Do Illinois Child Support Payment Calculations Change if I Am Paying to More Than One Ex?

 Posted on February 11, 2022 in Child Support

Before major changes to Illinois’ child support laws in 2017, parents could calculate their child support obligations according to the paying parent’s income and how many minor children they had to support. Today, Illinois uses a new method called the “income shares” method. Parents getting divorced, as well as parents who are modifying an old child support order given before the change in the law, will have payments calculated according to both parents’ net incomes and parenting time allocation. If you are paying child support to more than one person, it is important to understand how the income shares method impacts you.

What Is Illinois’ Income Shares Method?

The income shares method combines both parents’ net income to determine what financial resources would be available to a child if the parents were still married. The combined net income and number of dependent children are then located on the Illinois income shares chart to determine the overall child support obligation for which both parents are responsible. Finally, payments are affected by the percentage of time a child spends with each parent.

How Do Other Payments Affect New Child Support Obligations?

To prevent someone from being overwhelmed or impoverished by multiple child support payments, a parent’s previous child support and spousal maintenance obligations are deducted from that parent’s gross income when calculating a new support obligation. For example, if someone makes $100,000 a year and is paying $20,000 in combined child and spousal support payments to an ex-wife, his net income for the purposes of a new child support order will be $80,000.

However, while child support payments are generally calculated according to a table, payment amounts are not set in stone. If a child has additional medical or educational needs, a judge may order a parent to pay more than he or she would based exclusively on the income shares table.

Call a DuPage County Child Support Attorney

It can be difficult to predict how different factors may change your child support obligations in Illinois. For help managing child support issues, whether you are getting divorced or modifying an existing support order, speak with an experienced Wheaton, IL child support attorney with Andrew Cores Family Law Group. Our knowledgeable staff has handled many child support cases and helped parents get the resources and advocacy they need to understand and meet their obligations. Call us today at 630-871-1002 to schedule a free case review and learn more about how we may be able to assist you.

Sources:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=075000050HPt%2E+V&ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=6200000&SeqEnd=8675000

https://cscwebext.hfs.illinois.gov/CscWebEx/app/estimator?execution=e1s1