The question of child support seems to be a basic question, but one that sometimes causes confusion. It used to be some years ago that the noncustodial parent was obligated to pay child support to the parent with the “primary custody of the child or children.” Illinois has largely done away with old concepts of child custody and child support, and now centers its laws on allocating more equally the parenting time of the children, and setting support such that both parents’ incomes are factored in.
Child support is now calculated using an “income shares” model, which considers both parents’ incomes and the number of children. The key factors in determining child support include: