Unmarried with Children: Why an Unmarried Parent may Owe Child Support Payments in Chicago after a Separation
Often some of the most controversial issues that come up in Chicago divorce cases are the matters of child custody and child support. Under Chicago marriage and family laws, when a married couple gets divorced, and children were born or adopted in the marriage, child custody will be determined during the divorce proceedings. This means that who the child will primarily live with and be taken care of and who will make important life decisions on behalf of the child are issues that must be resolved when married parents decide to get a divorce. However, many parents who have children were never married to begin with, and the divorce process is not available when they decide to part ways. Many unmarried parents in Chicago may wonder, then, whether they may ultimately be required to pay child support if they are not the custodial parent of the child. In order to help Chicago parents who are going through a separation but who were never married better understand their rights and obligations under Illinois and family laws, we provide answers to that question here.
Unmarried Parents and Child Support – Who May be Required to Pay?
Under Illinois marriage and family laws, certain individuals may bring a case for child support payments, regardless of whether the parents of the child were legally married or not. Under Illinois Compiled Statute 750 ILCS 46, the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015, the child, mother of the child, pregnant woman, or man or woman presumed to be or claiming to be the parent of the child may bring a petition for child support in the event of separation. The amount of child support to be paid is typically determined by the court and depends on a number of factors under Illinois laws.
Legal Help for Unmarried Parents Seeking Child Support
Even if a Chicago parent may not have ever been married to their child’s other parent, when it is time to end the relationship, it may make sense to speak with an experienced Chicago separation lawyer. An experienced Chicago separation lawyer who also has experience handling child support matters can help you determine your rights to child support under Illinois laws and advocate for you to get child support payments due to you. An experienced Chicago separation lawyer understands the ins-and-outs of Illinois marriage and family laws, and the family law court system, and can help advise you as to whether you may be entitled to child support payments in your separation, and how much you may be entitled to.
The experienced Chicago legal separation lawyers at Birnbaum Gelfman Sharma & Arnoux, LLC are here to help Chicago parents get child support payments due in separation cases. The lawyers at Birnbaum Gelfman Sharma & Arnoux, LLC offer a confidential consultation to learn about your case and to see if they can help fight for you. Contact the law office of Birnbaum Gelfman Sharma & Arnoux, LLC today and speak to an experienced Chicago separation lawyer about your rights today.
