12Law Arrow 12Law Arrow  Easy Questions  
12Law Arrow 12Law Arrow Instant Legal Documents
 
 
FINANCIAL & MARITAL

Cohabitation Agreement coming soon!
Separation Agreement coming soon!
No-Fault Divorce coming soon!
Bankruptcy coming soon!
 
 

Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Child Support in Stoy, IL

Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Child Support in Stoy, IL


You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
 
- Maya Angelou


In many scenarios it is not required to have a lawyer to file for child support. You can file for child support yourself by filing the appropriate forms at your local Probate and Family Court.

You can also get orders for: 1) protection from abuse; 2) establishing paternity; 3) custody and visitation; 4) divorce; and 5) modification of an existing child support order if circumstances have changed. After you file your complaint, you may need to get it served by a sheriff or a constable. While there may be filing fees involved, you may be able to get them waived if your income is low or if you are on public assistance.

Many judges are patient and understanding with plaintiffs who do not have a lawyer. Child support is usually a standard calculation based on expenses and income and the court can help in enforcing the support collection.The federal Family Support Act of 1988 required every state to establish numerical child support guidelines. The guidelines are designed to overcome three of the persistent problems in the award of child support: 1) insufficient levels of support; 2) inconsistency of criteria used by judges; and 3) inefficiency in the adjudication of child support. They also serve to make the process more straightforward for custodial parents seeking child support without a lawyer.

The state guidelines are designed to balance the child's needs and the non-custodial parents' ability to pay. In most states, the basic child support obligation is calculated by combining the incomes of the parents and multiplying that figure by the percentages set forth in the guidelines. These percentages vary according to the number of children. This number, the total child support obligation due, is then assigned to the parents according to the proportion of their individual contributions to the parents' total income. The guidelines may be modified to award additional support for 1) child-care expenses; 2) maintenance of health and life insurance, or reimbursement of health-care expenses; 3) private school and college tuition; and 4) child-care expenses for parents seeking work.

Courts have the discretion to deviate from the guidelines for unique circumstances such as: 1) educational needs of either parent; 2) the needs of other children supported by the noncustodial parent; 3) extraordinary expenses required for the noncustodial parent to visit their children. In most cases, child support is awarded based on wages of the noncustodial parent reported on income tax returns.

Support is based on parenthood not marriage and may be awarded during or after a marriage, in a divorce proceeding, or in a separate support proceeding whether or not the parties have ever been married. The proceeding is usually relatively simple, because the issues are generally limited to the application of guidelines percentages to the income of the parents. In most states, the court will order that the child support be deducted from the noncustodial parent's wages by their employer and transmitted automatically to the custodial parent.

If the noncustodial parent falls behind on child support payments, there are many enforcement vehicles available in most states. These include income garnishing (deducting money from the noncustodial parent's wages), making a negative report to credit reporting agencies, collecting past-due child support from lottery prizes, intercepting tax refunds, seizing property (e.g. real estate and bank accounts), etc.

Many states have a parent locator service. If the noncustodial parent lives in a different state, the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act ("URESA") or a comparable statuteprovides for interstate collection of child support.

Transfers of assets to avoid payment of child support can often be set aside by a court. Furthermore, if the court determines that a parent transferred away resources to avoid child support obligations, that could form the basis for a finding of willful violation of a court order and result in a jail sentence.

Contact your local child support enforcement agency for more information.

If you are the noncustodial parent who is faced with child support that is more than you can pay, it may be possible to get the support order lowered to a more manageable level, especially if circumstances have changed.

Only you can decide if hiring a lawyer is right for you. Check out 12Law.com for listings of lawyers in your neighborhood.
 
Personalize & Print a Free IL Last Will Create This Document
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
 
Personalize & Print a Free IL Living Will Create This Document
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Related Legal Services near Stoy, IL
John W McNulty
9654 W 131st St
Palos Park, IL 60464
(224) 218-9939
Criminal Law Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  Divorce Attorneys,  Immigration Law Attorneys,  Atto
Greiman Beau T
24115 103rd St # B
Naperville, IL 60564
(630) 369-9901
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
Gordan Elias M
PO Box 60
Palos Park, IL 60464
(708) 923-9735
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys
Harvey Morris Lane
2029 Broadway St
Mount Vernon, IL 62864
(618) 244-9544
Attorneys
Parrish Troy J
1112 Broadway St
Mount Vernon, IL 62864
(618) 244-9543
Attorneys,  Criminal Law Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  Accident & Property Damage Attorneys,  D
Brink Dana
1414 Salem Rd
Mount Vernon, IL 62864
(618) 244-9404
Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  Mediation Services,  General Practice Attorneys,  Legal Service P
Cheryl A Powell
1908 Broadway St
Mount Vernon, IL 62864
(618) 246-9370
Attorneys
Powell Cheryl A
407 S 27th St # B
Mount Vernon, IL 62864
(618) 246-9370
Child Custody Attorneys, Attorneys, Family Law Attorneys
Lynch Kevin
3075 Book Rd
Naperville, IL 60564
(630) 904-9365
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
Ehlers Law Office
825 New Baldwin Rd
New Athens, IL 62264
(618) 475-9350
Attorneys, Family Law Attorneys, Bankruptcy Law Attorneys
Henderson Law Offices
44 Old Creek Rd
Palos Park, IL 60464
(708) 361-9000
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys
Marker & Associates- PC
4015 Plainfield Naperville Rd Suite 200
Naperville, IL 60564
(630) 923-8900
Litigation & Tort Attorneys, Attorneys, Accident & Property Damage Attorneys, Personal Injury Law At
Law Offices LTD
203 Armory Ct
Streator, IL 61364
(815) 672-8878
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
Reilly James T
7 Dannys Dr # 1
Streator, IL 61364
(815) 672-8505
Attorneys, Criminal Law Attorneys, Social Security & Disability Law Attorneys, Corporation & Partner
Hanagan & McGovern
123 S 10th St
Mount Vernon, IL 62864
(866) 962-8334
Accident & Property Damage Attorneys,  Attorneys,  Employee Benefits & Worker Compensation Attorneys
Greiman Beau T
4003 Plainfield Naperville Rd # 207
Naperville, IL 60564
(630) 536-8249
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
Karen Walin Law Offices
23648 Royal Worlington Dr
Naperville, IL 60564
(630) 922-8131
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
Craig & Craig Attys
115 N 7th St
Mount Vernon, IL 62864
(618) 244-7511
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
Dumbroff Norman
3575 Tralee Ct
Naperville, IL 60564
(630) 978-7307
General Practice Attorneys
Herr & Herr
1040 W Howard St
Pontiac, IL 61764
(815) 844-7128
Real Estate Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Flummer James A
PO Box 399
Mounds, IL 62964
(618) 745-6867
Attorneys
Bankruptcy & Debt Relief Legal
404 S Blanche St
Mounds, IL 62964
(618) 745-6752
Legal Service Plans,  Attorneys,  Business Bankruptcy Law Attorneys,  Bankruptcy Law Attorneys
McCann Donna Attorney
404 S Blanche St
Mounds, IL 62964
(618) 745-6752
Attorneys
Mc Cann Patrick
404 S Blanche St
Mounds, IL 62964
(618) 745-6752
Attorneys
12Law.com   |  NASHVILLE, TN USA   |  CONTACT US