Downers Grove, IL Child Support Attorneys

Skilled Lawyers Addressing Financial Support for Children in Downers Grove, Illinois

In family law cases involving children, the court will take steps to ensure that the children's financial, physical, and developmental needs are met. These factors are particularly important in situations where parents do not live together, whether due to divorce or to never having married. While child-related disputes can be contentious, child support is not a punishment nor a reward for one parent or the other. It is meant to ensure that children's needs will be met. While child support issues can be complex, a reliable family law attorney can help you navigate legal proceedings with confidence.

At A. Traub & Associates, our legal team understands the emotional, financial, and legal complexity of child-related disputes. With years of courtroom experience, our Downers Grove child support lawyers are committed to helping parents understand their rights and obligations so they are not stuck with unfair arrangements. Whether you need help establishing a new order, calculating payments, collecting support, or modifying an existing order, we can assist you with compassion and protect your children's best interests.

What Is the Purpose of Child Support?

In the midst of messy legal disputes between parents, child support is intended to make sure that children's needs will be met after the parents' separation and in the years to come. Regardless of child custody or visitation arrangements, child support orders will typically be put in place in situations where parents do not live together.

Child support can cover a wide variety of financial expenses. The court may consider costs such as food, housing, transportation, and clothing, as well as educational expenses, healthcare costs, and extracurricular activities. One parent will typically be required to pay child support to the other parent in order to ensure that their children can maintain a standard of living comparable to what they would have had if the parents were together.

Calculating Child Support in Illinois

The Land of Lincoln uses an "income shares" calculation model to help determine the specific amount of child support. This method adds both parents' net annual incomes together to calculate what the couple would have spent to provide for their children's needs if they were together. The Basic Child Support Obligation is then divided between the parents based on each adult's percentage contribution to the combined total net annual income.

The parent who has the majority of the parenting time with the children is presumed to spend their Basic Support Obligation on caring for their children. The other parent will generally pay his or her portion directly to the parent with the majority of the parenting time.

In situations where parents have near-equal or equal custody, additional considerations may be necessary. This is known as Shared Physical Care, and it usually applies when children spend at least 146 overnights per year with each parent.

Additional Considerations Beyond Basic Child Support

Among the most common additional costs that can be addressed in child support orders are healthcare costs and educational expenses. Child support orders will generally include provisions that address these commitments.

The court will require at least one parent to maintain health insurance coverage for their children. The costs of providing coverage and expenses that are not covered by insurance may be divided between parents.

Educational costs, such as tutoring, school supplies, private school tuition, school activity fees, and special education needs, are crucial to a child's development, and they may also be included in a child support order. Moreover, expenses related to after-school care, babysitting, and daycare services can also be divided between parents. As they plan for the future, separated or divorced parents may also be required to contribute to their children's college expenses.

Reach Out to Our Downers Grove Child Support Lawyers

Raising children is not easy, and it does not come cheap. At A. Traub & Associates, we are dedicated to fighting for the rights of our clients and protecting the interests of their children. We can help you address issues related to your child's financial support while making sure you will have the financial resources you need going forward. To arrange a consultation and explore different solutions, call our offices at 630-426-0196 or contact our Downers Grove, IL child support order attorneys.