At Granholm & Gynac, we’ve assisted numerous clients in establishing, modifying and enforcing court orders for child support. There have been many changes to our state’s child support laws recently, and you may not be aware of your rights and obligations under the new laws.
Whether you’re a parent obligated to pay, or a parent receiving child support, our attorneys can ensure that such support is set properly and according to the new statute.
Child Support Under the Income Shares Model
Effective July 2017, the laws in Illinois regarding calculating child support changed dramatically. For more than thirty years prior, child support used to be determined as a straight-line percentage of the payor’s net income. The percentage then increased for every additional child involved. The old law also rarely took into consideration the income of the recipient parent, nor the amount of parenting time each parent actually had with a child.
Under the new income shares model, everything has changed. Illinois joins the majority of the rest of the country in using a system that now considers the income of both parents in its standard formula, and which references certain statewide tables to determine an appropriate amount of overall support. The new formula also adjusts support figures substantially if a parent has at least 40% of all overnights for their parenting time (146 overnights a year).
Standard child support continues to be intended to help parents pay for the child’s housing (rent or mortgage, utilities), food, clothing, toiletries, and other everyday expenses.
In addition to base child support, parents can also be obligated to contribute towards the following:
- Payment of health insurance premiums
- Payment of unreimbursed healthcare expenses (co-pays, deductibles)
- Payment of extra-curricular expenses (sports, bands, scouts, and many other activities)
- Payment of certain school expenses
- Payment of child care expenses (daycare, babysitting, before and after school care)
Given all the variables that are now considered to establish a support amount, as well as in light of all the categories of additional expenses a parent may be obligated to pay, it is more vital than ever for parents to seek quality representation when it comes to child support issues. The attorneys at Granholm & Gynac are ready to help you secure fair outcomes when it comes to litigating child support cases.
Child Support Enforcement & Modifications
In addition to establishing child support through initial entered orders, our attorneys are also skilled in working on other types of support cases.
Enforcement: Few things are as frustrating to a parent owed child support than for a payor not to follow through as ordered. In such cases, our lawyers can help you pursue a variety of legal options to ensure support is paid and your children’s needs are met. From filing petitions for contempt to applying liens on property and bank accounts, our attorneys go the extra mile to bring delinquent parents current on their support obligations.
Modifications: Child support orders can also always be modified, if something substantial has changed since entry of the last support order. Potential grounds for modifications can include if a payor loses his or her job; if someone becomes disabled and unable to work anymore; or if either parent experiences a significant change in their income (increased or decreased).
Depending on how the life or financial circumstances have changed for each party, child support can increase or decrease fairly dramatically. However, support does not ordinarily change on its own. In order to modify an existing award, it is necessary to go back to court and seek a change. The attorneys at Granholm and Gynac are willing to assist you in doing so.