Child support payments are a significant financial burden for some parents and an important source of funds for others. Whether you are a payor or a recipient, you should know when child support payments can and will stop. 

Child Support Ends When the Court Order Says It Ends 

Your child support order should specify the end point for paying child support. In most cases, child support will end when a child turns 18, the age of majority. However, if the child is still attending high school when they turn 18, child support must generally continue until the child graduates from high school or turns 19, whichever comes first. 

Historically, the legal need to establish paternity or parentage only arose when a child’s mother was not married to the child’s biological father at the time of the child’s birth. Today, questions of parentage can arise in numerous situations, including pregnancies involving:

Female couples, when one is the biological mother of the child.

Sticking to a consistent parenting time schedule may take a lot of effort on your part, but experts agree that having a predictable routine helps children feel more secure and confident. At some point, however, almost every child will put up a fuss when they have to pack up and shift to their other parent’s home. It is natural for a parent to feel conflicted in this situation. On one hand, you hate to do anything that creates undue stress for your child. On the other hand, if you do not comply with your parenting time order, you could be penalized by the court.

So, what should you do if your child strongly objects to going with their other parent when the parenting time schedule calls for it? There are several factors to consider, including the law, the age of the child and the behavior of the co-parent.

Going through a divorce can be emotionally devastating, to the point that you feel depressed, anxious, and have difficulty concentrating. When your mind is not functioning properly, you may make mistakes that you will later regret. Here are some common divorce mistakes to watch out for.

1. Relying on the wrong advice. Your recently-divorced cousin in Texas and your twice-divorced aunt in Indiana may have all kinds of advice for you. But the divorce laws in those states are different than the laws in Illinois. Listen to your local lawyer when it comes to matters of the law and the court procedures in your county. You may also want to consult a certified public accountant or certified divorce financial analyst to help you with financial projections and tax implications.

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When parents with minor children divorce in Illinois, the court asks them to submit a mutually agreed parenting plan that includes an allocation of parenting time and decision-making responsibility. The court will approve that plan as long as it appears to be in the best interests of the children. However, if the parents cannot agree, the court will have to determine the parenting plan. To ensure that the court has enough information to make decisions in the best interests of the children, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem (GAL) to conduct an investigation and report back to the court. A parent may also ask the court to appoint a GAL if they believe that the court needs to hear an independent perspective on certain matters, e.g., a child’s special needs or the fitness of a parent to care for a child.

What Does a Guardian Ad Litem Do in an Illinois Divorce Case?

A guardian ad litem is an independent attorney who acts as an investigative arm for the court. The GAL does not represent the wishes of either parent nor the wishes of the children. Rather, their goal is to help the court make decisions that are in the best interests of the children. While the court will listen to each parent’s individual perspective, the GAL’s perspective will be given substantial weight as a trusted representative of the court.

The GAL’s investigation will generally include: