Public Act 0764 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB3982 Enrolled LRB099 03583 HEP 31770 b

Public Act 099-0764

AN ACT concerning civil law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act is amended by changing Sections 505 and 510 as follows:

(750 ILCS 5/505) (from Ch. 40, par. 505)

Sec. 505. Child support; contempt; penalties.

(a) In a proceeding for dissolution of marriage, legal separation, declaration of invalidity of marriage, dissolution of a civil union, a proceeding for child support following dissolution of the marriage or civil union by a court that lacked personal jurisdiction over the absent spouse, a proceeding for modification of a previous order for child support under Section 510 of this Act, or any proceeding authorized under Section 501 or 601 of this Act, the court may order either or both parents owing a duty of support to a child of the marriage or civil union to pay an amount reasonable and necessary for the support of the child, without regard to marital misconduct. The duty of support owed to a child includes the obligation to provide for the reasonable and necessary educational, physical, mental and emotional health needs of the child. For purposes of this Section, the term "child" shall include any child under age 18 and any child under age 19 or younger who is still attending high school.

(1) Child support guidelines. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall adopt rules establishing child support guidelines which include worksheets to aid in the calculation of the child support award and a table that reflects the percentage of combined net income that parents living in the same household in this State ordinarily spend on their children. The child support guidelines have the following purposes:

(A) to establish as State policy an adequate standard of support for children, subject to the ability of parents to pay;

(B) to make awards more equitable by ensuring more consistent treatment of persons in similar circumstances;

(C) to improve the efficiency of the court process by promoting settlements and giving courts and the parties guidance in establishing levels of awards;

(D) to calculate child support based upon the parents' combined adjusted net income estimated to have been allocated to the child if the parents and children were living in an intact household;

(E) to adjust the child support based upon the needs of the children; and

(F) to allocate the amount of child support to be paid by each parent based upon the child support and the child's physical care arrangements.

(2) Duty of support. The court shall award child support in each case by applying the child support guidelines unless the court makes a finding that application of the guidelines would be inappropriate, after considering the best interest of the child in light of evidence which shows relevant factors including, but not limited to, one or more of the following:

(A) the financial resources and needs of the child;

(B) the financial resources and needs of the custodial parent;

(C) the standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marriage or civil union not been dissolved;

(D) the physical and emotional condition of the child and his or her educational needs; and

(E) the financial resources and needs of the noncustodial parent.

(3) Income.

(A) As used in this Section, "gross income" means the total of all income from all sources, except "gross income" does not include (i) benefits received by the parent from means-tested public assistance programs, including, but not limited to, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or (ii) benefits and income received by the parent for other children in the household, including, but not limited to, child support, survivor benefits, and foster care payments. Social security disability and retirement benefits paid for the benefit of the subject child must be included in the disabled or retired parent's gross income for purposes of calculating the parent's child support obligation, but the parent is entitled to a child support credit for the amount of benefits paid to the other parent for the child. Spousal support or spousal maintenance received pursuant to a court order in the pending proceedings or any other proceedings must be included in the recipient's gross income for purposes of calculating the parent's child support obligation.

(B) As used in this Section, "net income" means gross income minus either the standardized tax amount calculated pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph (3) or the individualized tax amount calculated pursuant to subparagraph (D) of this paragraph (3), and minus any adjustments pursuant to subparagraph (F) of this paragraph (3). The standardized tax amount shall be used unless the requirements for an individualized tax amount set forth in subparagraph (F) of this paragraph (3) are met.

(C) As used in this Section, "standardized tax amount" means the total of federal and state income taxes for a single person claiming the standard tax deduction, one personal exemption, and the applicable number of dependency exemptions for the minor child or children of the parties, and Social Security tax and Medicaid tax calculated at the Federal Insurance Contributions Act rate.

(I) Unless a court has previously determined otherwise or the parties otherwise agree, the custodial parent shall be deemed entitled to claim the dependency exemption for the parties' minor child or children.

(II) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall promulgate a chart that computes net income by deducting the standardized tax amount from gross income.

(D) As used in this Section, "individualized tax amount" means the aggregate of the following taxes:

(I) federal income tax (properly calculated withholding or estimated payments);

(II) State income tax (properly calculated withholding or estimated payments); and

(III) Social Security (or, if none, mandatory retirement contributions required by law or as a condition of employment) and Medicare tax calculated at the Federal Insurance Contributions Act rate.

