Family & Safety

Child support is money one parent pays to help another parent with expenses related to their shared child. The parent receiving the money can decide what to spend it on, but in general, child support is meant to cover housing, utilities, groceries, and regular day-to-day living expenses. It is usually the same amount every month, even if a parent’s income varies. A court may also order that the paying parent pay additional sums to cover education expenses, fees for extracurricular activities, health insurance, child care, and college expenses. This amount is more likely to be variable, meaning it changes depending on what expenses come up each month.

A judge may also order the paying parent to get life insurance to substitute as child support in case of the parent’s death.

How much child support can be ordered depends on a variety of factors. Although the most important factor is the income of each parent, it is worth noting that an unemployed parent will still have an obligation to pay child support.

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (DHFS) provides an Illinois Child Support Estimator online tool to help parents see how much child support may be ordered.

Learn more about establishing a child support order.