How to Calculate Illinois Child Support After the July 2017 Law Change
DuPage County Lawyer Explains New Child Support Guidelines in Illinois
On July 1, 2017 child support guidelines changed in Illinois. Now, child support will be calculated using an income shares formula which is used in forty other states. The model takes into account two main factors: each parent’s income and the amount of income that is usually spent on the number of children involved.
The new child support guidelines can significantly impact your child support obligation and payments. If your divorce case involves child support, or if you have any questions about how the new guidelines will affect the amount of support you pay or receive, contact the family law attorneys at Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC. Our lawyers can help you determine the amount of child support you will be legally required to pay.
One factor included in the new child support formula is the parents' net monthly income. Parents can use a standardized tax amount formula or an individualized tax amount formula to determine their net monthly income. Once each parent’s net income is determined, the two incomes are combined. Using this combined income and the number of children the parents share, tables published by the state of Illinois will be used to determine the amount of income that would ordinarily be spent to care for the children. For example, if the parents' combined income is $10,000 and they share one child, that amount is $1,445 per month.
After the amount required to care for the children is established, the amount each parent should contribute in support is determined. This amount is determined based on the contributions each parent makes to the monthly net income. If the non-custodial parent makes $7,500 per month, and the monthly net income is $10,000 per month, that means the parent contributes 75 percent to the net income. The percentage of contribution the parent makes is multiplied by the amount of child support obligation:
75% x $1,445 = $1,083.75 per month
Therefore, the parent would be obligated to pay $1,083.75 per month in child support.
Parenting Time in Child Support Calculator
The amount of parenting time each parent has with a child also affects the calculation of child support. The calculation above is true if the non-custodial parent has the child for less than 146 nights per year. If each parent has the child for 146 or more nights per year, the standard formula may not apply, and other factors will be considered when determining the amount of child support.
Contact Our DuPage County Child Support Lawyers
It can be difficult to understand exactly how the new child support guidelines in Illinois will affect your support obligation and orders. To determine the amount of child support you will be required to pay, contact our Wheaton family law attorneys at MKFM. Call us at 630-665-7300 or contact us online. We serve clients in Naperville, Wheaton, Oak Brook, and throughout DuPage County.
