Lake County Spousal Support Attorney and Child Support Lawyer

A critical factor to consider in any divorce involves your financial situation. If you are not the main breadwinner of the household, you may be wondering "can I make it on my own?" Conversely, if you are the one bringing in the bulk of the family income, you may be concerned about your obligations in terms of spousal maintenance and child support. What should you expect to pay?

At the Libertyville, Illinois, family law firm of Matthew Kaplan & Associates, we can help you find answers to these important questions. Our Lake County family law attorneys have more than thirty years of combined experience in handling all aspects of Illinois divorce and family law, including spousal support and child support matters. We can help you understand your obligations and manage your expectations so you can begin to plan for your future after your divorce is final.

The most beneficial way to settle matters involving support is by reaching an agreement through negotiation or mediation. If you take the matter to court, you have no control over what will happen and how a judge may rule. However, sometimes there is no choice but to fight. In these cases, we are capable of fighting hard for you in court.

Contact a Lake County spousal support lawyer and child support attorney at Matthew Kaplan & Associates today to schedule a free, half-hour in-office consultation to discuss your situation.

Illinois Spousal Support / Alimony

In Illinois, a judge may consider all of the following factors when ruling on the amount and extent of alimony or spousal maintenance:

• income and assets of each party
• financial needs of each party
• earning capacity of each party
• any impairment of the present and future earning capacity of the party seeking maintenance due to that party devoting time to domestic duties or having forgone or delayed education, training, employment, or career opportunities due to the marriage
• the time necessary for the receiving party to seek employment
• the standard of living established while married
• the length of the marriage
• the age and health condition of both parties
• the tax ramifications of the property award upon the respective economic circumstances of the parties
• contributions and services by the party seeking maintenance to the education, training, career or career potential, or license of the other spouse
• any valid mutual agreement of the parties
• any other factor that the court expressly finds

Illinois Child Support

In Illinois, either or both parents may be required to pay child support. In most cases, the child support amount is determined by a percentage of income of the parent obligated to pay child support. The amount of the percentage is determined by the number of children requiring support.

In addition, the following factors may be considered:

• the financial resources and needs of the child
• the standard of living the child would have enjoyed if the marriage had not been dissolved
• the physical and emotional conditions and educational needs of the child
• the financial resources, needs, and obligations of both the non-custodial and the custodial parent

Making sure your spouse's needs and your children's need are adequately provided for is a critical factor in any divorce matter. Contact a Lake County spousal maintenance lawyer and child support attorney today at Matthew Kaplan & Associates to make sure these issues are addressed with great care and attention to detail, while keeping your goals in sight.