People used to assume that when a couple got divorced, most parental responsibilities would be granted to the mother. While the law varies by state, that is no longer the assumption. Today, these arrangements are based on many factors. If you are a father who is concerned that your spouse could get all or most parental responsibilities in a divorce settlement, an experienced Kane County, IL divorce lawyer can explain the process to you.

Parental Distribution of Responsibilities Has Changed over Time

Not so long ago, American society held some generally accepted views on gender roles in parenting. Fathers were expected to be the main breadwinners, going off to work all day to earn the money that the family needed. They were not generally as involved as their wives in raising their children, because they were busy making a living. It was also assumed that mothers would handle the child-rearing and household responsibilities. They were not expected to contribute to the family budget because they were busy dealing with the family’s non-financial needs.

These gendered expectations are no longer considered the norm. In many families, both parents work. But as gender equality has developed, more job opportunities have opened up for women. Women can hold demanding, high-paying jobs. As a result, without the pressure of being solely responsible for the family’s finances, fathers can be more involved in raising children.

Often, when we think about parents going through a divorce, we imagine the couple trying to figure out how they will split custody, who will take the children to soccer practice or ballet class, and where the children will spend their holidays.

However, parents can decide to get a divorce at any stage in their life, and this can happen when a family has older children as well. A question that often comes up in Illinois divorce is how the child’s college education will be paid for if the parents are no longer acting as a unit. College expenses are constantly on the rise, which is why this can be a very important issue to work out during divorce proceedings. An experienced Kane County, IL divorce lawyer can help guide you through the process.

My Spouse and I Cannot Agree on Anything. How Will We Work Together to Pay For Our Child’s Degree?

Child support used to be a payment that divorced parents took into consideration until their children turned 18 years old. Nowadays, that is not always the case. Illinois judges have been increasingly requiring divorcing parents to form a plan for financing their children’s college education if they have the financial ability to do so.

One thing that is certain in life is that nothing is certain. You can plan something based on how your life is now, and in five or ten years from now, you might find that your life is completely different. When you got married, you probably did not picture yourself one day getting a divorce. When you were in the middle of settling your divorce, you probably could not imagine how your life would look today. 

Your child support agreement was most likely made based on your income back then. This agreement may no longer suit you if you have recently been laid off from work. Fortunately, your monthly payments could be modified under certain circumstances like loss of a job. If you have lost your job and have questions about your child support payments, a Kane County, IL child support attorney may be able to clear up a lot of confusion. 

Does the State of Illinois Allow Modifications to Child Support Payments?

According to Illinois State Law, modifications can be made to child support payments. The law lists certain circumstances under which the child support arrangement can be changed. One of the circumstances is if either parent’s income goes through some unexpected change, for example, if they have lost their job or gotten demoted.

When a married couple has children, they might find it difficult to juggle their work schedules and their household obligations. It can be tricky figuring out how to drop your children off at school, pick them up in the afternoon, and manage to get all your work done in between.

Some spouses might decide that one of them will take on more of the family’s financial responsibilities, while the other will handle more of the family’s other needs. This means that one parent can commit themselves to working hard and moving up in their career, or getting professional or educational training, while the other parent will become a “stay-at-home” parent, making sure the household keeps running. When it comes to getting a divorce, this can create some trouble, but an Illinois family law attorney can help.

Why Would Someone Choose to Be a Stay-At-Home Parent?

When one person is in charge of the drop-offs, pick-ups, cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, making sure kids get to all their appointments and after-school activities, and countless other household tasks, it can be so time-consuming that they simply cannot hold down a typical job. On the other hand, when all of those important tasks are taken care of by someone else, it is much easier for the working parent to focus on their job.

When a self-employed parent gets divorced in Illinois, determining accurate income for purposes of calculating child support can be challenging. However, state laws contain provisions to protect custodial parents and ensure child support orders are fair and representative of a self-employed parent’s true earnings.

Courts Can Compel Tax Return Disclosure

Family law courts have the power to compel a self-employed parent to fully disclose recent years’ tax returns to paint an accurate picture of gross business income. Judges can also subpoena personal and business bank statements if questions or discrepancies arise regarding reported income and business revenues.

Watch for Hidden Income Through Business Expenses

One common tactic of self-employed parents is hiding additional income by paying for many personal expenses through their business. This may include reimbursed meals, travel, entertainment, cell phone costs, and more. Courts will often add back these types of personal expenses to the gross income calculation.