Aurora, IL Child Support Attorneys

Lawyers Helping to Establish Child Support Orders in Aurora, Illinois

Parents in Aurora who decide to divorce or separate must work through several important legal matters concerning their children, including the issue of child support. Illinois law requires both parents to contribute financially to their child's care and upbringing, regardless of where the child primarily lives. Child support is designed to ensure that children can maintain stability and have access to the resources they need to grow and thrive.

At Goostree Law Group, our Aurora child support attorneys can help parents understand how Illinois child support laws apply to them. We work with parents to prepare accurate financial documentation and calculate child support obligations based on the guidelines provided in Illinois law. Our goal is to ensure that court orders protect children's best interests while addressing any unique needs or factors that may affect a family. In addition to helping parents establish child support orders, we can also assist with enforcing or modifying child support when necessary.

Why Child Support Is Typically Required in Family Law Cases

After a divorce or separation, children may spend more time living with one parent than the other. However, both parents will continue to be financially responsible for meeting children's ongoing needs. In most cases, the parent with less parenting time will be ordered to make child support payments to the other parent. This will help to ensure that the costs of raising a child will be shared fairly.

Child support is not limited to covering food and shelter. It is meant to support every aspect of a child's well-being, including their education, healthcare, and personal development. The goal is to give children the opportunity to enjoy a quality of life similar to what they would have experienced if their parents had remained together.

Calculating Child Support

To determine parents' child support obligations, Illinois law provides guidelines that will typically be used by courts. The combined net income of both parents is used to calculate the total amount needed to support the couple's children. Each parent will be responsible for a share of this amount in proportion to their income.

In cases involving shared parenting arrangements where the children will live with each parent for at least 146 nights per year, the formulas used to calculate child support will be adjusted to account for the greater level of direct financial support provided by both parents. The goal will be to divide the expenses of raising children fairly based on their respective incomes and amounts of parenting time.

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Additional Expenses That May Be Addressed in Child Support Orders

Beyond the base child support obligation, parents may need to address other expenses that are likely to arise when raising their children. Courts can order parents to share costs for:

• Childcare expenses that are necessary for a parent's employment or education
• Medical expenses, including the premiums that will be required to provide health insurance coverage and dental/vision care, as well as other extraordinary medical expenses not covered by insurance
• Extracurricular activities, including the fees, equipment, and other expenses involved in sports, music lessons, dance classes, gymnastics, scouting, clubs, or other activities
• School expenses, such as tuition, fees, uniforms, supplies, and tutoring

College Expenses and Educational Contributions

Under Illinois law, divorced or separated parents may be required to contribute to their children's college expenses. These expenses may include:

• Tuition and fees
• Housing costs
• Textbooks and supplies
• Medical insurance and other reasonable living expenses

The court will consider the parents' financial resources, the child's academic performance, and the cost of attendance when determining how much each parent must contribute. Certain limits may be placed on the amount that parents may be required to contribute, and these will be based on the costs of attendance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during the same school year. These obligations will generally continue until the child completes a bachelor's degree or reaches the age of 23 (with exceptions in some cases).