Child Support Lawyers in Waukegan, IL

Every parent has the duty to provide the necessities of life for their children. The law generally does not dictate the level of support for a child living in an intact home with both parents, but when divorce or other circumstances change this, there are strict rules concerning such support especially from non-custodial parents. The court may follow guidelines to determine the amount and type of support, but they will see each case as unique although there are some general factors to consider:

• The child’s standard of living before the current circumstances
• The paying parent’s ability to pay
• The custodians’ needs and income
• The extra needs of the child including educational cost, daycare expenses, medical expenses, and health insurance or special health care needs

The amount of child support is modifiable under certain circumstances. The court usually will not grant the request unless there has been some fairly significant circumstance that justifies the change. An increase in the cost of living can warrant an upward modification, but generally, periodic increases are provided for in the original order.

An order for child support issued by the court in one state will be enforced by the courts in other states. If an order is ignored, the original court may issue an arrest warrant, and the delinquency can show up on the payer’s credit report and certain rights such as obtaining a driver’s license may be denied. It is imperative to get our legal help before these problems occur, as they are much easier to control before they get out of hand. It is easier to keep a clean driver’s license record or credit report than to change a bad one. Our lawyers at DLP will aggressively protect your rights and your records.