(E) In lieu of a standardized tax amount, a determination of an individualized tax amount may be made under items (I), (II), or (III) below. If an individualized tax amount determination is made under this subparagraph (E), all relevant tax attributes (including filing status, allocation of dependency exemptions, and whether a party is to claim the standard deduction or itemized deductions for federal income tax purposes) shall be as the parties agree or as the court determines. To determine a party's reported income, the court may order the party to complete an Internal Revenue Service Form 4506-T, Request for Tax Transcript.

(I) Agreement. Irrespective of whether the parties agree on any other issue before the court, if they jointly stipulate for the record their concurrence on a computation method for the individualized tax amount that is different from the method set forth under subparagraph (D), the stipulated method shall be used by the court unless the court rejects the proposed stipulated method for good cause.

(II) Summary hearing. If the court determines child support in a summary hearing under Section 501 and an eligible party opts in to the computation method under this item (II), the individualized tax amount shall be determined by the court on the basis of information contained in one or both parties' financial disclosure statement, financial affidavit, or similar instrument and relevant supporting documents under applicable court rules. No party, however, is eligible to opt in unless the party, under applicable rules, has served the other party with the required statement, affidavit, or other instrument and has also substantially turned over supporting documents to the extent required by the applicable rule at the time of service of the statement, affidavit, or other instrument.

(III) Evidentiary hearing. If the court determines child support in an evidentiary hearing, whether for purposes of a temporary order or at the conclusion of a proceeding, item (II) of this subparagraph (E) does not apply. In each such case (unless item (I) governs), the individualized tax amount shall be as determined by the court on the basis of the record established.

(F) Adjustments to gross income.

(I) If a parent also is legally responsible for support of children not shared with the other parent and not subject to the present proceeding, there shall be an adjustment to gross income as follows:

(i) The amount of child support actually paid by the parent pursuant to a support order shall be deducted from the parent's gross income.

(ii) The amount of financial support actually paid by the parent for children living in or outside of that parent's household or 75% of the support the parent would pay under the child support guidelines, whichever is less, shall be deducted from that parent's gross income.

(II) Obligations pursuant to a court order for maintenance in the pending proceeding actually paid or payable under Section 504 to the same party to whom child support is to be payable shall be deducted from the parent's gross income.

(3.1) Business income. For purposes of calculating child support, net business income from the operation of a business means gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary expenses required to carry on the trade or business. As used in this paragraph, "business" includes, but is not limited to, sole proprietorships, closely held corporations, partnerships, other flow-through business entities, and self-employment. The court shall apply the following:

(A) The accelerated component of depreciation and any business expenses determined either judicially or administratively to be inappropriate or excessive shall be excluded from the total of ordinary and necessary business expenses to be deducted in the determination of net business income from gross business income.

(B) Any item of reimbursement or in-kind payment received by a parent from the business, including, but not limited to, a company car, free housing or a housing allowance, or reimbursed meals, shall be counted as income if not otherwise included in the recipient's gross income, if the item is significant in amount and reduces personal expenses.

(3.2) Unemployment or underemployment. If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, child support shall be calculated based on a determination of potential income. A determination of potential income shall be made by determining employment potential and probable earnings level based on the obligor's work history, occupational qualifications, prevailing job opportunities, the ownership by a parent of a substantial non-income producing asset, and earnings levels in the community. If there is insufficient work history to determine employment potential and probable earnings level, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the parent's potential income is 75% of the most recent United States Department of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines for a family of one person.

(3.3) Minimum orders. There is a rebuttable presumption in any judicial or administrative proceeding for child support that the amount of the award which would result from the application of the child support guidelines is the correct amount of child support to be awarded.

There is a rebuttable presumption that a minimum child support obligation of $40 per month, per child, will be entered for a payor parent who has actual or imputed income at or less than 75% of the most recent United States Department of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines for a family of one person, with a maximum total child support obligation for that payor of $120 per month to be divided equally among all of the payor parent's children.

For parents with no gross income, including those who receive only means-tested assistance or who cannot work due to a medically proven disability, incarceration, or institutionalization, there is a rebuttable presumption that the $40 per month minimum support order is inappropriate and a zero dollar order shall be entered.

