In Illinois, parenting time and a parent’s duty to support his or her children are two completely separate issues. Every parent who has not formally lost his or her legal status as a parent has an obligation to provide financial support to his or her children. Child support is proportional to the parent’s income and financial means and can be awarded whether or not the parent owing child support gets parenting time. Illinois courts have one goal – to do what is in the best interests of the child in accordance with the law. If your child is owed child support but also needs to be protected from your co-parent, you need to speak with a Will County, IL child custody and child support attorney.
Who is Obligated to Pay Child Support?
All parents have a legal duty to financially support their children. Normally, it is the parent who has less parenting time – or no parenting time at all – who pays child support. You can file a legal demand for child support as soon as you have legally established your child’s parentage. Legally establishing parentage means proving to the court who your child’s parents are.