a confidential consultation, contact our office by calling 847-749-4182. We assist with child support cases in Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Mt. Prospect, Arlington Heights, Wheeling, Inverness, Elk Grove Village, Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Hoffman Estates, Des Plaines, and throughout Northwest Cook County.