The Illinois Uniform Order of Support is the court order that sets, modifies, or enforces a parent’s child support obligation in every Illinois divorce, parentage, and support case, and it is the document a circuit court judge signs to lock the dollar amount, payment method, and withholding instructions into a binding judgment under 750 ILCS 5/505. The form is approved by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice and is used statewide, with the current revision dated Rev. 09/24 and posted on the Illinois Courts approved forms page under the family law category.
Filing the order wrong can stall income withholding for weeks, trigger the Illinois State Disbursement Unit to reject payments, or push a parent into contempt. According to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the state’s Division of Child Support Services manages roughly 425,000 active support cases and disburses over $1.3 billion in support each year, and clerical errors on the Uniform Order of Support are one of the top three reasons cases bounce back from the SDU.
- 📋 How every box on the Uniform Order of Support maps to a real dollar consequence
- 🧮 How to run the Illinois income shares calculation without missing the add-ons
- 🖊️ How three real parents — divorced, never-married, and modifying — fill out the form line by line
- 📬 How to file through Odyssey eFileIL, the circuit clerk, or HFS administrative channels
- ⚠️ How to dodge the ten most common mistakes that get an order kicked back by the judge or the SDU
What the Uniform Order of Support Is and Who Must File It
The Illinois Uniform Order of Support is the standardized statewide order entered in any case where one parent owes child support to another, including dissolution of marriage cases under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, parentage cases under the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015, and administrative establishment actions brought by HFS under 305 ILCS 5/10. Every Illinois circuit court must use this order, and judges are not allowed to substitute their own draft.
The form must be filed by the party seeking entry of a support order, which is usually the custodial parent or the State of Illinois acting through HFS. In a divorce, the petitioner’s attorney typically prepares it, but in pro se cases the custodial parent prepares and submits it for the judge’s signature. Once signed, it becomes a court judgment enforceable by income withholding, license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt.
Five groups commonly file this order. Divorcing parents file it as part of the judgment of dissolution. Never-married parents file it after a parentage finding. Parents asking to change an existing order file it as a modification. HFS files it administratively when a parent applies for child support services. Grandparents and guardians with allocated parental responsibilities file it when they receive support on behalf of a minor.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Filing without the right paperwork is the fastest way to get an order rejected. Illinois uses the income shares model, which means the court needs detailed income data from both parents before any number gets written into the order. Pull every document below before you open the form.
- Both parents’ last three pay stubs. The court verifies gross income against the Illinois Income Shares Schedule, and missing stubs lead to imputed income.
- Most recent federal tax return (1040) with all schedules. Self-employment income, K-1 distributions, and rental income all flow through Schedule 1, and the judge will not sign without them.
- W-2s and 1099s for the prior calendar year. These confirm year-end gross and any non-wage compensation.
- Comprehensive Financial Affidavit (Form 13.3.1). Required by Illinois Supreme Court Rule 13.3.1 in every contested support case, and missing it triggers an automatic continuance.
- Health insurance premium statement. The order allocates the children’s portion of the premium, and without a number you cannot complete Section D.
- Childcare receipts or daycare contract. Work-related childcare is a mandatory add-on under 750 ILCS 5/505(a)(3.7).
- Birth certificates for each minor child. The clerk uses these to confirm names, dates of birth, and the parentage relationship.
- Existing orders from any state. A prior Uniform Interstate Family Support Act order controls jurisdiction under 750 ILCS 22/205.
- Each parent’s Social Security number on a separate Notice of SSN. Illinois redacts SSNs from the public order under Supreme Court Rule 138.
- Employer name, address, and FEIN for the obligor. Required for the Income Withholding for Support (IWO) federal form OMB 0970-0154.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official Uniform Order of Support is hosted on the Illinois Courts standardized forms library, filed under “Family — Divorce, Custody, Child Support.” The PDF is fillable and can be typed into directly using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Always pull the form fresh on the day you file because the Commission updates the form roughly every twelve to eighteen months.
HFS also distributes a parallel administrative version through its Child Support Services portal, used when the state opens a IV-D case. County clerks like the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court and the DuPage County Circuit Clerk keep paper copies at the self-help desk for walk-in filers. If you are using the Illinois Legal Aid Online easy-form tool, the system auto-populates a draft order based on your answers.
