Lake County Child Support Lawyer

Illinois Family Law Attorney

Child support is considered a right for the child to receive and an obligation for every parent to provide. Although the money is paid directly to the primary residential parent, it is intended to be financial support for the child, to cover daily living expenses and the cost of services and goods the child needs to grow into adulthood.

Paying child support does not guarantee a parent custody or visitation rights. That is done with a child custody order. In a similar fashion, nonpayment of child support does not allow a custodial parent to prevent the non-paying parent from seeing his or her child.

At the Law Office of Cynthia L. Lazar I help parents obtain and modify child support orders, enforce orders against parents who have not paid their court-ordered child support, and help parents who are in arrears in their child support get back in compliance. As a Lake County child support attorney, I have more than 20 years of experience in family law, with the skill and experience you need to resolve any child support problem.

Obtaining Support

The parent who does not have primary residence of a child or children will usually be required to pay child support. The courts determine the amount of child support based on Illinois Child Support Guidelines; however, an additional factor that may be considered when arriving at a child support order is medical/behavioral conditions and disability care.

Modification of Support

Circumstances can change. Either parent may have lost employment or unforeseen child care expenses may arise. If there has been a significant change in circumstances, you may be entitled to modify a child support order. We can assist you with petitioning the court for this modification.

Enforcement

Even though the court may order child support payments, this does not mean payment will always arrive on time. If you are the parent who receives child support and are not receiving payments on time, know that you are legally entitled to receive that support for your children. We can help with this by seeking to enforce the court order. Consequences of not paying child support may include suspension of driving privileges, wage garnishments and even jail time.

Arrears

Defending against child support payments that are in arrears can be difficult. However, there is no obligation to pay more support than is required by law, and there is no right to receive more than the law sets out. As your attorney, I will help you make certain that your child support order is a fair one.

Contact my office in Libertyville, Illinois, [Link to Contact] for advice on the support or maintenance issues in your case.