What Is Child Support Used to Cover in Illinois?

 Posted on August 28, 2025 in Child Support

In Illinois, parents have an obligation to financially support their children, whether they are married or not. To make sure this obligation is met, a divorce with children will usually come with a court order of child support. 

As the custodial parent, you may wonder what you are allowed to spend child support on. As the non-custodial parent, you may be concerned about where exactly your funds are going. A Rolling Meadows, IL family law attorney at The Law Offices of Curtis Bennett Ross, L.L.C. can address your questions about child support. If necessary, we can take legal action on your behalf to enforce or modify the court order.

Child Support Pays for Necessary Expenses

In general, child support payments are meant to cover the necessary expenses that come with raising a child. These expenses may include:

• Housing, such as rent or mortgage payments

• Utilities

• Food

• Clothing

• School expenses like class materials, transportation, lunches, and equipment for extracurricular activities

• Health insurance and medical expenses

You may have concerns that your ex is spending child support frivolously. If you want to take action for misuse of child support funds, you should prepare evidence to prove that your child’s basic needs are not being met. At The Law Offices of Curtis Bennett Ross, L.L.C., we can help you seek a remedy for the misappropriation of these funds, such as a modification of your support payments.

Does Child Support Extend to College in Illinois?

Although child support can extend past a child’s high school graduation, that does not mean that it always will. A parent can request non-minor support for a child going through college, but it is ultimately up to the courts to decide whether or not a court order is necessary. Before making a final decision, the court may consider both parents’ financial resources and the child’s academic performance, along with other factors.

Non-minor support in college comes with certain conditions. The court order can be terminated if your child’s GPA falls below a "C," gets married, or graduates. Additionally, support can only last until the child turns 25 at the latest (750 ILCS 5/513).

Can Child Support Payments Provide for a Disabled Adult?

Regular child support obligations usually end when a child turns 18 or graduates from high school. However, if the child has a severe disability that prevents him or her from becoming financially independent, a parent can petition for non-minor child support. Under state law, a disability is defined as a mental or physical condition that substantially limits a major life activity.

If the courts agree that support is appropriate, they will consider the family’s financial resources as well as the child’s needs to determine how much should be paid.

Meet With a Skokie, IL Child Support Lawyer

If you have any questions about your rights and obligations concerning child support, our firm is here to help. Attorney Curtis Ross has practiced family law for decades, and he has spoken at seminars with the Illinois State Bar Association educating others about child support. To schedule a free limited consultation with our Rolling Meadows, IL family law attorney, call The Law Offices of Curtis Bennett Ross, L.L.C. at 312-984-1514.