Three access channels exist. Pro se filers usually download the PDF, fill it in, and bring three copies to court. Attorneys upload it through Odyssey eFileIL along with the proposed judgment. HFS caseworkers generate it inside KIDS, the state child support computer system, and serve a copy on both parents.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the Uniform Order of Support Line by Line
The form runs about six pages and is broken into a caption, eight lettered sections (A through H), and a signature block. Work top to bottom, and never skip a box even if it does not apply — write N/A instead so the judge knows you considered it.
Caption: Court, County, and Case Number
The caption tells the clerk which court file to drop the order into. The first line asks for the judicial circuit and county (for example, Circuit Court of the 18th Judicial Circuit, DuPage County, Illinois). The second line asks for the case caption (In re the Marriage of Rivera and Rivera) and the third line asks for the case number assigned at filing.
Type the county in all caps and use the exact case number printed on your file-stamped petition, including the year prefix (2025 D 001234). Maria Rivera, filing in DuPage, writes DUPAGE on the county line and 2025 D 001234 on the case number line. If you have a P.O. Box for the court — you do not, courts always have a street address — pull the official address from the circuit clerk directory.
A common mistake is leaving the judicial circuit blank because the petition only listed the county; the judge’s law clerk then has to write it in by hand, which delays signing. The misconception is that the case number changes when the case is reassigned to a new judge — it does not, the case number stays the same for the life of the file.
Section A: Parties and Children
Section A identifies the obligor (the parent who pays), the obligee (the parent who receives), and each minor child covered by the order. The form has separate boxes for each parent’s full legal name, date of birth, and current residential address. Enter names exactly as they appear on each parent’s driver’s license, last name first, and use MM/DD/YYYY for every date.
Carlos Mendez, the obligor in a paternity case, writes MENDEZ, CARLOS A. on the obligor line and 04/12/1990 in the DOB box. The children’s names go into the table at the bottom of Section A with each child’s date of birth and the date support terminates under 750 ILCS 5/505(g), which is the later of the child’s 18th birthday or high school graduation, but no later than the 19th birthday.
If a child has a different last name from either parent — common in remarriage cases — use the child’s legal name as printed on the birth certificate, not a nickname. The most common mistake here is listing only the children who currently live with the obligee, leaving out a child whose support is owed to a third-party guardian; this triggers a clerical correction motion later. The misconception is that emancipation by marriage automatically terminates support; under Illinois law it does, but the order still has to recite the termination event in writing.
Section B: Statutory Basis and Income Findings
Section B is where the judge writes the legal basis for the order and the gross income figures pulled from each parent’s financial affidavit. Check the box for the controlling statute — usually 750 ILCS 5/505 for divorces and 750 ILCS 46/801 for parentage cases. Then enter each parent’s monthly gross income, monthly net income after the standardized tax deductions, and combined net income.
Use the HFS Standardized Net Income Conversion Table to translate gross to net; do not invent your own withholding numbers. Janet Wu, an obligor earning $7,500 per month gross, writes $5,612 in the net income box based on the 2025 single-filer table with one allowance. The combined net income drives the basic support obligation pulled from the Income Shares Schedule.
A frequent edge case is bonus or commission income that varies year to year; Illinois case law allows averaging the prior three years under In re Marriage of Rogers, 213 Ill. 2d 129 (2004). The most common mistake is using gross income on the combined-income line, which inflates the basic support amount and makes the judge cross out and rewrite the math. The misconception is that overtime “doesn’t count” — it does count unless the obligor proves it was non-recurring.
Section C: Basic Child Support Obligation
Section C captures the basic support number from the income shares schedule and each parent’s percentage share. Enter the combined net income on line C-1, the basic obligation from the schedule on line C-2, the obligor’s percentage share on line C-3, and the obligor’s dollar share on line C-4.
For combined net income of $9,000 and two children, the schedule lists $1,846 as the basic obligation; if the obligor earns 60% of the combined net, line C-4 reads $1,107.60. Round to the nearest dollar and use the figure on the line that exactly matches your combined net — do not interpolate between rows.
If combined net income exceeds $30,024.99 per month, the schedule does not apply and the court uses discretion under 750 ILCS 5/505(a)(3.4); note this in the margin. The most common mistake is pulling the obligation from the wrong row of the schedule, which produces a number off by $50 to $200 and forces the judge to enter a corrected order. The misconception is that the obligor’s “share” equals time spent with the children — it equals the obligor’s share of combined net income, full stop, unless the parenting time exceeds 146 overnights and triggers the shared-parenting formula.
Section D: Health Insurance and Add-Ons
Section D allocates health insurance premiums, uninsured medical expenses, work-related childcare, and extracurricular activity costs. The form has four sub-boxes, one for each category. Enter the monthly premium attributable to the children, the percentage split for uncovered medical, the monthly childcare cost, and the agreed extracurricular cap.
Aisha Patel, the obligee, writes $312 in the children’s premium box, 60/40 obligor/obligee in the uncovered medical box, $850 in the childcare box, and $200 per month in the extracurricular cap. The obligor’s share of childcare and premiums gets added to the basic obligation in Section E.
If neither parent has access to reasonable-cost coverage (defined as 5% or less of gross income), check the box ordering enrollment in All Kids instead. The most common mistake is entering the total family premium instead of the children’s portion, which over-allocates support by hundreds of dollars per month. The misconception is that uncovered medical is split 50/50 by default — Illinois splits it in proportion to net income unless the parents agree otherwise.
Section E: Total Monthly Support and Effective Date
Section E adds Section C and the obligor’s share of Section D add-ons to produce the final monthly support number, then sets the effective date. Enter the basic obligation share, the add-on share, the total, and the date payments begin (usually the first of the month after entry).
Marcus Johnson’s order shows $1,107.60 basic support, $187.20 health premium share, $510 childcare share, totaling $1,804.80 per month, effective 06/01/2026. If retroactive support is ordered under 750 ILCS 5/510, state the retroactivity date and the lump sum due.
A frequent edge case is mid-month entry; Illinois practice is to prorate the first month or set the effective date to the next first. The most common mistake is forgetting to add the childcare and premium shares, leaving the obligor undercharged by hundreds of dollars. The misconception is that support starts on the date of separation — it starts on the date set in the order, period.
Section F: Income Withholding
Section F directs the obligor’s employer to withhold support from wages and remit to the Illinois State Disbursement Unit. Check the box ordering immediate withholding under 750 ILCS 28/20, enter the obligor’s employer name and address, and attach the federal Income Withholding for Support form.
Carlos Mendez’s order lists his employer as Acme Logistics, 1500 W. Industrial Dr., Aurora, IL 60506, FEIN 36-1234567. The withholding amount equals the monthly support divided by the obligor’s pay frequency, and the employer must begin withholding within 14 days of receipt.
If the obligor is self-employed, withholding is technically still ordered but practically unenforceable, and the order should also direct direct payment to the SDU. The most common mistake is omitting the employer’s FEIN, which causes the SDU to reject the IWO and delay collection by 30 days or more. The misconception is that withholding is optional if the parents agree — it is mandatory in Illinois unless both parents sign a written waiver and the court makes a finding of good cause.
Section G: Payment Method and SDU Routing
Section G tells the SDU how to route payments. Enter the obligor’s SDU case number (assigned at filing), the obligee’s payment method (direct deposit or Illinois Debit MasterCard), and any pass-through provisions if the obligee receives TANF.
The SDU address is Illinois State Disbursement Unit, P.O. Box 5400, Carol Stream, IL 60197-5400, and every payment must include the case number. Janet Wu writes her routing and account number on the SDU enrollment form, which the clerk forwards to Carol Stream.
If the obligee changes banks mid-order, the change is made through the SDU customer service portal, not by amending the order. The most common mistake is paying the obligee directly instead of through the SDU; those payments are treated as gifts, not support, and the obligor still owes the full amount. The misconception is that the SDU charges a fee for processing — it does not, the service is free to both parents.
Section H: Other Provisions and Tax Dependency
Section H is the catch-all for tax dependency exemption allocation, life insurance requirements, college expense reservations under 750 ILCS 5/513, and any deviation findings. Check the boxes that apply and write specific terms in the blank lines.
Aisha Patel and her ex agree to alternate the child tax credit annually, with Aisha claiming odd years and her ex claiming even years, and that language goes in Section H verbatim. If the order deviates from the income shares result, the judge must make written findings explaining why under 750 ILCS 5/505(a)(3.5).
A common edge case is special needs trusts for disabled adult children; recite the trust name and tax ID in Section H. The most common mistake is leaving deviation findings blank when the support number is below or above the schedule, which makes the order vulnerable to reversal on appeal. The misconception is that tax dependency follows the support obligation — the IRS rule under IRC §152(e) gives the exemption to the custodial parent unless released on Form 8332.
Signature Block: Judge, Parties, and Attorneys
The final page holds the signature lines for the judge, both parties (or their attorneys), and a date stamp. Sign in blue ink if filing on paper; e-filers use the Odyssey eFileIL digital signature stamp.
Print each name beneath the signature line, include the ARDC number for any attorney signer, and date every signature. Carlos Mendez signs above his printed name and dates 05/15/2026; the judge then signs and dates after the prove-up hearing.
If a party refuses to sign because the order was entered after a contested hearing, write Entered Over Objection on that party’s signature line. The most common mistake is forgetting to date the judge’s signature, which leaves the effective date ambiguous and forces a nunc pro tunc correction. The misconception is that the order is effective when signed by the parties — it is effective only when signed by the judge and file-stamped by the clerk.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
The three scenarios below show how the order looks for the most common Illinois fact patterns. Each table walks one named filer from caption to signature.
Scenario 1: Maria Rivera — Divorce With Two Children and W-2 Income
Maria is divorcing after a 14-year marriage with two children, ages 9 and 12. She earns $4,200 per month gross as a teacher; her ex earns $7,800 per month gross as an engineer.
| Form Section | What Maria Enters |
|---|---|
| Caption | Circuit Court of the 18th Judicial Circuit, DUPAGE County; In re the Marriage of Rivera and Rivera; Case No. 2025 D 001234 |
| Section A — Parties | Obligor RIVERA, DAVID M., DOB 06/22/1982; Obligee RIVERA, MARIA L., DOB 03/14/1984; Children Sofia Rivera 08/01/2014, Lucas Rivera 11/30/2016 |
| Section B — Income | Obligor monthly net $5,847; Obligee monthly net $3,310; Combined net $9,157 |
| Section C — Basic Support | Basic obligation $1,872; Obligor share 64%; Obligor dollar share $1,198 |
| Section D — Add-Ons | Children’s health premium $285; Uncovered medical 64/36; Childcare $0; Extracurricular cap $150/mo |
| Section E — Total | Total monthly support $1,380; Effective date 06/01/2026 |
| Section F — Withholding | Employer Northrop Engineering, 200 N. LaSalle, Chicago, IL; FEIN 36-9876543; Immediate withholding ordered |
| Section G — SDU | SDU Case No. 0123456789; Obligee payment by direct deposit |
| Section H — Other | Tax dependency alternated annually; Life insurance $250,000 on obligor; College expenses reserved under 750 ILCS 5/513 |
| Signature | Judge signs 05/30/2026; both parties sign through counsel |
Scenario 2: Carlos Mendez — Never-Married Paternity Case
Carlos has just been adjudicated the father of a 3-year-old. The mother filed under the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 and seeks first-time support.
| Form Section | What Carlos Enters |
|---|---|
| Caption | Circuit Court of Cook County, COOK County; In re the Parentage of E.M.; Case No. 2026 F 005678 |
| Section A — Parties | Obligor MENDEZ, CARLOS A., DOB 04/12/1990; Obligee NGUYEN, LINH T., DOB 09/05/1992; Child Ethan M. 02/14/2023 |
| Section B — Income | Obligor monthly net $3,640; Obligee monthly net $2,890; Combined net $6,530 |
| Section C — Basic Support | Basic obligation $1,072; Obligor share 56%; Obligor dollar share $600 |
| Section D — Add-Ons | Children’s health premium $130 (All Kids); Childcare $680/mo; Uncovered medical 56/44 |
| Section E — Total | Total monthly support $981; Retroactive support $2,943 (3 months); Effective date 06/01/2026 |
| Section F — Withholding | Employer Acme Logistics, 1500 W. Industrial Dr., Aurora, IL; FEIN 36-1234567; Immediate withholding ordered |
| Section G — SDU | SDU Case No. 0987654321; Obligee payment by Illinois Debit MasterCard |
| Section H — Other | Tax dependency to obligee until further order; Genetic test cost reimbursement $385 to State |
| Signature | Judge signs 05/22/2026; Carlos signs pro se |
Scenario 3: Janet Wu — Modification With Self-Employed Obligor
Janet is asking the court to increase support after her ex left a salaried job to start a consulting LLC. The current order is three years old and based on the obligor’s old W-2 income.
