Child support is a financial and legal matter that may be related to divorce. However, Chicago parents who end unmarried relationships may also have child support questions as may parents whose divorces ended long ago in the past. When issues arise regarding the computation of child support payments under Illinois’ child support guidelines, it may be necessary for individuals to consult with forensic divorce attorneys.
That is because many factors must be evaluated before a child support award may be established. Under the state’s child support guidelines, both parents must financially support their children after their relationship ends. However, not all parents will share equally in parental decision making and parenting time.
In order to determine how much child support a parent must pay, an assessment of both parents’ incomes must be undertaken. Illinois generally follows the income shares model of child support and the financial resources of both parents must be looked at collectively in order to decide what is a fair amount of child support.
However, certain financial resources may not be included in a parent’s gross income for the purposes of determining child support. Any public assistance benefits that they receive or money that they are given for the benefit of other kids in their home is not considered income for child support purposes.
As readers can see, working out fair and financially sound child support calculations takes significant effort and understanding of the law. To find answers to specific child support questions and other finance-related divorce matters, readers should reach out to their trusted forensic divorce attorneys. This post only provides general information and should not be used as legal advice.