Kane County Child Support Attorneys

Child Support Lawyers Serving St. Charles, Aurora, Batavia, and Throughout Northern Illinois

When going through a divorce that involves children, there are a number of issues that must be decided, including which parent is obligated to pay child support. Child support is typically paid to the parent who is awarded the bulk of the parenting time. In 2016 and 2017, there were numerous changes made to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, which addressed issues such as child custody (now allocation of parental responsibilities) and child support.

At Shaw Sanders, P.C., we are well-versed in the changes to the law and how these changes will affect our clients. We work closely with our clients to ensure you understand how child support decisions are made and so that we can effectively advocate for your interests throughout the process.

Calculating Child Support in Illinois

In 2016, changes in Illinois law have eliminated the concepts of sole custody and joint custody. Current law now focuses on allocating specific responsibilities to each parent. Additionally, non-custodial parents are not given visitation rights. Rather, parents are each allocated parenting time (previously considered visitation) according to the best interests of the child. In most cases, one parent will still be designated as the residential parent and will consequently receive more parenting time than the other. The non-residential parent is responsible for paying child support to the residential parent.

In July of 2017, additional changes to Illinois law redefining how child support payments are calculated went into effect. Instead of calculating the amount of child support owed based on a fixed percentage of the non-custodial parent’s income, the court will determine the amount of money needed to care for a child based on both parents’ combined income and divide this amount between the parents, taking each parent’s net income into account, as well as their respective amounts of parenting time and parental responsibility.

Typically, the law's guidelines make it simple for the monthly obligation for child support to be determined, but there can be disputes over what constitutes a payor's net income and whether there should be additional contributions for expenses pertaining to the health, education, and extracurricular activities of the child. Our attorneys have decades of experience negotiating and litigating child support matters. We are strong advocates for our clients and their children in these matters.

If you are involved in a divorce, legal separation, or paternity matter that includes child support issues, contact Shaw Sanders, P.C. by calling 630-584-5550 to schedule a free consultation. We will further explain how child support is determined in Illinois and how the law will be applied to your specific case. From our office in St. Charles, we serve clients throughout Kane County, DuPage County, DeKalb County, Kendall County, and across Northern Illinois.