Parents in Illinois know that they must support their children while they are minors. This includes many financial obligations such as basic needs, extracurricular activities, medical and dental costs and other financial needs. When the parents are divorced, these financial needs are met through child support paid by one parent to the other.
Child support is initially determined by the child support guidelines. This takes into account both of the parent’s net income and then based on that determines the amount of child support one must pay each month. The amount stated by the guidelines is what the law feels that a parent is capable of paying and what a child needs.
A child’s financial needs don’t necessarily end when the child leaves the house though and parents continue to pay for various things. However, that does not mean that one parent must continue paying child support to the other.
Each child support order must state a termination date. By statute that means when the child turns 18-years-old. However, if the child is still in high school when they turn 18-years-old the child support obligation continues until the child graduates from high school or turns 19-years-old, whichever occurs first.
This termination is just for the periodic monthly child support obligation. If the parent has child support arrearages at the time of termination, the parent must continue to pay the amount of the child support obligation until the total amount of the arrearages are paid completely.
Many parents pay child support in Illinois. The child support payments can be a significant amount, but a child’s financial needs are expensive. These support payment end when the child turns 18 and graduates from high school or 19-years-old at the latest. Experienced attorneys understand the child support guidelines and may be able to guide one through the process.
Source: Illinois General Assembly, “750 ILCS 5/505(g)” accessed on June 15, 2015