(3.4) Deviation factors. In any action to establish or modify child support, whether temporary or permanent, the child support guidelines shall be used as a rebuttable presumption for the establishment or modification of the amount of child support. The court may deviate from the child support guidelines if the application would be inequitable, unjust, or inappropriate. Any deviation shall be accompanied by written findings by the court specifying the reasons for the deviation and the presumed amount under the child support guidelines without a deviation. These reasons may include:

(A) extraordinary medical expenditures necessary to preserve the life or health of a party or a child of either or both of the parties;

(B) additional expenses incurred for a child subject to the child support order who has special medical, physical, or developmental needs; and

(C) any other factor the court determines should be applied upon a finding that the application of the child support guidelines would be inappropriate, after considering the best interest of the child.

(3.5) Income in excess of table. A court may use discretion to determine child support if the combined adjusted gross income exceeds the uppermost levels of the schedule of basic child support obligations, except that the presumptive basic child support obligation shall not be less than it would be based on the highest level of adjusted gross income set forth in the schedule of basic child support obligations.

(3.6) Extracurricular activities and school expenses. The court, in its discretion, in addition to the basic child support obligation, may order either or both parents owing a duty of support to the child to contribute to the reasonable school and extracurricular activity expenses incurred which are intended to enhance the educational, athletic, social, or cultural development of the child.

(3.7) Child care expenses. The court, in its discretion, in addition to the basic child support obligation, may order either or both parents owing a duty of support to the child to contribute to the reasonable child care expenses of the child. The child care expenses shall be made payable directly to a party or directly to the child care provider at the time of services.

(A) As used in this paragraph (3.7), "child care expenses" means actual annualized monthly child care expenses reasonably necessary to enable a parent or non-parent custodian to be employed, attend education and training activities, or job search, and includes after-school care and all work-related child care expenses incurred while receiving education or training to improve employment opportunities. "Child care expenses" includes deposits for the retention of securing placement in child care programs. "Child care expenses" may include camps when school is not in session. Parties may agree on additional day camps. Child care expenses due to a child's special needs shall be a consideration in determining reasonable child care expenses for a child with special needs.

(B) Child care expenses shall be calculated as set forth in this paragraph. Child care expenses shall be prorated in proportion to each parent's percentage share of combined parental net income, and added to the basic child support obligation. The obligor's portion of actual child care expenses shall appear in the support order. The obligee's share of child care expenses shall be paid by the obligee directly to the child care provider.

(C) The amount of child care expenses shall be adequate to obtain reasonable and necessary child care. The family's actual child care expenses shall be used to calculate the child care expense contributions, if available. When actual child care expenses vary, the actual child care expenses shall be averaged over the most recent 12-month period. When the parent is temporarily unemployed or temporarily not attending school, then child care expenses shall be based upon prospective expenses to be incurred upon return to employment.

(D) An order for child care expenses may be modified upon a showing of a substantial change in circumstances. Persons incurring child care expenses shall notify the obligor within 14 days of any change in the amount of child care expenses that would affect the annualized child care amount as determined in the support order.

(3.8) Shared parenting. If each parent exercises 146 or more overnights per year with the child, the basic child support obligation is multiplied by 1.5 to calculate the shared care child support obligation. The child support obligation is then computed for each parent by multiplying that parent's portion of the shared care support obligation by the percentage of time the child spends with the other parent. The respective child support obligations are then offset, with the parent owing more child support paying the difference between the 2 amounts. Child support for cases with shared physical care are calculated using a child support worksheet promulgated by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. An adjustment for shared physical care is made only when each parent has the child for 146 or more overnights per year.

(3.9) Split care. Split care refers to a situation in which there is more than one child and each parent has physical care of at least one but not all of the children. In a split care situation, the support is calculated by using 2 child support worksheets to determine the support each parent owes the other. The resulting obligations are then offset, with one parent owing the other the difference as a child support order. The support shall be calculated as follows:

(A) compute the support the first parent would owe to other parent as if the child in his or her care was the only child of the parties; then

(B) compute the support the other parent would owe to the first parent as if the child in his or her care were the only child of the parties; then

(C) subtract the lesser support obligation from the greater.

The parent who owes the greater obligation shall be ordered to pay the difference in support to the other parent, unless the court determines, pursuant to other provisions of this Section, that it should deviate from the guidelines.