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| Caption | Circuit Court of the 19th Judicial Circuit, LAKE County; In re the Marriage of Wu and Park; Case No. 2022 D 003456 |
| Section A — Parties | Obligor PARK, JIN-HO, DOB 01/18/1980; Obligee WU, JANET S., DOB 07/22/1983; Children Olivia Park 05/01/2015, Noah Park 09/15/2018 |
| Section B — Income | Obligor monthly net $8,210 (3-yr K-1 average); Obligee monthly net $5,612; Combined net $13,822 |
| Section C — Basic Support | Basic obligation $2,498; Obligor share 59%; Obligor dollar share $1,474 |
| Section D — Add-Ons | Children’s health premium $420; Childcare $0; Uncovered medical 59/41; Extracurricular cap $300/mo |
| Section E — Total | Total monthly support $1,722; Effective date 07/01/2026; Substantial change of circumstances found under 750 ILCS 5/510 |
| Section F — Withholding | Self-employed; direct payment to SDU ordered; quarterly K-1 review |
| Section G — SDU | SDU Case No. 0246813579; Obligee payment by direct deposit |
| Section H — Other | Life insurance $500,000 on obligor; College expenses reserved; Annual exchange of tax returns by April 30 |
| Signature | Judge signs 06/15/2026; both parties sign through counsel |
How to File the Completed Form
Illinois gives you three filing channels, and the right one depends on whether you have a lawyer, a IV-D case, or a pro se filing.
Online through Odyssey eFileIL. Upload the proposed Uniform Order of Support as a PDF through the Odyssey eFileIL portal, select the lead document type “Proposed Order,” and pay any motion fee due (typically $0 to $60 depending on county). Processing takes 1 to 3 business days for the clerk to accept; the judge signs at the next scheduled hearing. Save the e-filing confirmation email as your proof of filing.
By mail or in person at the circuit clerk. Print three copies, take them to the circuit clerk’s office (for example, the Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court at 50 W. Washington), and pay the filing fee in cash, money order, or credit card. Processing takes 5 to 10 business days for the file stamp to come back; keep the file-stamped copy as proof.
Administratively through HFS. If your case is open with HFS Child Support Services, the caseworker generates the order in KIDS and mails it to both parents with a notice of right to a hearing. There is no fee, processing takes 30 to 45 days, and the certified administrative order serves as your proof of filing.
By fax. A handful of rural counties still accept fax filings under local rule; call the clerk first, expect a $5 to $10 surcharge, and use the fax confirmation page as proof.
What Happens After You File
Once the judge signs and the clerk file-stamps the order, three things happen on parallel tracks. The clerk transmits the order data to the Illinois State Disbursement Unit, which opens an SDU case number within 5 business days and mails enrollment instructions to the obligee. The clerk also serves the Income Withholding for Support form on the obligor’s employer, which must begin withholding within 14 days.
The obligor receives a notice of the right to contest withholding within 20 days under 750 ILCS 28/30. If the obligor falls 90 days behind, HFS automatically refers the case for driver’s license suspension, professional license suspension, tax intercept, and credit bureau reporting. Either parent can ask for modification when there is a substantial change of circumstances or every three years under the federal triennial review rule at 42 U.S.C. §666(a)(10).
Expect the first SDU payment to land 30 to 45 days after entry. Track payments on the SDU online portal and reconcile against pay stubs monthly. If a payment is missed, file a Petition for Rule to Show Cause in the same case under 750 ILCS 5/505(b).
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
The Uniform Order of Support has so many interlocking numbers that small slips become big problems. Watch for these ten errors that judges, clerks, and the SDU flag every week.
- Using gross income instead of net on Section B. This inflates the basic obligation by 25% to 35% and forces the judge to redo the math.
- Pulling the wrong row from the income shares schedule. A misread of $50 to $200 per month compounds to thousands per year.
- Listing the full family health premium instead of the children’s portion. This over-allocates support and gets reversed on appeal.
- Omitting the obligor’s employer FEIN in Section F. The SDU rejects the IWO and collection delays 30+ days.
- Forgetting the SDU case number in Section G. Payments hit the SDU but cannot be matched to the case, so they sit in suspense.
- Skipping deviation findings when the order is below or above the schedule. This makes the order vulnerable to reversal under 750 ILCS 5/505(a)(3.5).
- Leaving the effective date blank. The clerk cannot calculate retroactive support and the SDU starts the wrong month.
- Paying the obligee directly instead of through the SDU. Direct payments are treated as gifts and the obligor still owes the court-ordered amount.
- Failing to attach the federal IWO form. Withholding never starts, even though the order is entered.
- Forgetting to update the order when income changes 20% or more. Arrears pile up at 9% statutory interest under 735 ILCS 5/12-109 before anyone notices.
Do’s and Don’ts
A handful of habits separate orders that sail through the prove-up from orders that get bounced back.
- Do pull the form fresh from the Illinois Courts forms library on filing day, because the Commission updates revisions twice a year.
- Do use the HFS Standardized Net Income Conversion Table for every net-income calculation, because judges cross-check it line by line.
