Saint Charles, IL Child Support Attorneys

Child Support Lawyers Serving Kane County, DuPage County, and Northern Illinois

The attorney you choose can impact the outcome of your child-related legal matters. You deserve representation from a professional who not only understands the law but one that will take the time to get to know you as a person. At Olita Law Group, we take an individual interest in the well-being of every one of our clients and offer each unmatched personal attention and quality service.

Following a divorce or breakup between unmarried parents, the law in Illinois provides that a child has the right to financial support from both parents, regardless of the relationship between them. This usually results in an order requiring payments from the parent who was not granted primary residential responsibilities.

Saint Charles Attorneys for Child Support Proceedings

Prior to July 2017, the law in Illinois presumed that an order for support of a minor child would be based on the net income of the supporting parent and the number of children included in the order. However, a modification to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act took effect on July 1, 2017 which redefined the method of calculating child support in Illinois. Following this change, Illinois now uses an income-sharing method that considers the net income of both parents, as well as each parent's parental responsibilities and the percentage of parenting time they have with their children.

Under the revised law, parents' combined net income will be used to determine a basic support obligation, which is the amount that the couple would typically have spent to care for their children prior to the divorce. Each parent will be assigned a portion of the support obligation based on the percentage that their individual income contributes to the combined income. If both parents have at least 146 overnight stays with their children each year, additional calculations will be performed to determine each parent's Shared Physical Care support obligation.

The law also defines net income to mean all income from all sources minus specified allowable deductions, including taxes, insurance premiums, mandatory union dues, and other expenses necessary for the continued production of income.

Assisting Clients with Developing Customized Support Arrangements

The attorneys at Olita Law Group recognize that the law cannot make provisions for every possible family scenario. For this reason, the court is granted the discretion to deviate from the standard calculation to increase or decrease the ordered payments as it deems appropriate based on the resources and needs of each parent, and the needs of the child. Whether you are a parent seeking the financial help of the other parent, or you have been asked to pay more support than you can afford, we are ready to help you.

Non-Minor Support Lawyers in Illinois

While most orders for support end when the child turns 18 and graduates high school, the obligation may continue for some. According to the law, parents may be required to contribute toward the educational expenses of a child attending college. If there is not an existing agreement between the parents regarding education costs, the court may order one or both parents to make payments after taking into account:

• The resources and needs of each parent;
• The resources of the child, including grants and scholarships; and
• The child's academic performance.

Once ordered, the support for educational expenses may be terminated once the child turns 23, gets married, completes a bachelor's degree program, or fails to maintain a C-average.

Contact a Skilled Child Support Lawyer Today

If you have questions about the laws regarding child support for a minor or a non-minor child, contact Olita Law Group in Saint Charles. Call 630-402-0333 to schedule a no-cost introductory consultation and get the answers you need. Our firm is proud to serve the needs of families throughout Kane, DuPage, Will, Kendall, and Cook Counties.