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 Zip Code 62445

Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Child Support in Zip Code 62445


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 Zip Code 62445
Rad & Associates
711 N McKinley Rd
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 535-9702
Attorneys Referral & Information Service, General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
Harvey Bennet
222 E Wisconsin Ave # 210
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 234-9696
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
Nottage & Ward
4 Market Square Ct # 2
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 735-9521
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Michael Pease PC Law Office
222 E Wisconsin Ave # 303C
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 604-9500
Attorneys,  General Practice Attorneys,  Attorneys Referral & Information Service,  Legal Service Pl
Berger Schatz
300 E Illinois Rd Ste 200
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 405-9500
Legal Service Plans, Attorneys, Family Law Attorneys, Divorce Attorneys
Horbenko Rachell M.
7527 N Seeley Ave
Chicago, IL 60645
(773) 818-9054
Attorneys, Real Estate Attorneys
Strachan III Thomas C
668 N Western Ave # B
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 735-9035
Attorneys
Lynne Hans Esq
1301 N Western Ave
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 906-8722
Attorneys,  Immigration Law Attorneys,  Litigation & Tort Attorneys,  Federal Law Attorneys,  Person
R S Hoover Ltd
444 Thorne Ln
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 295-8456
Insurance Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Reda & Des Jardins LTD
170 Washington Cir
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 735-8239
Corporation & Partnership Law Attorneys
Krentz & Krentz PC
100 W Main St
Plano, IL 60545
(630) 552-8213
Real Estate Attorneys, Attorneys, Mediation Services
Butler William J
1301 N Western Ave # 303
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 234-7733
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
Nathaniel Hsieh Law Office
2680 W Coyle Ave
Chicago, IL 60645
(773) 263-6900
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Bertucci James J
1401 N Western Ave # 3
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 234-6870
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Hutchen Bridget W
971 Coventry Dr
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 295-6535
Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  Adoption Law Attorneys,  Legal Service Plans
Kolom-Sutker Ethel
2955 W Farwell Ave
Chicago, IL 60645
(773) 338-6289
General Practice Attorneys
Kolasa Robert J
582 Oakwood Ave # 200
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 234-6262
Estate Planning Attorneys, Attorneys, Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Attorneys
Michael J. Sterling, PC
1 Durham Ct
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 235-5250
DUI & DWI Attorneys,  Criminal Law Attorneys,  Domestic Violence Attorneys,  Attorneys,  Traffic Law
Michael J Cummins
20 E Westleigh Rd
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 752-4681
Attorneys, Family Law Attorneys
US & Canada Immigration Inc
6403 N California Ave
Chicago, IL 60645
(773) 338-3200
Immigration Law Attorneys, Attorneys, Immigration & Naturalization Consultants
Jason Sager & Associates
6403 N California Ave
Chicago, IL 60645
(773) 338-3200
Bankruptcy Law Attorneys, Immigration Law Attorneys
Frank L. Vosholler III
14300 Kenton Ave
Midlothian, IL 60445
(708) 341-2060
Attorneys,  Attorneys Referral & Information Service,  Business Bankruptcy Law Attorneys,  Real Esta
Michael M Sieman
1300 N Waukegan Rd
Lake Forest, IL 60045
(847) 367-1778
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys
Rea Charles R
115 E South St
Plano, IL 60545
(630) 552-1050
Criminal Law Attorneys, Attorneys, Family Law Attorneys
12Law.com   |  NASHVILLE, TN USA   |  CONTACT US