West Chicago Child Support Lawyer
Compassionate Child Support Attorney Serving Clients in DuPage County
One of the most important issues that must be resolved during a divorce is child support. The main purpose of this support is to give the spouse with primary parental responsibility the financial resources to provide for the children at (or near) the same standard of living as when they were married. Child support in Illinois is based on a wide set of complicated factors. For this reason, it is important to have skilled legal counsel in your corner fighting to protect the interests of you and your children.
At The Law Offices of Nancy Kasko, LLC, we have a thorough understanding of Illinois child support guidelines and related legal matters. Attorney Nancy Kasko handles all our divorce and family law cases, and she puts her extensive knowledge to work to give clients the skilled representation they deserve. Nancy has been through a contentious divorce herself, and she has first-hand experience dealing with the complexities of this process.
Nancy understands the enormous emotional and financial stress divorcing spouses have to deal with, and she does everything possible to make the legal process smooth and seamless. Nancy is a strong advocate that stays by your side and provides ongoing encouragement throughout the proceedings. She spends a lot of time with her clients, listening closely to their needs and concerns, so she can develop the most effective and efficient path toward a positive outcome.
Updated Illinois Child Support Guidelines
The state of Illinois has recently changed the child support law from a percentage-of-income to an income-shares approach. Under the previous law, the spouse that did not have primary parental responsibility paid a percentage of his/her income based on the number of children. Under the new law, a more comprehensive set of factors is used to determine the amount of support that is to be paid.
The income shares model holds both parents accountable for the financial support of the children, depending on how much each contributed to the household while married. The amount of child support is based largely on the combined net income of the parents, which is plugged into a complex court-determined formula. Other factors that may impact the amount of support to be paid include:
- Spousal Support: If alimony/spousal support is awarded, this amount is subtracted from the net income of the payor and added to the net income of the recipient for the purposes of calculating child support.
- Divorce and Tax Consequences: The parent with the majority of parenting time is entitled to claim the child(ren) as exemptions on their taxes, unless a judge determines otherwise or otherwise agreed upon by both parties.
- Employment: If one parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the potential income that parent could be earning may be factored into the parents’ combined net income for the purposes of calculating child support.
- Shared Parenting: If the spouses have close to equal parenting time, the number of actual overnights each parent has with the child can be factored into the support calculation. Shared parenting does not become a factor unless each parent has the child for a minimum of 146 overnights per year.
- Additional Expenses: Health insurance and medical costs, child care costs, costs for extra-curricular activities, college expenses and other expenses may be added to the basic child support calculation.
Speak with a Knowledgeable Wheaton Child Support Lawyer
The updated Illinois child support laws are complex and challenging to navigate. Attorney Nancy Kasko has an in-depth understanding of these laws and how to effectively utilize them to protect your interests. She provides free consultations by phone or in-person to thoroughly assess your case. For a personalized consultation with attorney Kasko, contact our Warrenville office today at 630-836-8540 or our Wheaton office at 630-407-1665. We serve clients in Wheaton, Warrenville, Winfield, West Chicago, and DuPage County, Illinois.