Child Support Lawyers – Chicago, IL

Serving Cook, Will, DuPage & Lake Counties

Child support is an issue that arouses enormous parental emotion. So deciding the proper amount of support for your child is often the most hotly disputed component of a divorce proceeding.

The good news is that most families manage to negotiate an agreement that both sides can live with. At the The Walters Law Group, Ltd., we work with both married and unmarried individuals to establish the right amount of child support for their children.

We seek first to negotiate, to move past disagreements and arrive at a successful, affordable resolution. At the same time we make it plain that we have no hesitation to take our skills to litigation if necessary. Firms that know us usually opt to settle.

Illinois Child Support Guidelines

In Illinois, the amount of child support a noncustodial parent is obligated to pay depends on his or her net income and the number of children for which he or she is responsible. The minimum of what may be ordered is as follows:

• 1 child – 20% of the noncustodial parent’s net income
• 2 children – 28% of the noncustodial parent’s net income
• 3 children – 32% of the noncustodial parent’s net income
• 4 children – 40% of the noncustodial parent’s net income
• 5 children – 45% of the noncustodial parent’s net income
• 6 or more children – 50% of the noncustodial parent’s net income

These guidelines are applied to each child custody case unless the court makes a finding that the amount determined in the guidelines would be inappropriate after considering the best interests of the child. Relevant factors for deviations may include:

• The financial resources and needs of the child
• The financial resources and needs of the custodial parent
• The financial resources and needs of the noncustodial parent
• The physical and emotional condition of the child and his or her educational needs
• The standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marriage not been dissolved, the separation not occurred, or if the parties had married

Cook County Child Support Lawyer

The state relies on Illinois Child Support Guidelines to calculate appropriate support levels. The guidelines provide a formula into which you supply information about your income and expenses.

But it is not really that simple. Every family is different and you will need an experienced lawyer at your side to be certain the Court has an accurate understanding of your finances and expenses. At The Walters Law Group we have helped hundreds of families obtain an appreciable advantage in this battle of numbers.

We Can Also Assist With Modification & Enforcement of Support Orders

Modification is the process used to institute a change in a child support order. If the circumstances of either party have substantially changed (such as a considerable increase in wages, decrease in income or an increase in your child’s financial needs), a petition for modification of the child support order may be in the best interests of the child. A lawyer at our firm can assist you in dealing with all aspects of child support modification and enforcement.

Contact an Illinois Child Support Attorney

Working through a child support dispute? Contact the Chicago child support attorneys at The Walters Law Group, Ltd.,  at 708-361-9700 or email us using this e-mail form.