child support?

Question

i have my first child support hearing can anyone tell me what to expect im super nervous. im the one pursuing the child support from my daughters father. she is 8 yrs old and he has never helped us out. we live in illinois. thanks

well maybe i should also tell you that i am now married and have two more children how will that effect the case??? he hasnt seen her in about 5 yrs(my daughter ) my husband has taken full responsiblity for my daughter. he works two jobs and i also work so will this end up causing us problems or does his income not effect the case??

also i was told i didnt need to bring anything should i bring anything????

Answer 1

Try this site..http://www.childsupport-aces.org/
and best of luck to you. I never received any and I hope you do ( my son is in his 20s now )

Answer 2

Child support isn't the "he said/she said" it used to be. For all states now there are formulas applied that take into account the income available from both parties and divide the amount of support and medical payments based on that.

If you have an "above the board" relationship (no hidden income, etc.) it should be a pretty uneventful meeting/arbitration/mediation.

Know in advance though that if you are going through the local "friend of the court" services, they can't negotiate a new child support amount - they must issue a recommendation based on the statutory formula as the state has determined this is "in the best interest of the child/children." Any deviation from this must be negotiated outside of the FOC and then filed with the court.

Answer 3

Don't be nervous, I went through the same thing. They will ask about both of your occupations and your wages. How often he gets paid. They will calculate how much you will be receiving from him. And they will tell both of you if there are ever any changes to let them know. Especially him with his income and all. They will most likely ask him why come he hasn't been there for his child. You will come out good. Don't worry.

Answer 4

I was in a similar situation.For me,when it looked like pursuing support was going to be a long and stressful process I decided it just wasn't worth it.Eventually my new partner adopted my daughter and now we ,like you have two more children.Since the adoption the aminosity has faded and there is a limited amount of contact by phonewhich is friendly.I think I did the right thing in my case as in a few short years my daughter will want to meet her birth father and now the way is open and friendly.The money is not always worth fighting for!

Answer 5

I hope the information you find here is helpful in easing your nerves.

First off, child support is not based on anything in IL save income and per-existing child support orders. If you are the custodial parent and can prove him to be the father, then it's simply a question of him paying 20% of his after-tax income for one child.

In Illinois, it's pretty cut and dried.

Answer 6

Don't expect to get back support, most states don't allow that unless there was a court order requiring it already in place.

It's not really anything to get nervous about, it's pretty cut and dry. The judge (or whoever) will look at the facts, amounts you each make, how much he visits the child and decide on the amount.

Answer 7

first off..dont be nervous..i know its easy to say but you'll be fine. i had to go thru this once and im sure alot of other parents have been in ur shoes. Although my support agreement is in NY it should be pretty similar...the court will want to know if paternity was ever established, how much $ u make, your expenses, is your child covered by medical insurance...they will asking the "father" the same thing....when we went to court years ago the standard was 17% of our combined incomes...I also asked the court to ganish my ex's wages b/c i knew he would never pay voluntarily. If paternity is established you should ask the court to make your ex pay back child support, if he hasnt paid it...the responsibility shouldnt all be on you. good luck

Answer 8

Even if this was your 15th marriage.... HE is responsiblefinancially for your daughter, until she is 18 (or graduates college), even if he hasn't seen her EVER. You will probably have to say nothing @ the hearing. Seems black and white to me. He will have to pay the child support owed before leaving the court, or go to jail.

Answer 9

Just let your attorney handle it for you; of course you're nervous; you're human =) It's hard to answer on what to expect based on info your attorney has for the judge and what your ex can provide or say etc....either way; he's going to have to pay if he's the father =) Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 10

Here is the illinois child support calculator