Chicago Divorce Attorney Russ Discusses Child Support and Shared Custody in Illinois
Chicago divorce lawyer Russell Knight releases a new article that explains how child support and shared custody work in Illinois. According to the lawyer, child support is usually awarded to the parent who is present with the child most of the time.
According to the Chicago divorce lawyer, “An Illinois family law court has the power to award child support. The amount of that child support is not so clear to the layperson or even most attorneys. In reality, we all use online calculators to determine child support but it is important to know the principles that those online calculators operate. Illinois law imposes a series of byzantine steps in order to calculate child support.”
The lawyer explains that Illinois has a child support schedule that both parents must follow. This schedule includes hundreds of incomes combined in $25-100 increments. It can be used to calculate each parent’s child support share. After determining the amount of child support obligation, each parent can calculate their percentage.
Attorney Russell Knight mentions that the child support obligation is multiplied by 1.5 to determine the amount. This number is then to be divided by how much time the obligor has with the child. The two amounts of support are then added together. The lower child support amount is subtracted from the higher child support amount.
The article explains how many parents agree to custody or parenting time which allows for a 50/50 split in the children’s time. However, equal parenting time does not automatically mean that one parent does not owe the other child support.
Furthermore, attorney Knight also says that all the decisions made by the court are based on the best interests of the child. Sometimes, a parent who spends the majority of the time with the children may have to pay child support to the other parent who only sees the children sporadically.
The Chicago divorce lawyer stresses the importance of consulting an experienced lawyer regarding matters such as child support. A skilled attorney can help clients understand their rights and determine if they are able to get a favorable result.
About The Law Office of Russell D. Knight
The Law Office of Russell D. Knight was established in 2009 by the divorce attorney Russell D. Knight. The lawyer’s love for family law is demonstrated by the numerous articles personally written by the lawyer. Russell is a licensed lawyer throughout Florida and Illinois. The attorney has a legal practice in both states and employs an entire staff of paralegals and attorneys in the two states of Chicago, Illinois, and Naples, Florida. Contact them today at (773) 334-6311.