What Every Divorcing Parent In Chicago Needs To Know About Potential Hidden Costs In Child Support

For most divorcing couples in Chicago who have children from the marriage, one of the most important and key issues during the divorce process is child custody. Child custody refers to both legal child custody –the rights and responsibilities of making important life decisions about the child — and physical child custody –who the child will live with — which are issues that the parties or the court must determine if there are children born in the marriage. In most states, the parent who has not been granted child custody, called the “noncustodial parent”, typically must pay child support, which is a monetary contribution for the care of the child.

Just like child custody, child support is often a contentious issue in Chicago divorce proceedings. Noncustodial parents may feel that they should not have to pay child support because they do not have physical or legal custody of the child, and, therefore, do not spend as much time with the child as the custodial parent. However, child support is a critical factor in divorce proceedings involving children and is an issue that must be hammered out by the parties by mutual agreement, or by a judge if the parties are unable to have a meeting of the minds. In most jurisdictions, including Chicago, child support is calculated by using methodologies set by state marriage and divorce laws, such as using the parents’ income as a basis to calculate child support payments.

Despite the fact that state laws govern basic child support payment calculations, there can be hidden costs in child support that custodial parents should know about, and should consider raising during child support determinations. These hidden costs may include:

• Child care: if both parents are working, and the child is not old enough to care for themselves, child care may be a hidden cost when it comes to child support. If your child will need child care, you should consider asking for child care in calculating child support payments.
• Sports and other extracurricular activities: equipment, transportation, lessons, training, uniforms and other costs associated with sports and extracurricular activities can add up, and are worth raising in discussions involving the calculation of child support payments.
• Educational costs: discussing plans for the child’s future when it comes to college or university is a good idea during the child support determination process. It is important to keep in mind that educational costs may vary depending on whether the child ultimately goes to college in-state or out of state, or to a public or private school.
• Costs for medical expenses: medical expenses not covered by insurance can be quite a financial burden for any parent. Factoring in these expenses is a good idea during the child support determination process.

Depending on your unique case, there may be other hidden costs in child support that you should consider when determining child support payments. The best way to determine which hidden costs may apply to your specific case is to contact an experienced Chicago divorce lawyer.

Help from A Chicago Divorce Lawyer

If you are seeking help for your Chicago divorce, contact the experienced and skilled Chicago divorce lawyers at Birnbaum Gelfman Sharma & Arnoux, LLC. The lawyers at Birnbaum Gelfman Sharma & Arnoux, LLC offer a confidential consultation to learn about your case and to see if they can help you. Contact Birnbaum Gelfman Sharma & Arnoux, LLC today and speak to a lawyer about your Chicago divorce case.