(4) Health care.

(A) A portion of the basic child support obligation is intended to cover basic ordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses. The court, in its discretion, in addition to the basic child support obligation, shall also provide for the child's current and future medical needs by ordering either or both parents to initiate health or medical coverage for the child through currently effective health or medical insurance policies held by the parent or parents, purchase either or all of health or medical, dental, or vision insurance policies for the child, or provide for the child's current and future medical needs through some other manner.

(B) The court, in its discretion, may also order either or both parents to contribute to the reasonable health care needs of the child not covered by insurance, including, but not limited to, unreimbursed medical, dental, orthodontic, or vision expenses and any prescription medication for the child not covered under the child's health or medical insurance.

(C) If neither parent has access to appropriate private health care coverage, the court may order:

(I) one or both parents to provide health care coverage at any time it becomes available at a reasonable cost; or

(II) the parent with primary physical responsibility for the child to apply for public health care coverage for the child and the other parent to pay a reasonable amount of the cost for medical support.

If cash medical support is ordered, the order may also provide that any time private health care coverage is available at a reasonable cost to that party it will be provided instead of cash medical support. As used in this Section, "cash medical support" means an amount ordered to be paid toward the cost of health insurance provided by a public entity or by another person through employment or otherwise or for other medical costs not covered by insurance.

(D) The amount to be added to the basic child support obligation shall be the actual amount of the total insurance premium that is attributable to the child who is the subject of the order. If this amount is not available or cannot be verified, the total cost of the premium shall be divided by the total number of persons covered by the policy. The cost per person derived from this calculation shall be multiplied by the number of children who are the subject of the order and who are covered under the policy. This amount shall be added to the basic child support obligation and shall be divided between the parents in proportion to their adjusted gross incomes.

(E) After the health insurance premium for the child is added to the basic child support obligation and divided between the parents in proportion to their respective incomes for child support purposes, if the obligor is paying the premium, the amount calculated for the obligee's share of the health insurance premium for the child shall be deducted from the obligor's share of the total child support obligation. If the obligee is paying the premium, no further adjustment is necessary.

(F) Prior to allowing the health insurance adjustment, the parent requesting the adjustment must submit proof that the child has been enrolled in a health insurance plan and must submit proof of the cost of the premium. The court shall require the parent receiving the adjustment to annually submit proof of continued coverage of the child to the child support enforcement unit and to the other parent.

(G) A reasonable cost for providing health care coverage for the child or children may not exceed 5% of the providing parent's gross income. Parents with a net income below 133% of the most recent United States Department of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Guidelines or whose child is covered by Medicaid based on that parent's income may not be ordered to contribute toward or provide private coverage, unless private coverage is obtainable without any financial contribution by that parent.

(H) If dental or vision insurance is included as part of the employer's medical plan, the coverage shall be maintained for the child. If not included in the employer's medical plan, adding the dental or vision insurance for the child is at the discretion of the court.

(I) If a parent has been directed to provide health insurance pursuant to this paragraph and that parent's spouse or legally recognized partner provides the insurance for the benefit of the child either directly or through employment, a credit on the child support worksheet shall be given to that parent in the same manner as if the premium were paid by that parent.

(1) The Court shall determine the minimum amount of support by using the following guidelines:

(2) The above guidelines shall be applied in each case unless the court finds that a deviation from the guidelines is appropriate after considering the best interest of the child in light of the evidence, including, but not limited to, one or more of the following relevant factors:

(a) the financial resources and needs of the child;

(b) the financial resources and needs of the custodial parent;

(c) the standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marriage not been dissolved;

(d) the physical, mental, and emotional needs of the child;

(d-5) the educational needs of the child; and

(e) the financial resources and needs of the non-custodial parent.

If the court deviates from the guidelines, the court's finding shall state the amount of support that would have been required under the guidelines, if determinable. The court shall include the reason or reasons for the variance from the guidelines.

(2.5) The court, in its discretion, in addition to setting child support pursuant to the guidelines and factors, may order either or both parents owing a duty of support to a child of the marriage to contribute to the following expenses, if determined by the court to be reasonable:

(a) health needs not covered by insurance;

(b) child care;

(c) education; and

(d) extracurricular activities.

