DuPage County Family Law Attorney for Child-Related Expenses

Lawyers Helping Parents Address Expenses Not Covered by Child Support in Wheaton and Naperville

All parents, including those who are married, divorced, unmarried, or separated, are expected to provide for their children's financial needs. During a divorce or child custody case, the parents' child support obligations will be determined based on the income they each earn (income shares) and their percentage of parenting time. In addition to these obligations, there are also a variety of other expenses that may be necessary to address children's ongoing needs. Parents will want to work with a skilled family law attorney to ensure that these costs are divided correctly.

The lawyers of McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp, P.C. are dedicated to providing legal help to parents in divorce and family law cases, and we have over 100 combined years of legal experience. We can help you understand what expenses you may need to address when raising your children, and we will work with you to ensure that both parents contribute toward meeting your children's needs.

Dividing Child-Related Expenses Between Parents

The child support obligations calculated in a divorce or child custody case are based on the amount that parents would have been likely to spend to care for their children if they had remained married. These obligations are meant to address children's basic, daily needs, including nutrition, clothing, and a place to live. However, parents will also need to cover multiple other types of costs when raising their children. To address these needs, the child support statute in Illinois (750 ILCS 5/505) defines other expenses that parents may be required to contribute toward, including:

• Health insurance - Parents will typically be required to ensure that children are included in an insurance policy that provides medical, dental, and vision coverage. Children may be added to a health insurance plan provided by either parent's employer, or other types of coverage may be purchased to ensure that children's medical needs will be met. The actual amount of health insurance premiums that go toward providing coverage for children will be divided between the parents.
• Medical expenses - While child support obligations are meant to address some basic, out-of-pocket medical expenses, parents may also be required to divide the costs of extraordinary health care needs and expenses that are not covered by insurance. These may include unreimbursed medical, dental, orthodontic, or vision expenses; prescription medications; assistive devices for children with disabilities or special needs; or any necessary physical, psychological, or occupational therapy.
• Child care - Parents will typically be required to divide the costs of daycare or other child services that are needed while a parent is working, pursuing employment, or receiving education or training that will help improve their employment opportunities. In addition to tuition or fees for a daycare or child care program, expenses may include deposits needed to secure placement in a program, before or after school programs, or camps attended by a child during school vacations or holidays.
• Extracurricular activities - Children may participate in activities at their school or through other programs that are meant to enhance their "educational, athletic, social, or cultural development." Parents may be ordered to contribute to the costs of these activities.

Child-related expenses may be divided equally between parents, or they may be prorated, with each parent paying a percentage of the expenses based on the amount they contribute toward their combined income. In addition to child support and expenses for minor children, divorced parents may also be required to help pay for children's college expenses or provide other forms of non-minor support according to Section 513 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.

Contact Our Will County Child Support Attorneys

At McSwain Nagle Giese & Rapp, P.C., we will work with you to make sure all expenses involved in raising your children are considered during your divorce or family law case. We can help you provide for your children and ensure that they receive the financial support they need. To arrange a free consultation, contact us by calling 630-407-1200. We assist parents with child support and expenses in Wheaton, Carol Stream, Naperville, Glendale Heights, Winfield, Glen Ellyn, Warrenville, and throughout all of DuPage, Cook, Kendal, Kane, and Will Counties.