Legal Question in Family Law in Illinois

I'm 33 years old and living with parents due to foreclosure /bankruptcy and am using this opportunity to finish my degree. I'm working Part time and paying child support. Can the court system (Illinois) make me find a full time job and put off finishing my degree until my 9 year old son turns 18 ?? I do owe back child support from when I was unemployed--is this why they want me to work full time?


Asked on 12/29/09, 6:27 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Jonathan Shimberg Shimberg and Crohn, P.C.

A court does not find a job for a person. The court can find that you have the ability to earn more than you are earning, that you stopped working for a reason that does not support a reduction in your support obligation, and that if you do not pay the amount they find to be reasonable, put you in jail for non-payment. If you can obtain the funds to pay the support from other sources then you can stay in school, but you have an obligation to contribute to the support of your child, You appear to have a bad track in the payment of your support obligation, so that the Court will look at your claims with a jaundiced eye.

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Answered on 1/04/10, 8:41 am


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