Chicago Divorce Attorney Russell Knight Discusses Child Support for a Child Over the Age of 18 in Illinois

Chicago divorce attorney Russell D. Knight releases a new article (https://rdklegal.com/illinois-child-support-laws-after-age-18/) discussing child support for a child over the age of 18 in Illinois. The lawyer mentions that child support is the money that is used to help support the child while they are growing up. However, in Illinois, child support continues until the child reaches the age of 18, until the child graduates from high school, or when the child turns 19 whichever comes first.

“If your child is significantly disabled you will have an obligation until that child overcomes their disability. In my experience, most courts in Illinois will look at an adult disabled child’s needs and then compare those needs to the child’s social security disability allotment. If the child’s needs are being met by the allotment, then there will be no ongoing child support obligation,” says the Chicago divorce attorney.

The lawyer explains that an additional obligation arises when the child leaves high school, college, and university. Parents of college students in Illinois have an obligation to contribute to their child’s university education.

Attorney Russell Knight adds that if the child is already emancipated, there has to be an actual petition for emancipation filed in order to terminate the child support. Emancipation is not just automatically presumed if the child moves out, gets married, or joins the military.

In the article, attorney Knight mentions that a parent does not just stop paying child support when the child turns 18 or graduates high school. If the parent still owes child support towards the child, they are required to pay that amount until the arrearage is satisfied. The statute even says if you were paying extra before to pay off your arrearage, you still have to pay that extra amount after the child is an adult.

According to the divorce lawyer, “Enforcing child support and child support debts has a lot more teeth than enforcing any other kind of obligation like a credit card. If you don’t pay child support, you can have your license suspended, your passport denied and you may even be sent to jail. These powers of enforcement do not expire simply because the child turns 18.”

Lastly, the divorce attorney emphasizes the importance of having a skilled lawyer when it comes to matters such as child support and asset division. It is important to speak with the lawyer first before hiring them to ensure that they are telling you all the important information surrounding the divorce case.

About The Law Office of Russell Knight

The Law Office of Russell D. Knight was established in 2009 by the divorce attorney Russell D. Knight. The lawyer’s love for family law is demonstrated by the numerous articles personally written by the lawyer. Russell is a licensed lawyer throughout Florida and Illinois. The attorney has a legal practice in both states and employs an entire staff of paralegals and attorneys in the two states of Chicago, Illinois, and Naples, Florida. Contact them today at (773) 334-6311.

SOURCE: Press Advantage [Link]