Every child deserves to have a safe, comfortable home in which to grow up. When parents get divorced, one of the court’s main duties is to make decisions that will benefit the children of the marriage. Often, this means that one of the spouses will be compelled to make child support payments to the other in order to help them raise the children.
When Is Child Support Awarded?
Child support is almost universally granted to one of the spouses during a divorce that involves the parents of minor children. Illinois courts base their child support decisions on an “income shares” model. This model considers both parents’ incomes and the number of children, as well as the amount of parenting time each parent has. The amount of child support is based on an estimation of the total cost of raising the child. This cost is then equitably divided between the parents based on each of their respective net incomes. The parent with more parenting time will usually receive the support payments.
Can I Appeal a Child Support Order?
If you believe that a mistake was made when the court awarded child support, you have the right to appeal the decision. However, a person ordered to pay child support cannot appeal the decision just because they do not like the result. In order to appeal a child support order, a petitioner must have legal grounds to do so. For example, if you believe that insufficient evidence or prejudice played a role in the ruling, you may benefit from appealing the decision.
...