(3) "Net income" is defined as the total of all income from all sources, minus the following deductions:

(a) Federal income tax (properly calculated withholding or estimated payments);

(b) State income tax (properly calculated withholding or estimated payments);

(c) Social Security (FICA payments);

(d) Mandatory retirement contributions required by law or as a condition of employment;

(e) Union dues;

(f) Dependent and individual health/hospitalization insurance premiums and premiums for life insurance ordered by the court to reasonably secure payment of ordered child support;

(g) Prior obligations of support or maintenance actually paid pursuant to a court order;

(g-5) Obligations pursuant to a court order for maintenance in the pending proceeding actually paid or payable under Section 504 to the same party to whom child support is to be payable;

(h) Expenditures for repayment of debts that represent reasonable and necessary expenses for the production of income, medical expenditures necessary to preserve life or health, reasonable expenditures for the benefit of the child and the other parent, exclusive of gifts. The court shall reduce net income in determining the minimum amount of support to be ordered only for the period that such payments are due and shall enter an order containing provisions for its self-executing modification upon termination of such payment period;

(i) Foster care payments paid by the Department of Children and Family Services for providing licensed foster care to a foster child.

(4) In cases where the court order provides for health/hospitalization insurance coverage pursuant to Section 505.2 of this Act, the premiums for that insurance, or that portion of the premiums for which the supporting party is responsible in the case of insurance provided through an employer's health insurance plan where the employer pays a portion of the premiums, shall be subtracted from net income in determining the minimum amount of support to be ordered.

(4.5) In a proceeding for child support following dissolution of the marriage or civil union by a court that lacked personal jurisdiction over the absent spouse, and in which the court is requiring payment of support for the period before the date an order for current support is entered, there is a rebuttable presumption that the supporting party's net income for the prior period was the same as his or her net income at the time the order for current support is entered.

(5) If the net income cannot be determined because of default or any other reason, the court shall order support in an amount considered reasonable in the particular case. The final order in all cases shall state the support level in dollar amounts. However, if the court finds that the child support amount cannot be expressed exclusively as a dollar amount because all or a portion of the payor's net income is uncertain as to source, time of payment, or amount, the court may order a percentage amount of support in addition to a specific dollar amount and enter such other orders as may be necessary to determine and enforce, on a timely basis, the applicable support ordered.

(6) If (i) the non-custodial parent was properly served with a request for discovery of financial information relating to the non-custodial parent's ability to provide child support, (ii) the non-custodial parent failed to comply with the request, despite having been ordered to do so by the court, and (iii) the non-custodial parent is not present at the hearing to determine support despite having received proper notice, then any relevant financial information concerning the non-custodial parent's ability to provide child support that was obtained pursuant to subpoena and proper notice shall be admitted into evidence without the need to establish any further foundation for its admission.

(a-5) In an action to enforce an order for support based on the respondent's failure to make support payments as required by the order, notice of proceedings to hold the respondent in contempt for that failure may be served on the respondent by personal service or by regular mail addressed to the respondent's last known address. The respondent's last known address may be determined from records of the clerk of the court, from the Federal Case Registry of Child Support Orders, or by any other reasonable means.

(b) Failure of either parent to comply with an order to pay support shall be punishable as in other cases of contempt. In addition to other penalties provided by law the court Court may, after finding the parent guilty of contempt, order that the parent be:

(1) placed on probation with such conditions of probation as the court Court deems advisable;

(2) sentenced to periodic imprisonment for a period not to exceed 6 months; provided, however, that the court Court may permit the parent to be released for periods of time during the day or night to:

(A) work; or

(B) conduct a business or other self-employed occupation.

The court Court may further order any part or all of the earnings of a parent during a sentence of periodic imprisonment paid to the Clerk of the Circuit Court or to the parent having custody or to the guardian having custody of the children of the sentenced parent for the support of said children until further order of the court Court.

If a parent who is found guilty of contempt for failure to comply with an order to pay support is a person who conducts a business or who is self-employed, the court in addition to other penalties provided by law may order that the parent do one or more of the following: (i) provide to the court monthly financial statements showing income and expenses from the business or the self-employment; (ii) seek employment and report periodically to the court with a diary, listing, or other memorandum of his or her employment search efforts; or (iii) report to the Department of Employment Security for job search services to find employment that will be subject to withholding for child support.

