In this article, our McHenry County Child support attorneys discuss recent changes to Illinois child support laws. We explain the new way in which child support amounts are calculated. Illinois will now follow many other states in converting to the “income shares model” in order to calculate child support. Under this model, child support will be calculated using both parents’ income and cost of living. The number of children involved is also taken into account in child support calculations.
Prior to 2017, Illinois child support law awarded child support based on only the non-custodial parent's income. The new law now considers both parents' incomes in an "income shares" model, which may cause some parents' child support amounts to increase, while others' amounts will decrease.
