Schaumburg, Illinois: Child Support Attorneys
Calculating child support in Illinois is usually a fairly straightforward step in the divorce process. Child support is based on the noncustodial parent's net income, and in most cases can be deducted automatically from the noncustodial parent's paycheck.
In some cases, however, the assistance of skilled and experienced child support lawyers may be called for:
- If the noncustodial parent is self-employed or has other income irregularities
- If the financial circumstances of the noncustodial parent change after the dissolution of marriage is completed, and the custodial parent wants to apply to the court to change the amount of child support
- If a conflict arises between the parents about nonpayment of child support
Experienced Child Support Lawyers in Chicago's Northwest Suburbs
Lagattuta & DeGrazia, P.C. in Schaumburg, Illinois, is led by two attorneys who have each practiced law for more than 25 years, and who have worked together on family law and child support legal matters for 15 of those years. Our law offices focus on providing high-quality legal services to residents of the northwest Chicago suburbs, where our founding partners have lived and worked for more than a decade. If you have specific questions about child support or general questions about divorce, we invite you to contact our offices to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our experienced lawyers.
Establishing Child Support
Child support amounts are determined in Illinois based on strict child support guidelines set forth in the Illinois statutes. Under Illinois law, child support calculations are based on the net income of the noncustodial (or nonresidential) parent.
When the parties to a divorce do not dispute the child support calculation, then our job is relatively straightforward. We always advise our clients to insist that the child support payments are obtained directly from the noncustodial parent's paycheck using wage garnishments — automatic wage garnishments can help prevent future conflicts over child support by minimizing the amount of communication the parents must have about financial matters relating to their children.
Child Support Disputes: Child Support and Visitation
A common misunderstanding is that child support payments are tied to visitation. This is not true. If one parent is behind on child support payments, the other parent is still required by law to allow the regularly scheduled visitation periods.
Other child support enforcement methods exist, but self-help is not available.
Contribution to College Educations
Under Illinois law, divorced parents still have a legal obligation to contribute to their child's college education to the best of their financial ability. We advise our clients to make decisions now about how college education contributions will be handled. Often, making the decision now will cut down on conflicts in the future.
If your divorce decree does not specify how the noncustodial parent will contribute to your child's college education, and if your child is approaching college age, it is important to get legal advice regarding a reasonable level of college tuition contributions and the best way to distribute the funds.
Contact Lagattuta & DeGrazia, P.C.
If you have questions about child support — establishment, modification or enforcement — contact our offices today for a free initial consultation. Call 847-240-5500 or send us an e-mail.