If there is a unity of interest and ownership sufficient to render no financial separation between a non-custodial parent and another person or persons or business entity, the court may pierce the ownership veil of the person, persons, or business entity to discover assets of the non-custodial parent held in the name of that person, those persons, or that business entity. The following circumstances are sufficient to authorize a court to order discovery of the assets of a person, persons, or business entity and to compel the application of any discovered assets toward payment on the judgment for support:

(1) the non-custodial parent and the person, persons, or business entity maintain records together.

(2) the non-custodial parent and the person, persons, or business entity fail to maintain an arm's length relationship between themselves with regard to any assets.

(3) the non-custodial parent transfers assets to the person, persons, or business entity with the intent to perpetrate a fraud on the custodial parent.

With respect to assets which are real property, no order entered under this paragraph shall affect the rights of bona fide purchasers, mortgagees, judgment creditors, or other lien holders who acquire their interests in the property prior to the time a notice of lis pendens pursuant to the Code of Civil Procedure or a copy of the order is placed of record in the office of the recorder of deeds for the county in which the real property is located.

The court may also order in cases where the parent is 90 days or more delinquent in payment of support or has been adjudicated in arrears in an amount equal to 90 days obligation or more, that the parent's Illinois driving privileges be suspended until the court determines that the parent is in compliance with the order of support. The court may also order that the parent be issued a family financial responsibility driving permit that would allow limited driving privileges for employment and medical purposes in accordance with Section 7-702.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code. The Clerk of the Circuit Court clerk of the circuit court shall certify the order suspending the driving privileges of the parent or granting the issuance of a family financial responsibility driving permit to the Secretary of State on forms prescribed by the Secretary. Upon receipt of the authenticated documents, the Secretary of State shall suspend the parent's driving privileges until further order of the court and shall, if ordered by the court, subject to the provisions of Section 7-702.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, issue a family financial responsibility driving permit to the parent.

In addition to the penalties or punishment that may be imposed under this Section, any person whose conduct constitutes a violation of Section 15 of the Non-Support Punishment Act may be prosecuted under that Act, and a person convicted under that Act may be sentenced in accordance with that Act. The sentence may include but need not be limited to a requirement that the person perform community service under Section 50 of that Act or participate in a work alternative program under Section 50 of that Act. A person may not be required to participate in a work alternative program under Section 50 of that Act if the person is currently participating in a work program pursuant to Section 505.1 of this Act.

A support obligation, or any portion of a support obligation, which becomes due and remains unpaid as of the end of each month, excluding the child support that was due for that month to the extent that it was not paid in that month, shall accrue simple interest as set forth in Section 12-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure. An order for support entered or modified on or after January 1, 2006 shall contain a statement that a support obligation required under the order, or any portion of a support obligation required under the order, that becomes due and remains unpaid as of the end of each month, excluding the child support that was due for that month to the extent that it was not paid in that month, shall accrue simple interest as set forth in Section 12-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Failure to include the statement in the order for support does not affect the validity of the order or the accrual of interest as provided in this Section.

(c) A one-time charge of 20% is imposable upon the amount of past-due child support owed on July 1, 1988 which has accrued under a support order entered by the court. The charge shall be imposed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10-21 of the Illinois Public Aid Code and shall be enforced by the court upon petition.

(d) Any new or existing support order entered by the court under this Section shall be deemed to be a series of judgments against the person obligated to pay support thereunder, each such judgment to be in the amount of each payment or installment of support and each such judgment to be deemed entered as of the date the corresponding payment or installment becomes due under the terms of the support order. Each such judgment shall have the full force, effect and attributes of any other judgment of this State, including the ability to be enforced. Notwithstanding any other State or local law to the contrary, a lien arises by operation of law against the real and personal property of the noncustodial parent for each installment of overdue support owed by the noncustodial parent.

(e) When child support is to be paid through the Clerk of the Court clerk of the court in a county of 1,000,000 inhabitants or less, the order shall direct the obligor to pay to the Clerk clerk, in addition to the child support payments, all fees imposed by the county board under paragraph (3) of subsection (u) of Section 27.1 of the Clerks of Courts Act. Unless paid in cash or pursuant to an order for withholding, the payment of the fee shall be by a separate instrument from the support payment and shall be made to the order of the Clerk.

