Get All The Information You Need To Provide for Your Child’s Well Being
Illinois Child Support
Illinois' Department of Health and Family Services can assist any parent who is interested in receiving child support payments from a non-custodial parent. The department can help the parent establish paternity, develop a child support order, and enforce Illinois child support payments. The department offers services to dependent children living in Illinois and those who live out of state.
As a custodial parent, applying for and receiving child support payments can be a daunting process. And for the non-custodial parent, the system may seem confusing and intimidating. This page will inform you about applying for, collecting, enforcing, paying, and modifying child support payments in the state of Illinois.
Illinois Child Support Enforcement
The number of non-custodial parents who are sued for child support is increasing. More single parents are left with the responsibility to care for their children without any assistance from the non-custodial parent.
Fortunately, in the state of Illinois there are child support enforcements that will help the custodial parent collect owed child support. In order to collect child support from a non-custodial parent, the state of Illinois may:
Intercept state and federal income taxes
Any state or federal taxes that the non-custodial parent claims at the end of the year will be intercepted if child support is owed.
Report to collections
Child support is just like a bill, if that bill is not paid, the amount owed will be sent to a collections agency and can show up on the credit report.
Seize Assets
Assets such as savings accounts, cd accounts, and money market accounts may be seized if child support is owed.
Passport Denial
If child support is not paid the state of Illinois can request to have the non-custodial parents passport denied.
License
The Illinois laws Child Support Enforcement Department can also request a hearing for the suspension of any occupational or professional certificates if the non-custodial parent refuses to pay child support.
"Please note that the non-custodial parent will be notified before any of the above enforcements take action."
Applying For Child Support By Phone
In the state of Illinois, if you are interested in receiving child support services, you can contact the Illinois Child Support Customer Service Call Center toll-free at 1-800-447-4278.
In Person
You can visit your local Child Support regional office in person to speak directly with a child support enforcement officer. The following website can help you locate the Child Support regional office in your area:
http://www.ilchildsupport.com
Via the Internet
You may also apply for child support services by visiting the following website:
http://www.ilchildsupport.com/application.html
This site will lead you to the child support application that you can print out, complete, and mail to your local child support regional office.
What Information Will I Need To Provide?
When you are filling out your child support application, be sure to have as much of the following information available as possible to help the child support enforcement office process your application quickly: your full name, current mailing address, birth date and Social Security number; your child's fill name and birth date; and the non-custodial parent's full name, birth date, Social Security number, mailing address and employment information.
Collecting Child Support
The Illinois Child Support collections office uses income withholding for almost all child support cases, as long as an employer can be located for the non-custodial parent. Income withholding allows the non-custodial parent's employer to automatically deduct child support payments from the parent's paycheck and disburse them directly to the Illinois laws State Disbursement Unit.
As of January 1, 2005, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services can also use income withholding to collect any child support arrearage or delinquent payments to satisfy any overdue funds. If you have information regarding the employment status of a non-custodial parent, you may fax the information to 217-557-5538, or contact your local Child Support regional office.
In addition to income withholding, the Child Support Enforcement Office can use a variety of methods to collect child support and satisfy any past-due payments. They can intercept state and federal income tax refund checks, withhold unemployment benefits or lottery winnings, place liens on property, freeze accounts and refer cases to the Illinois Department of Revenue, consumer credit bureaus, and private collections agencies.
The Child Support Enforcement Office can also suspend or deny a delinquent parent's driver's license, professional license, recreational licenses, federal payments, or U.S. passport.
Modifying Illinois Child Support
Anytime there has been a significant change in the income, employment benefits, or custody status of either parent, you may request a review of the child support order. A review will determine if changes need to be made in the financial or medical support that is required.
If you are on public assistance, a review will automatically be conducted every three years. If you are not receiving public assistance and you wish to request a child support review, you can contact one of the following child support enforcement offices by mail, fax, or email.
Cook County
If you have a Cook County child support order, you can request a child support review from the following office:
Division of Child Support Enforcement
32 West Randolph Street
10th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Fax: 312-803-0873
Non-Cook County
If your child support order is with any county other than Cook County, you can contact the following office to request a child support review.
Division of Child Support Enforcement
Attention: Mail Response Unit
509 South Sixth Street
Springfield, Illinois 62701,
Fax: 217-557-5538
For More Information about Illinois Child Support Laws
Collecting Child Support-Trouble Collecting Your Child Support? Let a specialist help you get the child support payments you deserve.