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The Big Picture

Child support is money one parent pays to help another parent pay for expenses related to a child. A parent must be the child's legal parent to be required to pay child support:

If the child's…
More on Getting child support
Unemployed parents and paying child support
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The court may still order an unemployed parent to pay a small amount of child support. For example, the unemployed parent may still have to pay $50 per month. The court may also order the paying parent to take other actions. This could include looking for a job and submitting a certain number of job applications each month.

Learn more about changing child support payments. 

Last full review by a subject matter expert
August 17, 2017
Last revised by staff
May 24, 2020

Forms

Financial affidavit Easy Form
A program to prepare Financial Affidavit forms that provide financial information and documents to the other party in family law cases.
Order for Support Blank form
Use this form to have the judge in your child support case record their decision.
Petition for educational expenses - Cook County Blank form
Use this form to ask the judge to make the other parent pay educational expenses for your child who is 18 or older.

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Legal Comment

Worried about doing this on your own?  You may be able to get free legal help.

Apply Online

The Big Picture

Child support is money one parent pays to help another parent pay for expenses related to a child. A parent must be the child's legal parent to be required to pay child support:

If the child's…
More on Getting child support

Forms

Financial affidavit Easy Form
A program to prepare Financial Affidavit forms that provide financial information and documents to the other party in family law cases.
Order for Support Blank form
Use this form to have the judge in your child support case record their decision.
Petition for educational expenses - Cook County Blank form
Use this form to ask the judge to make the other parent pay educational expenses for your child who is 18 or older.