- Do attach the Comprehensive Financial Affidavit, because Supreme Court Rule 13.3.1 makes it mandatory.
- Do file the Notice of Confidential Information for SSNs separately, because Rule 138 redaction errors trigger sealing motions.
- Do keep a clean copy of the file-stamped order in three places (paper, email, cloud), because reissuing certified copies costs $9 to $15 each.
- Do enroll in SDU direct deposit the same day, because the default debit card delays funds 24 to 48 hours per payment.
- Don’t hand-write numbers in the form fields, because handwriting errors are the top reason clerks reject orders.
- Don’t round combined net income up to a higher schedule row, because the judge will catch it and require a corrected order.
- Don’t waive income withholding casually, because re-establishing it later requires a new motion and another 30-day delay.
- Don’t bury deviation language in the margins, because Section H is the only place a judge will read for non-standard terms.
- Don’t assume the divorce judgment incorporates the order, because the Uniform Order of Support is always a separate, free-standing document.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Whether to handle the Uniform Order of Support pro se depends on income complexity, conflict level, and county practices.
Pros of pro se filing. You save $1,500 to $5,000 in attorney fees, you keep direct control over every number on the order, you learn the system for future modifications, you can use Illinois Legal Aid Online’s free easy-form tool, and you can ask the court’s self-help center procedural questions.
Cons of pro se filing. Income shares math is unforgiving and small errors become permanent, deviation findings require statutory citation most pro se filers miss, opposing counsel may push terms you don’t fully understand, post-decree enforcement requires a second filing you may not anticipate, and self-employed obligor cases nearly always require an attorney to depose income.
Pros of hiring an attorney. A lawyer drafts deviation findings and college reservations correctly, runs the income shares schedule with software, negotiates tax dependency and life insurance terms, handles e-filing and prove-up appearances, and protects you from waiving rights under 750 ILCS 5/513.
Cons of hiring an attorney. Retainers run $2,500 to $10,000, billing is hourly and unpredictable, you lose some control over strategy decisions, attorney calendars can delay filing by weeks, and conflicts of interest sometimes require switching counsel mid-case.
FAQs
Do I have to use the Illinois Uniform Order of Support, or can my lawyer draft a custom order?
No. Illinois circuit courts require the standardized Uniform Order of Support statewide for every support entry, and judges routinely refuse to sign custom-drafted substitutes that omit the required boxes.
Can I waive income withholding if my ex agrees?
Yes. Both parents can sign a written waiver and ask the court to find good cause under 750 ILCS 28/20, but most judges still order immediate withholding because waivers create enforcement problems later.
Do I write my maiden name or married name in Section A?
Yes, write the name as it appears on your current driver’s license; if you restored your maiden name in the dissolution judgment, use the maiden name and note the prior married name in parentheses.
Is the children’s portion of health insurance the same as the family premium in Section D?
No. Enter only the incremental cost of adding the children to the plan, calculated as the difference between employee-only and employee-plus-children coverage on the most recent benefits statement.
Do I include overtime in the Section B income figure?
Yes. Illinois counts overtime, bonuses, and commissions as gross income unless the obligor proves the income was non-recurring and unlikely to repeat under In re Marriage of Rogers.
Does the support amount automatically increase when my ex gets a raise?
No. Modification requires a new petition and a substantial change of circumstances under 750 ILCS 5/510, although you can request a triennial review through HFS without proving a change.
Can I file the order without my ex’s Social Security number?
Yes, but only if you submit a sworn statement explaining diligent search efforts; without an SSN, the SDU cannot match payments and tax intercept will not work.
Do I need to attach a separate Income Withholding for Support form?
Yes. The federal IWO (OMB 0970-0154) is a separate document required under 42 U.S.C. §666(b), and most clerks reject filings that omit it.
Is the SDU case number the same as my circuit court case number?
No. The SDU assigns its own ten-digit case number when the order is transmitted, and you must use that number on every payment to ensure proper credit.
Can I list a P.O. Box for the obligor’s address in Section A?
No. Section A requires a residential street address for service of process; a P.O. Box can be added as a mailing address but cannot replace the residential address.
Does the order automatically terminate when my child turns 18?
No. Support continues until the later of the 18th birthday or high school graduation, but never past the 19th birthday under 750 ILCS 5/505(g), and the order should recite the termination event.
Can the judge enter the order without both parents signing?
Yes. After a contested hearing or default, the judge enters the order based on the evidence, and the non-signing party’s signature line is marked Entered Over Objection or Default.
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