Geneva Child Support Attorneys

Lawyers Assisting Parents With Child Support in Geneva, Illinois

Child support can affect your budget for years, whether you are the parent paying it or the parent receiving it. Support may be set during a divorce, in a child custody case between unmarried parents, or through a later request to change an existing order. The amount depends on more than a quick calculation. What counts as income, which extra expenses may be added, and how the order is enforced can all change the results.

Our lead attorney, Angel Traub, is a Super Lawyer since 2020 and an Elite Lawyer since 2018. She has more than 20 years of experience helping parents in Geneva obtain support orders that reflect their actual finances and their children's best interests.

What Counts as Income for Child Support in Illinois?

Illinois counts income from nearly all sources. This includes wages, overtime, bonuses, commissions, self-employment earnings, rental income, and investment income. Support is based on net income, which is gross income minus a standardized tax amount and certain allowed adjustments. In some cases, the court may use an individualized tax calculation instead.

If a parent quits their job, takes lower pay on purpose, or hides earnings, the court may impute income. This means the judge will assign an income amount based on the parent's work history, education, skills, and local job opportunities.

Self-employed parents may receive extra scrutiny, since business expenses can be used to make income look lower than it really is. Bank statements, tax returns, and business records may reveal the true income figures.

What Expenses Can Be Added to Basic Child Support in Kane County?

The basic support amount is only part of what parents may owe. A court may divide the cost of a child's health insurance between both parents, along with medical, dental, and vision costs that insurance does not cover. Childcare needed for work or school is usually split based on each parent's share of income. The court may also divide school fees, tutoring, and extracurricular activities.

A judge may set support above or below the guideline amount if following it would be unfair or inappropriate. They will have to explain the reasons in the order. Many parents work out these added costs through family law mediation. The process allows parents to agree on details such as activity limits or how to split summer camp.

How Does Child Support Work for Unmarried Parents in Illinois?

Illinois requires both parents to support their child, whether or not they ever married. Before a court can order support from an unmarried parent, legal parentage must be established. Paying support does not automatically provide a parent with parenting time, and being denied parenting time does not allow a parent to stop paying. Those are separate issues.

The number of overnights in a child custody arrangement can also affect how support is calculated, so changes to the schedule should be reviewed with support in mind.

How Can You Change a Child Support Order in Illinois?

You can ask the court to change your child support order if your circumstances have changed. Common reasons for requesting a modification include:

• Losing your job or having your income reduced
• Receiving a large raise or starting a higher-paying job
• Your child developing new medical or financial needs
• A major change in your parenting time schedule

Changes usually cannot go back further than the date the other parent received notice of your request. With experienced legal guidance, you can gather evidence to support your request.

Can Child Support Continue for College or an Adult Child With a Disability?

Child support does not always end when a child becomes an adult. In Illinois, parents can be required to contribute toward college tuition, housing, and other education costs. This support usually ends by age 23, but courts can extend it to age 25 for good cause. The amount depends on the family's finances, the costs of college, and the child's academic progress.

Illinois also allows continued financial support for adult children with physical or mental disabilities that limit their ability to live independently. In these cases, the court may consider the child's needs and each parent's ability to provide support.

How Do Guardianship and Adoption Affect Child Support?

A parent's duty to support a child does not end because someone else is raising their child. If a relative cares for a child under a guardianship, the court may order the parents to contribute toward the child's needs. An adoption works differently. Once the adoption is final, the adoptive parents will take on the support obligation, and the birth parents will be relieved of future support duties.

Contact Our Geneva, IL Child Support Lawyers

At A. Traub & Associates, communication, collaboration, client commitment, and compassion guide how we handle child support and other family law matters. We will keep you updated, involve you in each decision, and work to secure an order that meets your child's needs. Contact our Geneva child support order attorneys at 630-426-0196 to schedule a consultation.