Downers Grove Child Support Lawyers

Trusted Family Law Attorneys Assisting You With Downers Grove, IL Child Support Concerns

Young children rely on their parents to meet their needs, and many of those needs are financial. Parents' obligations to meet these needs will continue, even after a marriage or an unwed relationship ends. Both parents must still provide financial support for their children's basic needs, which include clothing, food, and shelter. Child support is a way to ensure that children can continue to maintain a similar standard of living after a separation or divorce that they enjoyed when their parents were together.

Legal situations involving child support require the skilled advocacy of an experienced family law attorney, and Goostree Law Group stands out from the rest. Our unparalleled dedication to our clients and fierce determination to safeguard their interests has earned our firm over 100 positive reviews. We understand that an individualized approach works best to reflect your unique challenges and goals, and you can count on our full support and guidance at every step of your child support case.

Understanding How Child Support Is Calculated in Illinois

Illinois child support is calculated using an income-sharing method. The basic support obligation includes expected monthly expenditures for your children's needs, with the amount determined by the number of shared children and the parents' combined monthly income. Each parent is expected to provide a percentage of that basic support obligation, according to the percentage of combined income he or she earns. For instance, in a situation where one parent earns 75 percent of the couple's combined income, they will be responsible for 75 percent of the basic support obligation.

Parenting time may also be a factor in determining child support. The primary custodial parent will usually receive child support from the non-custodial parent. It is very important to use actual parenting time data rather than estimates to arrive at the correct amount of child support, as the difference can be substantial. Our attorneys know all the factors to consider, and we can calculate child support accurately.

Some parents may not want to pay child support. They may be voluntarily underemployed or unemployed in an attempt to avoid that requirement. If that is a concern in your case, we can help you request that the court award a child support amount based on imputed income, which is the income that a parent should reasonably be able to earn based on their education, skills, and work history.

Child-Related Expenses to Consider in Downers Grove Child Support

Raising children can be expensive. Aside from their basic needs, most children incur other expenses, such as:

• Childcare costs
• School supplies
• Health insurance premiums and copays
• Out-of-pocket healthcare costs
• Additional expenses to provide for children with special needs
• Educational costs, which could include private school tuition and college expenses
• Costs associated with extracurricular activities

If your child support agreement does not include all of your children's expenses, there is no guarantee that your co-parent will help you pay for them. We will work with you to list all expenses to ensure that everything is covered.

Call 630-584-4800 and let us help your family.

Downers Grove, IL Child Support and Legal Paternity

When a child is born to a married couple, the husband is the presumed father. He has full parental rights and obligations, including the requirement to pay child support. For unwed parents, that is not the case. Legal paternity has to be established for the father to gain parental rights, and this will also establish financial obligations toward the child.

You could be asked to pay child support for a child when you do not believe you are the biological father, or you could be a mother seeking support. Whether you need assistance contesting or establishing paternity, we can help.