What it is: ongoing payments for the support and needs of minor child(ren). In Illinois, child support follows guidelines based on the combined incomes of both parents and the number of children.
What this means for you: child support is separate from child-related expenses (below) — healthcare, daycare, education. Payments are usually made by the parent with less parenting time. Modifying or enforcing support requires a court order — not just an informal agreement between parents.
How Illinois does it now (the “income shares” model): both parents’ incomes are combined, the guideline assigns a total support amount for the number of children, and each parent pays their share. Parenting time affects the math — more overnights with the paying parent can reduce the amount.
Watch out for: child support is enforced hard — wage withholding, tax-refund intercepts, even license suspension for arrears. And it doesn’t end automatically at 18 if college expenses were ordered. Know exactly when (and whether) your obligation stops.
