Darien, Illinois Child Support Attorneys

Reliable Lawyers Helping Parents Establish Child Support Orders in Darien

Raising children is not cheap nor easy. Parents who are not married or who are in the process of separating will need to work through some especially challenging legal matters in order to ensure that their child will be provided for. Regardless of who has primary custody, Illinois requires both parents to contribute to their child's care and upbringing to ensure that the minor's basic needs are met. Expenses can range from education and healthcare costs to food and clothing. Child support is often one of the biggest issues in divorce and family law cases, and establishing a fair support agreement will require careful planning, accurate financial information, and comprehensive legal knowledge.

At Goostree Law Group, our child support attorneys are dedicated to helping parents understand and navigate their rights and obligations. Whether parents need to resolve disputes, establish new child support agreements, or modify their existing support orders, our legal team works to ensure that their and their children's best interests will be protected. With over 20 years of courtroom experience, our legal team has more than 100 positive reviews from satisfied clients in Darien and the surrounding areas. We pride ourselves on tackling every case with compassion and diligence.

Call 630-584-4800 and let us help your family.

Understanding Child Support Obligations in a Divorce

When children are involved, child support is a key issue to be addressed during a couple's divorce proceedings. The amount of child support will be based on a family's needs and circumstances. In many cases, temporary child support will be ordered while a divorce is ongoing to ensure that the child's development is not hindered by the parents' separation.

While support orders can be established at any stage in the divorce process, the final order will be incorporated into a couple's divorce decree. It will specify the amount of financial support, how payments should be made, the frequency of payments, and which parent is responsible for specific expenses.

How Does Child Support Work With Unmarried Parents?

While the state will automatically assume paternity for parents who are married at the time of a child's birth, parents who are unmarried may have to agree on a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity or file a petition to establish legal paternity in court. Once paternity is established, the process for establishing child support is very similar to the process followed in divorce cases. Our child support lawyers can assist families with all child-related legal matters, regardless of a family's circumstances.

Calculating Child Support in Illinois

When determining the amount that will be paid by each parent in a child support order, the court will consider the incomes of both parents, along with the time each parent is scheduled to spend with their children. Under Illinois' income-sharing model, both parents' incomes are combined to determine the total financial support a child would receive if he or she were raised in a home with both parents. Generally, each parent will be responsible for an amount proportional to their contribution to the combined income.

Exceptions to the standard methods used to calculate child support may be appropriate in some situations, including when children have unique needs that require additional financial support or when one or both parents earn a high income. Additional expenses, such as health insurance premiums, educational fees and costs, childcare fees, and extracurricular expenses, can also be divided between parents based on their income contributions.

Support Order Adjustments Based on Parenting Time

Under state law, if the child or children spend at least 146 days per year with each parent, this is considered "shared physical care." In these parenting situations, the court may adjust each parent's child support obligations to reflect the amount of time they spend with their children. This approach assumes that both parents will provide for a child's daily and long-term needs during their individual parenting time.

How to Modify a Child Support Order

Child support orders can be modified when a parent's or a family's circumstances have changed. Typically, support orders may be modified due to substantial shifts in income or other issues that may affect a parent's financial stability. Examples of these circumstances include:

• Increases in a child's educational or medical expenses
• A parent's loss of a job or other changes in employment
• Significant decreases or increases in one parent's income
• Changes in child custody arrangements or parenting time
• A child's emancipation

A parent must file a motion with the court to request a support order modification. Usually, the requesting parent will be required to provide a clear explanation for their request and proof of changes to their financial circumstances. Support orders can be modified retroactively to the date on which a petition was filed. If a parent loses their job or experiences financial difficulties, they will need to act quickly when requesting a modification.

Our legal team can help prepare requests for child support modifications, or we can assist clients in responding to requests by the other parent. We work with clients to negotiate revised agreements and put arrangements in place that will provide for children's best interests.