Lisle, Illinois Child Support Attorneys

Lawyers Helping Parents Address Financial Support for Children in Lisle

Raising children will require a great deal of financial resources, with expenses ranging from food and clothing to educational costs and healthcare. When parents separate or divorce, one key concern that they will need to address will involve financial support for their children. Illinois law has established guidelines for determining how much child support should be paid, who will be responsible for paying it, and what expenses may be covered.

At Goostree Law Group, our lawyers understand the importance of establishing fair child support arrangements in family law cases. Our team has extensive experience handling child support matters during divorce proceedings, paternity cases, and other situations. We will take steps to ensure that child support calculations are accurate, that all expenses will be addressed correctly, and that your rights and financial interests will be protected.

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Establishing Child Support Orders During Divorce

When parents choose to get a divorce, child support will be addressed as part of the divorce proceedings. Child support orders can be established at various stages of the divorce process, depending on the family's circumstances and the needs of the children involved. In many cases, temporary child support will be ordered early in the divorce process. Temporary orders can provide financial support for children while a divorce is ongoing. These temporary orders will usually remain in place until the divorce is finalized and a permanent child support order is established.

The final child support order will typically be included a divorce decree or judgment. This order will specify the amount of support to be paid, the frequency of payments, how payments should be made, and which parent is responsible for various expenses. When establishing child support, courts will consider the incomes of both parents, the amount of parenting time each parent has with the children, and the needs of the children.

Our attorneys can help clients address child support matters during divorce proceedings. We can take steps to gather the financial documentation needed to calculate child support and ensure that all relevant expenses will be addressed in a child support order.

Child Support for Unmarried Parents

Child support obligations will also play a role in family law cases where parents are unmarried. When parents separate, either parent can take steps to establish a child support order and ensure that children will receive the proper financial support. The process for establishing child support for unmarried parents is similar to the procedures followed in divorce cases.

In some cases, before child support can be ordered, legal parentage will need to be established. If a father had not previously been recognized as their child's legal parent, steps will need to be taken to establish paternity. Parents may agree to sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, or either parent can file a petition to establish paternity in court. Once paternity is established, either parent can petition the court for a child support order.

At Goostree Law Group, we can assist with child support cases involving unmarried parents. We can help clients take steps to establish paternity when necessary, petition the court for child support orders, and ensure that support calculations reflect the financial circumstances of both parents.

Calculating Child Support Based on Parental Income

The child support formulas provided in Illinois law are meant to provide children with the level of support they would have had if their parents lived together. During calculations, the net incomes of both parents will be considered. A total child support obligation will be determined based on the parents' combined net income. The portion of this amount that each parent will be required to pay will be based on their share of the combined net income.

Our lawyers can help clients calculate child support by gathering the necessary financial information, determining the net income of both parties, and applying the income shares calculations correctly. In cases where a parent is self-employed or has income that is difficult to verify, we will work to ensure that calculations will be based on the actual financial resources available to parents so that children will receive the necessary support.

Additional Child-Related Expenses

Certain types of expenses may be added to child support. Healthcare expenses for children may include the costs of health insurance coverage, as well as out-of-pocket costs. Childcare may be needed to ensure that a parent can work or attend school. Both healthcare expenses and childcare costs related to daycare or babysitters may be divided between parents.

Educational expenses addressed in child support ordersmay include the costs of attending private schools, providing necessary tutoring, paying educational fees, and providing children with the proper school supplies. Extracurricular activity expenses may also be divided between parents, and they may include costs for sports leagues, music lessons, and other activities that benefit a child's development.

Our attorneys help clients identify all expenses that should be included in child support orders. We will advocate for solutions that will allocate costs between parents appropriately. Our goal is to ensure that children's needs will be met, and if necessary, we can help address disputes about whether certain expenses should be shared or take steps to enforce orders requiring a parent to contribute to various costs.