How is child support calculated?

Parents may be ordered to pay child support. Illinois law provides guidelines as to the amount of support owed to a child. The court shall determine the minimum amount of support by using the following guidelines:

Number of Children Percentage of Supporting Party’s Net Income
1 20%
2 28%
3 32%
4 40%
5 45%
6 or more 50%

Section 5/505 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act provides that the above guideline shall be applied in each case unless the court makes a finding that a deviation is warranted.