Aurora, IL Child Expenses Lawyers

Trusted Attorneys Addressing Extracurricular and Medical Expenses, Child Care, and More in Aurora, Illinois

Regardless of a family's circumstances, a child has the right to expect support from both of his or her parents. This is true even if the relationship between the parents is contentious or non-existent. While emotional support and love are certainly ideal, the state of Illinois only has the power to enforce requirements for financial support. The statutes that govern child support in the state can be confusing and overwhelming, but with assistance from a lawyer who understands these laws, parents can make sure their children's needs will be addressed correctly.

Attorney Matthew M. Williams and the team at The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. have been serving families in Kane County, Kendall County, and DuPage County for more than 20 years. If you are an unmarried, separated, divorcing, or divorced parent seeking financial support from your child's other parent, or if you have been asked to pay more child support than you can reasonably afford, we can assist you. We can help you negotiate a solution that serves your child's best interests while protecting your rights.

Child Support in Illinois

Orders for child support are established based on guidelines provided in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. These guidelines typically require the parent with less parenting time to pay support to help address the day-to-day needs of the child, including housing, clothes, food, and other essentials. The amount of support a parent pays is generally calculated using the parents' combined income, each parent's individual income, the number of children requiring support, and, in some cases, the number of overnight stays children will have with each parent in a given year.

Additional Child Expenses

While child support is intended to provide for the child's basic needs, the law recognizes that there are often other expenses that arise in the course of raising a child. Both parents should share these expenses as well, and the law gives the court the power to require additional contributions from each parent.

Specifically, if the court deems that the expenses are reasonable and necessary, it may order parents to divide the costs of:

• Health Insurance Premiums: Parents are usually required to ensure that children have insurance coverage, and the costs of covering children on either parent's employer-provided health care plan will typically be divided between the parents.
• Medical and Health Care Expenses Not Paid for by Insurance: Additional costs may include copayments, deductibles, and out-of-pocket amounts, as well as services that are not covered by a health insurance plan.
• Child Care: To ensure that each parent can work or attend school, the costs of daycare, private childcare services, or babysitting by family members may be shared by parents.
• Education: Parents may share the costs of tuition at a public or private school, if deemed to be appropriate by the court, required by an IEP, or agreed upon by the parents. Other expenses, such as books, uniforms, or other supplies, may also be divided.
• Extracurricular Activities: When children participate in sports, clubs, community service organizations, or religious youth groups, parents may be required to share the costs of these activities.

Examples of additional expenses that may need to be addressed by parents include the costs involved in treating serious health issues. If a child has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy or another serious illness, it is more than likely that specialized medical care, custom equipment, and other forms of treatment will be needed. This will result in added expenses for a household. A parent who provides the majority of the care may need to take steps to receive financial assistance from the other parent to address these costs.

In some cases, additional expenses may be added to a child support order. In other situations, parents may agree to notify each other of certain expenses and share these costs. If necessary, parents can request modifications of child support orders to account for new expenses that have arisen. Our attorneys will work diligently on behalf of our clients to make sure all expenses will be addressed correctly in child support orders.

Contact Our Aurora, Illinois Child Support and Children's Expenses Attorneys

If you would like to learn more about how the costs of raising your children may be addressed through child support, The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. can answer your questions and provide you with legal representation during your case. Contact our Aurora child support lawyers at 630-409-8184 to schedule a free, confidential consultation at our office.