Palatine Child Support Attorneys

Trusted Lawyers Addressing Child Support and Child-Related Expenses in Palatine

Raising a child will involve a wide variety of financial expenses. Addressing financial concerns during divorce and family law cases can make legal procedures that are already complicated even more difficult. When making decisions about child custody, courts will work to ensure that the children involved in these legal cases will receive the financial support they need to maintain stability and protect their well-being. Parents may disagree about how to share the financial responsibilities of raising their children, but reliable legal representation can help ensure that these issues will be addressed correctly while putting children's needs first.

In Illinois family law cases, both parents will have a legal obligation to contribute to their child's upbringing, regardless of the nature of their relationship or the custody arrangements that may be put in place. The Palatine child support attorneys at A. Traub & Associates can help parents navigate these issues while providing thoughtful, compassionate legal support. We work to ensure that child support orders will be fair while addressing key issues, including the amount of payments, how payments should be made, and which expenses should be shared.

How Does Illinois Calculate Child Support?

State law provides specific guidelines and formulas for calculating child support payments. Courts will calculate payments based on the financial resources and income available to both parents.

All forms of income earned by parents will be considered, including salaries, commissions, bonuses, and income earned through self-employment. The state will add the two sums together and determine how much both parents would spend on their children if they were raising them together.

The court will determine each parent's child support obligation in proportion to their incomes. If the income earned by one parent makes up 70 percent of the combined net income, for example, the court will assign them 70 percent of the basic child support obligation.

In certain situations, child support calculations can be adjusted to reflect parenting time. When each parent will have physical custody of their children for 146 nights or more per year, the obligations that apply to each parent will be adjusted, taking each parent's amount of parenting time into account.

Enforcing or Modifying Child Support Orders

Notably, child support orders are not permanent, and they will usually be terminated when the child turns 18. Support obligations may also be modified based on substantial changes in a family's circumstances. For example, a change in either parent's income may affect the amount of child support that they pay or receive. It is also possible for a child's educational or medical needs to change over time, and adjustments may need to be made to ensure that expenses are shared correctly between parents.

A parent may take legal action against the other parent if they have not met their child support obligations. In Illinois, courts have a range of enforcement methods, including suspending a parent's driver's license or professional license, intercepting tax refunds, and garnishing their wages. In extreme cases, the intentional refusal to pay child support can lead to incarceration or fines.

The Importance of Establishing Paternity

The courts cannot require a father to pay financial support unless he has been recognized as a child's legal parent. When a child's parents were not married at the time of the baby's birth, the couple must establish paternity before the court can issue a child support order.

Meet With Our Palatine, Illinois Child Support Lawyers

Balancing child support with your own financial resources and needs can be difficult, especially when making major changes to your life during a divorce. At A. Traub & Associates, our lawyers can help you make sure all financial factors will be considered when putting child support orders in place. For comprehensive legal support, contact our Palatine, Illinois child support attorneys at 630-426-0196.