If you are getting divorced in Illinois, and have a child under the age of 18 (and in some cases, even a child older than 18), you may be wondering whether you will need to pay child support. When you have your child’s best interests at heart, it is important to know what to expect as you prepare yourself emotionally and financially for life after a divorce. To learn more about how child support works in Illinois, read on, and then contact a highly-skilled divorce attorney for advice. 

Who Pays Child Support? 

Child support payments in Illinois are calculated using the “income shares” model. This model uses both parents’ net incomes, and, along with the amount of time each child spends with each parent, determines whether one parent needs to pay child support. Child support payments are meant to cover a child’s everyday expenses like clothing, food and housing, as well as the costs of education, healthcare and other wellness needs. While the parent with the majority of parenting time is usually the parent to receive child support payments, this is not always the case. 

How Long Do Child Support Payments Last? 

Child support typically ends once a child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever comes later. If you have more than one child, you can have your child support payments modified as each successive child turns 18. 

While the aging process is never easy for the person going through it, watching someone you love as they age can be just as difficult. This is especially true when a parent’s mental or physical health begins to decline rapidly but the parent is resisting the help they need. An elderly person’s situation may become dire before family members realize something is really wrong. In cases like this, even if your loved one has a solid estate plan and powers of attorney in place, you may need something more: legal guardianship. If you live in Illinois and any of the following situations apply to you and your parent, you may want to consider petitioning a court for guardianship. 

Your Parent Will Not Consent to a Power of Attorney

The term “power of attorney” refers to the legal authority for one person to act on behalf of someone else. If your parent is clearly in need of help–for example, if she can no longer pay her own bills–someone will need to step in with the authority to make financial transactions on her behalf. But if a parent will not consent to give that power, you may need to petition for guardianship instead. Whereas a power of attorney is assigned voluntarily by the person whom the power of attorney represents, a guardian is assigned by a court. 

Major Financial Decisions Need to Be Made

Sometimes having a power of attorney is not enough. Because the authority of someone with power of attorney is often limited in scope, major financial decisions may need help from a guardian. For example, if a parent’s property needs to be sold, a court may need to appoint a guardian to manage these complex financial transactions. 

An engagement ring is an object with a deep sentimental feeling attached to it, but it is also often the most valuable asset a young couple owns at the beginning of their marriage. When a marriage falls apart and a couple files for divorce, it is understandable that both spouses may have strong feelings as to the entitlement of the ring; the spouse who gifted the ring may feel as though a promise has been broken, while the spouse who wears the ring may feel as though gifts cannot be taken back. 

When a valuable engagement ring is at stake, what happens if the engagement is broken off? And, if a couple is married, how do they know whether the ring should be considered marital or personal property? Read on to find the answers to these questions and then contact an Oak Park divorce attorney for help with your case. 

When Does an Engagement Ring Have to Be Given Back? 

Engagement rings are different from other gifts that lovers give to each other; generally speaking, even a very expensive gift does not need to be returned if an engagement is called off. An engagement ring, however, is a gift given in exchange for the promise of marriage. If an engagement is called off, whether the ring must be returned depends on who ended the relationship. 

Parents of minor children who are getting divorced in Illinois (as well as parents who were never married but who share a minor child) will suddenly find that their parenting abilities and habits are under a magnifying glass. Things that seemed fairly mundane before, such as spending time with the children, making important decisions or deciding to move for a new job, are now under tight restrictions detailed at great length in a legally-binding parenting agreement. 

To make sure that you give your children the best chance of success after a divorce, and to ensure you do not run afoul of Illinois family law, it is important to understand the difference between the two primary categories contained in a parenting plan: “Parental responsibilities” (formerly known as “custody”) and “parenting time” (formerly known as “visitation”). 

What are “Parental Responsibilities”? 

“Parental responsibilities” is a term that refers to the rights to make important decisions on behalf of a minor child. Parents often split parental responsibilities, although sometimes one parent may have all of the parental responsibilities allocated to them. If parents can collaborate when creating their parenting agreement, this split can be customized in any number of creative ways. 

Even as the negative consequences of using social media become increasingly clear, nearly everyone has a social media account on at least one platform. And while social media has been shown to have a negative effect on marriage, perhaps the effects of inappropriate social media use during an Illinois divorce can be even worse. 

In fact, inappropriate social media behavior is so prevalent and so useful when it comes to arguing a divorce case that the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers states that 81 percent of divorce attorneys say that social media has helped a divorcing spouse search for evidence of bad behavior. Unfortunately for the spouse who posted it, this evidence can later end up in court. If you are getting divorced in Illinois, it is essential to understand harmful social media behaviors to avoid in order to secure the best possible outcome. 

Venting About Your Divorce

Many people use social media as an outlet for venting their frustrations and pain during divorce. After a frustrating court hearing or a rude email from a spouse, it can be tempting to get online and seek sympathy from friends and family. But even though you may not be “friends” with your spouse on social media, it is not hard to access posts through friends or burner accounts. Nasty posts could trigger retaliation from a spouse and even end up in the hands of your children.