(f) All orders for support, when entered or modified, shall include a provision requiring the obligor to notify the court and, in cases in which a party is receiving child and spouse services under Article X of the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, within 7 days, (i) of the name and address of any new employer of the obligor, (ii) whether the obligor has access to health insurance coverage through the employer or other group coverage and, if so, the policy name and number and the names of persons covered under the policy, and (iii) of any new residential or mailing address or telephone number of the non-custodial parent. In any subsequent action to enforce a support order, upon a sufficient showing that a diligent effort has been made to ascertain the location of the non-custodial parent, service of process or provision of notice necessary in the case may be made at the last known address of the non-custodial parent in any manner expressly provided by the Code of Civil Procedure or this Act, which service shall be sufficient for purposes of due process.

(g) An order for support shall include a date on which the current support obligation terminates. The termination date shall be no earlier than the date on which the child covered by the order will attain the age of 18. However, if the child will not graduate from high school until after attaining the age of 18, then the termination date shall be no earlier than the earlier of the date on which the child's high school graduation will occur or the date on which the child will attain the age of 19. The order for support shall state that the termination date does not apply to any arrearage that may remain unpaid on that date. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent the court from modifying the order or terminating the order in the event the child is otherwise emancipated.

(g-5) If there is an unpaid arrearage or delinquency (as those terms are defined in the Income Withholding for Support Act) equal to at least one month's support obligation on the termination date stated in the order for support or, if there is no termination date stated in the order, on the date the child attains the age of majority or is otherwise emancipated, the periodic amount required to be paid for current support of that child immediately prior to that date shall automatically continue to be an obligation, not as current support but as periodic payment toward satisfaction of the unpaid arrearage or delinquency. That periodic payment shall be in addition to any periodic payment previously required for satisfaction of the arrearage or delinquency. The total periodic amount to be paid toward satisfaction of the arrearage or delinquency may be enforced and collected by any method provided by law for enforcement and collection of child support, including but not limited to income withholding under the Income Withholding for Support Act. Each order for support entered or modified on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly must contain a statement notifying the parties of the requirements of this subsection. Failure to include the statement in the order for support does not affect the validity of the order or the operation of the provisions of this subsection with regard to the order. This subsection shall not be construed to prevent or affect the establishment or modification of an order for support of a minor child or the establishment or modification of an order for support of a non-minor child or educational expenses under Section 513 of this Act.

(h) An order entered under this Section shall include a provision requiring the obligor to report to the obligee and to the Clerk of Court clerk of court within 10 days each time the obligor obtains new employment, and each time the obligor's employment is terminated for any reason. The report shall be in writing and shall, in the case of new employment, include the name and address of the new employer. Failure to report new employment or the termination of current employment, if coupled with nonpayment of support for a period in excess of 60 days, is indirect criminal contempt. For any obligor arrested for failure to report new employment bond shall be set in the amount of the child support that should have been paid during the period of unreported employment. An order entered under this Section shall also include a provision requiring the obligor and obligee parents to advise each other of a change in residence within 5 days of the change except when the court finds that the physical, mental, or emotional health of a party or that of a child, or both, would be seriously endangered by disclosure of the party's address.

(i) The court does not lose the powers of contempt, driver's license suspension, or other child support enforcement mechanisms, including, but not limited to, criminal prosecution as set forth in this Act, upon the emancipation of the minor child or children.

(Source: P.A. 97-186, eff. 7-22-11; 97-608, eff. 1-1-12; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12; 97-878, eff. 8-2-12; 97-941, eff. 1-1-13; 97-1029, eff. 1-1-13; 98-463, eff. 8-16-13; 98-961, eff. 1-1-15.)

(750 ILCS 5/510) (from Ch. 40, par. 510)

Sec. 510. Modification and termination of provisions for maintenance, support, educational expenses, and property disposition.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (f) of Section 502 and in subsection (b), clause (3) of Section 505.2, the provisions of any judgment respecting maintenance or support may be modified only as to installments accruing subsequent to due notice by the moving party of the filing of the motion for modification. An order for child support may be modified as follows:

(1) upon a showing of a substantial change in circumstances; and

(2) without the necessity of showing a substantial change in circumstances, as follows:

(A) upon a showing of an inconsistency of at least 20%, but no less than $10 per month, between the amount of the existing order and the amount of child support that results from application of the guidelines specified in Section 505 of this Act unless the inconsistency is due to the fact that the amount of the existing order resulted from a deviation from the guideline amount and there has not been a change in the circumstances that resulted in that deviation; or

(B) upon a showing of a need to provide for the health care needs of the child under the order through health insurance or other means. In no event shall the eligibility for or receipt of medical assistance be considered to meet the need to provide for the child's health care needs.

