Can I Change My Child Support Order in Illinois?

 Posted on August 23, 2025 in Child Support

Illinois family courts recognize that jobs change, health needs grow, and parenting time can shift. For this reason, the law allows you to ask the court to make changes to your child support arrangement when the current order no longer fits real life. The goal is to keep support fair and tied to your child’s best interests as circumstances evolve for both parents. If you need to modify your child support order, an experienced Wheaton, IL child support attorney can help.

When Can a Child Support Order Be Modified in Illinois?

According to 750 ILCS 5/510, a judge may change a child support order when there is a substantial change in circumstances. This means a real shift in income, parenting time, or the child’s needs, not a short-term fluctuation. The new amount usually applies only to payments that come due after your modification request is approved, so filing promptly matters.

What Substantial Changes in Circumstances Qualify for a Child Support Modification?

Courts focus on meaningful, lasting changes that make the old order unfair or irrelevant. Common situations that may justify an adjustment include:

• A clear drop or increase in your income because of job loss, a new job, reduced hours, or disability

• Major shifts in parenting time that change the guideline calculation or trigger shared-care rules

• New or higher costs for childcare, health insurance, uncovered medical or therapy bills, or special needs services

• A relocation or other practical change that makes the current order unworkable

• The child’s graduation from high school, emancipation, or another legal event that ends the parents’ duty to support under Illinois law

How Do You Request a Child Support Modification in Illinois?

The process of requesting a child support modification begins with filing a Petition to Modify in the same circuit court that entered your current order and serving the other parent with notice. Next, you must complete the statewide financial affidavit and gather proof of income and expenses, such as recent pay stubs, tax returns, childcare invoices, and health insurance premiums. If a sudden drop in income makes the current amount unworkable, you may ask for temporary relief, under 750 ILCS 5/501, based on those documents.

At your hearing, the judge uses Illinois income-shares guidelines to set support. These guidelines estimate what parents with your combined income typically spend on a child. The court adds both parents’ gross incomes, finds the basic support amount on the state chart, and then splits that amount according to each parent’s share of the total income. If that guideline number would be unfair or not in the child’s best interests, the court may choose a different amount under 750 ILCS 5/505.

If your case is handled through the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, you can request a three-year review. After 36 months, an order may be adjusted without requiring you to prove a substantial change if the current guidelines would create at least a 20 percent and ten-dollar-per-month difference.

Contact a DuPage County, IL Child Support Modification Attorney

A. Traub & Associates has a long record of helping families throughout DuPage County and Northern Illinois by providing practical guidance and one-on-one attention. Founder Angel Traub has built a skilled team that handles child support, custody, and parenting time matters. Our team champions diversity and provides steady, effective advocacy in challenging divorce and parenting disputes. If your circumstances have changed, reach out to our Wheaton, IL child support lawyers today to discuss a workable child support order. Call 630-426-0196 to schedule your initial consultation.