Honesty. Integrity. Finality.

Knowing how child support payments are determined is essential

On Behalf of | Feb 7, 2022 | Child Support |

If you’re ending a relationship in Illinois that involves children, it can be a challenging time. Ensuring the needs of your kids are met after you end a marital or nonmarital relationship is important. Child support helps to meet these needs. Navigating the parameters related to who should receive and who should pay it can be tricky.

What is child support?

Child support is financial aid paid to the parent caring for the children after a relationship has ended. Payments are governed by state laws and include the following information:

  • Who pays for child support
  • When it’s required
  • The amount of child support to be paid
  • When payments for support must end

If you have custody of your children and receive child support, it can help pay for general expenses, healthcare, daycare and education. It’s supposed to make up for what your children would have had if your relationship hadn’t ended.

How is child support determined?

While every state has its own rules, common elements influencing who pays child support include the following:

  • With whom your children primarily live
  • The amount of visitation time your children have with the other parent
  • Incomes for both parents

Determining the amount of child support paid is usually calculated by using one of these three models:

  • Income shares model
  • Percentage of income model
  • Melson Formula

Illinois uses a model called “percentage of obligor net income.” It assumes that child support costs will be shared between both parents. If you are the custodial parent, you should receive a percentage of the non-residential parent’s net income. This percentage is based on the number of children being supported.

Understanding how child support laws work in your state is important. Regardless of where your children reside, it ensures they are being taken care of financially.