Child Support Calculator

Illinois Child Support Calculator

Illinois Child Support Calculator

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How does this Illinois Child Support Calculator work?

Income of Parent 1 (Gross monthly Income in $)

In this field, you would enter the gross monthly income of one of the parents. It can be the custodial parent or the non-custodial parent. If it is a 50/50 split, it doesn’t really matter. Just make sure when you enter the Parenting Time Split lower down, that it is the % of time with Parent 1 (the gross monthly income you are entering in this first field

Income of Parent 2 (Gross monthly Income in $)

This is the gross monthly income of parent 2. This could be the custodial or non-custodial parent. Be sure that Parent 1 income and Parenting Time Split are in alignment.

Parenting Time Split (% of time with Parent 1)

You should know your parenting time split. If you know it as 40/60, or 70/30, you will need to know the %. If you are in a 70/30 parenting time split, and “Parent 1” whose gross monthly income is in the first field above, has the children 70 percent of the time and you have them thirty percent of the time, then the Parenting Time Split for this calculator should be set to 70%.

Number of children

This should be obvious, but if you have a more complex custody arrangement, step-children, etc, then it could impact the actual amount of child support

Healthcare Premium Contributions for the Child ($)

If you have more than one child with potential healthcare premium contributions, enter the total amount of all children. ** This number should be entered as a negative because it is considered an expense. For example, if the monthly healthcare premium for all children is $500, then enter “-500” into the field.

Extraordinary Educational or Medical Expenses ($)

This field is for any established and ongoing educational or medical needs. These medical needs would be those beyond the regular monthly healthcare premiums paid. You should enter this as a negative number because it is an expense. For example, “-500”

Once you have all fields entered, hit calculate

You MUST type something in each field, even if it is just “0.”

Understanding Illinois Child Support Guidelines

Illinois follows an income shares model to determine child support obligations, which considers the combined income of both parents and the number of children. This model aims to ensure that children receive the same financial support they would have if their parents lived together, regardless of the parenting time split.

How Child Support is Calculated

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) provides a formula based on:

  • Both Parents’ Incomes – The court considers the combined net income of both parents. The parents' income usually has the most significant impact on the overall child support agreement. Clients often ask us what the average child support payment is, and we have to tell them it varies significantly.
  • Number of Children – The percentage of income allocated for child support increases with more children.
  • Parenting Time – If a parent has at least 146 overnight stays per year (40% of the time), a shared parenting adjustment may apply. The parenting time split also has a significant impact on the child support agreement.
  • Other Expenses – Courts may include costs like health insurance, daycare, and extracurricular activities.

Can Child Support Be Modified?

Yes, child support orders can be modified if there is a substantial change in circumstances, such as:

  • A significant increase or decrease in either parent’s income
  • Changes in parenting time or custody arrangements
  • Additional expenses related to the child’s medical or educational needs
  • Child support modification laws occasionally change, and it's best to stay up to date if you anticipate needing to change your child support agreement.

Enforcement of Child Support Orders

Failure to pay child support in Illinois can lead to enforcement actions, including:

  • Wage garnishment
  • Suspension of driver’s or professional licenses
  • Tax refund interception
  • Contempt of court penalties
  • Retroactive child support

If you need assistance with establishing, modifying, or enforcing child support, our experienced family law attorneys are here to help. Contact us today to discuss your case.

Why O'Flaherty Law?

Cost-Effective

When we started our firm in the midst of the recession, we learned to survive in a lean environment and pass the savings on to our clients.  As the economy has improved, we have not changed our philosophy.  We are hungry to grow our client base, and so we have intentionally set our rates below what the market will bear.  Our mission is to make each client walk away feeling that they got more value than they paid for.  This is easier to do when we make our prices affordable.

Client-Focused

The secret to our success as a firm is incredibly simple: we build a personal relationship with each of our clients and treat them with the respect that they deserve.  We pride ourselves on our open lines of communication, frequent check-ins with our clients, and our accessibility.  We are here to help you in any way we can, often leveraging our network of resources to assist you with non-legal issues that you may be having.  We are your one-stop problem-solver and trusted adviser.  All attorneys say that they provide excellent client service, but, unlike other attorneys, we practice what we preach.  We make sure every client walks away happy . . . period.

Comprehensive

We are your community law firm.  Our business is built on long-term relationships with our clients.  Our clients have the luxury of building trust over time with one team of attorneys, rather than having to find a new attorney for each different type of matter that arises over the course of their lives.  No one attorney can be experienced at everything.  That is why we have worked hard to assemble a team of attorneys with extensive experience in different areas of experience.  Our attorneys work together closely to bring our collective experience to bear on any issue that may arise for our clients.

Great at What We Do

Since our business comes entirely from referrals and community involvement, our reputation for quality legal work is our greatest asset . . . and it is extremely important to us.  Each of our attorneys is truly experienced in his or her practice areas, with the highest personal standards of excellence.  We are proud of our reputation in the community, and we did not achieve it by accident.  Our reputation for excellence comes from hard work, continuing education, and an above-and-beyond approach to our clients’ cases.