On a fundamental level, Illinois law seeks to ensure that a child’s basic needs are met and that whenever possible, both parents contribute financially to meet them. However, many parents find it important to provide their children with more than the basics, perhaps because they have the means to do so, or because their children have special needs that result in additional expenses. In the event of a divorce or any other situation involving a child support order between unmarried parents, it is important to consider the full range of expenses for which each parent should be expected to provide.

Extraordinary Child Support Expenses

The baseline amount that parents are expected to contribute to child support is determined in large part using a schedule of basic child support obligations maintained by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. The schedule considers the combined income level of the parents, as well as the regular annual costs of raising a child, including food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and minor educational and medical expenses.

In Illinois, both divorced and unmarried parents are obligated to contribute financially to child support for children under the age of 18, which covers their basic needs including food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, and regular daily expenses. However, many parents consider it important to pay for their children’s college education even after they have turned 18, and it can be challenging to account for this significant expense after a divorce when the parents’ assets have been divided. If you are a divorcing parent with a child who is in college or planning to attend in the future, you may want to take advantage of Illinois laws that allow you to address college expenses in your divorce agreement.

What College Costs Can Be Covered in a Divorce Agreement?

If the court determines that the situation calls for it, it can order both parents to contribute to college or vocational training expenses for a child up to the age of 23, and in some cases until the child turns 25. The order may account for a wide range of educational costs, including:

A divorce under the best circumstances still has its challenges. When parents split up and are no longer married, they are still responsible for supporting their children, both emotionally and financially. This is why child support orders are included in a final divorce decree. In Illinois, basic support payments are calculated according to the Income Shares model. This approach takes the combined net income of both parents into consideration when determining the amount each spouse is obligated to pay. However, what happens when a parent remarries, has more children, and gets divorced for a second time? Will the child support order for a second divorce be the same as the first divorce? It is helpful to seek professional legal counsel to find out how multiple marriages and children affect this type of financial support. 

Income Shares Model 

Once a couple has finalized their divorce, it is common for one spouse to pay child support, spousal maintenance, or both in some cases. Illinois law provides guidelines for determining this financial support. Remarriage can have an effect on the duration and amount of child support payments made to the custodial parent, which is the parent with the majority of the parental responsibilities. 

In 2017, Illinois changed its child support law to use the Income Shares model when calculating payment amounts. Previously, the number of children involved and only the obligor parent’s income were taken into consideration when determining a support order.