The provisions of subparagraph (a)(2)(A) shall apply only in cases in which a party is receiving child support enforcement services from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services under Article X of the Illinois Public Aid Code, and only when at least 36 months have elapsed since the order for child support was entered or last modified.

The court may grant a petition for modification that seeks to apply the changes made to subsection (a) of Section 505 by this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly to an order entered before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly only upon a finding of a substantial change in circumstances that warrants application of the changes. The enactment of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly itself does not constitute a substantial change in circumstances warranting a modification.

(a-5) An order for maintenance may be modified or terminated only upon a showing of a substantial change in circumstances. In all such proceedings, as well as in proceedings in which maintenance is being reviewed, the court shall consider the applicable factors set forth in subsection (a) of Section 504 and the following factors:

(1) any change in the employment status of either party and whether the change has been made in good faith;

(2) the efforts, if any, made by the party receiving maintenance to become self-supporting, and the reasonableness of the efforts where they are appropriate;

(3) any impairment of the present and future earning capacity of either party;

(4) the tax consequences of the maintenance payments upon the respective economic circumstances of the parties;

(5) the duration of the maintenance payments previously paid (and remaining to be paid) relative to the length of the marriage;

(6) the property, including retirement benefits, awarded to each party under the judgment of dissolution of marriage, judgment of legal separation, or judgment of declaration of invalidity of marriage and the present status of the property;

(7) the increase or decrease in each party's income since the prior judgment or order from which a review, modification, or termination is being sought;

(8) the property acquired and currently owned by each party after the entry of the judgment of dissolution of marriage, judgment of legal separation, or judgment of declaration of invalidity of marriage; and

(9) any other factor that the court expressly finds to be just and equitable.

(b) The provisions as to property disposition may not be revoked or modified, unless the court finds the existence of conditions that justify the reopening of a judgment under the laws of this State.

(c) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties in a written agreement set forth in the judgment or otherwise approved by the court, the obligation to pay future maintenance is terminated upon the death of either party, or the remarriage of the party receiving maintenance, or if the party receiving maintenance cohabits with another person on a resident, continuing conjugal basis. Any obligation of a payor party for premium payments respecting insurance on such party's life imposed under subsection (f) of Section 504 is also terminated on the occurrence of any of the foregoing events, unless otherwise agreed by the parties. Any termination of an obligation for maintenance as a result of the death of the payor party, however, shall be inapplicable to any right of the other party or such other party's designee to receive a death benefit under such insurance on the payor party's life.

(d) Unless otherwise provided in this Act, or as agreed in writing or expressly provided in the judgment, provisions for the support of a child are terminated by emancipation of the child, or if the child has attained the age of 18 and is still attending high school, provisions for the support of the child are terminated upon the date that the child graduates from high school or the date the child attains the age of 19, whichever is earlier, but not by the death of a parent obligated to support or educate the child. An existing obligation to pay for support or educational expenses, or both, is not terminated by the death of a parent. When a parent obligated to pay support or educational expenses, or both, dies, the amount of support or educational expenses, or both, may be enforced, modified, revoked or commuted to a lump sum payment, as equity may require, and that determination may be provided for at the time of the dissolution of the marriage or thereafter.

(e) The right to petition for support or educational expenses, or both, under Sections 505 and 513 is not extinguished by the death of a parent. Upon a petition filed before or after a parent's death, the court may award sums of money out of the decedent's estate for the child's support or educational expenses, or both, as equity may require. The time within which a claim may be filed against the estate of a decedent under Sections 505 and 513 and subsection (d) and this subsection shall be governed by the provisions of the Probate Act of 1975, as a barrable, noncontingent claim.

(f) A petition to modify or terminate child support, custody, or visitation shall not delay any child support enforcement litigation or supplementary proceeding on behalf of the obligee, including, but not limited to, a petition for a rule to show cause, for non-wage garnishment, or for a restraining order.

(Source: P.A. 97-608, eff. 1-1-12.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2017.