Illinois adopted a new methodology for calculating child support in July 2017. Child support obligations are now calculated using the Income Shares formula. The amount a parent pays is based on both parents’ net incomes and the number of children involved. Although Illinois has used this calculation method for several years now, there is still a significant amount of confusion about establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support payments. This blog will present an overview of child support laws in Illinois and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about child support obligations.

How Do I Start Receiving Child Support?

Any parent can confirm that raising a child is expensive, and single parents often rely on financial support from the other parent to make ends meet. If a mother wants to receive child support from a child's father, she must first confirm that paternity is established. Paternity may be established through a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity, an administrative order, or adjudication from the court.

The next step is to file a petition for child support with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS). Once the petition is filed, HFS will send notice to the other parent and set up a hearing.

When a married couple with children divorces, child support is typically ordered to help the parents share child-rearing costs. If you are considering divorce, you may wonder which parent will be the recipient and which parent will be the payor of child support. You may also want to know how much these child support payments will be. In Illinois, child support is calculated using the income shares model. Each parents’ income and other information is used to determine a child support payment amount that is fair, reasonable, and provides for the child’s needs.

Income Shares Model for Calculating Child Support

Prior to 2017, child support payments were calculated based solely on the paying spouse’s net income. Now, both parents’ net incomes are used to determine child support. Illinois adopted the Income Shares model for child support in order to hold both parents accountable for financially supporting their child. The new calculation method largely bases child support on the difference between the parents’ income. The closer the parents’ incomes are, the less the support payments will be.

Child support is designed to help a child of divorced or unmarried parents to benefit from both parents’ financial support. Illinois considers it the right of the child to receive child support, so support payments are totally separate from issues of parental responsibility and parenting time. If you are a parent who is getting divorced or you share a child with someone you are not currently married to, you probably have several questions regarding child support.

If you are the parent with less parenting time, you may be wondering how much your support payments will be. If you are the parent with the majority of the parental responsibilities, or the custodial parent, you likely want to know what you will receive in child support. As with many aspects of family law, the issue of child support calculation can become complex.

Income Shares Model is Used to Calculate Child Support in Illinois

The laws regarding child support in Illinois have changed dramatically in recent years. Previous to July 2017, child support amounts were almost entirely dependent on the paying parent’s income. Now, the amount that a parent pays in child support is calculated based on the Income Shares Model. This is a more comprehensive means of calculating support that takes both parents’ income and financial circumstances into consideration. The new model also takes shared parenting into account. If a child spends at least 146 overnights a year with each parent, the method of calculating child support is slightly different.

Unmarried or divorced parents have a legal obligation to financially support their children just as married parents do. Unfortunately, some children are forced to live without the monetary support they need when a parent does not pay his or her court-ordered child support. Illinois courts do not take child support nonpayment lightly. Stern laws have been enacted to enforce child support orders and punish parents who do not pay. If your child’s other parent is not paying child support, read on to learn about your options under Illinois law.

Child Support Is Only Enforceable When It Is Ordered by the Court

If you and your child’s other parent only had a casual agreement that they would pay you a certain amount of money in child support, it is going to be much more complicated for you to collect this payment. Illinois courts can only step in and enforce support obligations when there is a court-authorized, legally-enforceable child support order. Fortunately, there are several ways you can acquire this court order.

If there is a question as to the biological relationship between your child and the other parent, you may need to establish paternity before you can collect child support. This can be done via a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) form or by filing for an administrative paternity order either with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services or your local family court. After legal parentage has been established, you will be able to pursue child support.

The end of a marriage always brings a number of serious changes to one's lifestyle, social circles, and personal finances. One of the first steps after the process completes is adjusting to a single income. Additionally, when tax time arrives, divorcees might run into a series of new challenges.

Every person's finances and taxes are unique, which is why, according to Money Crashers, one should always consult an accountant before filing. Consulting a family attorney may also prove helpful—even before the divorce completes—because a divorce lawyer can provide some insight into how the process affects taxes.

How the IRS Views Divorcees