Minor Father in Illinois

[luly727]

I am 17 yrs old and my ex girlfriend (16) just had my son in August. I have tried to talk to her and tried to be civil , and have given her clothes and diapers every week since the baby was born. I have been allowed to go to her parents house and see the baby. My mother has also baby-sat while my ex went to her part time job. I thought everything was OK> my name is not on the birth certificate as I was not there for the birth.
Yesterday my mom got the papers in the mail, last month ,my ex went to court and filed for child support ( she now says her parents forced her to do it) My ex told me that she did it cuz she was made at me and i wouldnt come back with her. I have started dating someone else for 5 months now and my ex hates her, calls and harrasses her, texts her and has spread her phone # to all my ex's friends..so all of them call and harrass us ( teenage drama but very anoying) I am going to comm college and live with my mom who is on disability. I have a part time job and help my mom with the house bills.
I am just afraid cuz the paper work says that they want me to pay child support, they want me to pay for the medical delivery bills ( her parents have good insurance thru their jobs and those bills were paid) and the paper says that they want me to post some kinda bond or guarantee to cover up to 1 year of child support!
I dont understand what my rights are here. I want to see my son and help the ex as I have been doing, but I dont have all this money that they are asking for. I am 17.
I read somewhere on line and can not find it now that in Illinois, the minor parent is not obligated to start paying child support till 6 months AFTER they turn 18. IF that is true law, it would give me time to finish school and get a good job.
My ex has no bills, lives with her parents, has dropped out of school and works 2 hrs a day, maybe 3 days a week..
ANY HELP????

[Lawrence084]

I can't answer your specific questions but maybe I can give some advice...

I have been paying child support for almost 19 years now.

I have learn the hard way, the non custody parent has no rights. My advice to you is to get as much custody as you can. There is a huge difference between 50% custody than someone like me who has 0% custody because I moved as far away as possible for the same teenage drama you are experience now. Some grown women act like a teenager all their life.

Custody means frequent visits, be consist, be on time and most of all be dependable. It will go a long ways in the courts eyes.

[cyjeff]

I am 17 yrs old and my ex girlfriend (16) just had my son in August. I have tried to talk to her and tried to be civil , and have given her clothes and diapers every week since the baby was born. I have been allowed to go to her parents house and see the baby. My mother has also baby-sat while my ex went to her part time job. I thought everything was OK> my name is not on the birth certificate as I was not there for the birth.
Yesterday my mom got the papers in the mail, last month ,my ex went to court and filed for child support ( she now says her parents forced her to do it) My ex told me that she did it cuz she was made at me and i wouldnt come back with her. I have started dating someone else for 5 months now and my ex hates her, calls and harrasses her, texts her and has spread her phone # to all my ex's friends..so all of them call and harrass us ( teenage drama but very anoying) I am going to comm college and live with my mom who is on disability. I have a part time job and help my mom with the house bills.
I am just afraid cuz the paper work says that they want me to pay child support, they want me to pay for the medical delivery bills ( her parents have good insurance thru their jobs and those bills were paid) and the paper says that they want me to post some kinda bond or guarantee to cover up to 1 year of child support!
I dont understand what my rights are here. I want to see my son and help the ex as I have been doing, but I dont have all this money that they are asking for. I am 17.
I read somewhere on line and can not find it now that in Illinois, the minor parent is not obligated to start paying child support till 6 months AFTER they turn 18. IF that is true law, it would give me time to finish school and get a good job.
My ex has no bills, lives with her parents, has dropped out of school and works 2 hrs a day, maybe 3 days a week..
ANY HELP????

Congrats the birth of your child.

OF COURSE, you have to financially support your child. Why would you think you wouldn't have to? Do you think the child will stop eating and needing things just because you are currently broke. This doesn't have anything to do whatsoever with the mother's current living conditions.

You would not be the first person who had to drop out of school full time to support their brand new family.

Isn't premarital sex FUN?

[Mr. Knowitall]

I believe you saw something about how a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity is not final until the younger of the two parents is six months past his or her eighteenth birthday, but that doesn't prevent a child support order. It also doesn't prevent paternity from being established by virtue of a paternity action and DNA test, which appears to be the approach the mother is presently taking.

Courts take into consideration age, earning capacity, etc., when setting child support with minor parents. Often the awards are small, as the court doesn't want to force a parent to drop out of school or abandon college plans in order to pay support - it's generally in the child's long-term best interest for the parent to complete his or her education. But it's perfectly reasonable for a court to order you to make some contribution to the care and support of your child.

[luly727]

I AM NOT saying that I will not support my son!!! I have been giving the mother anything she has asked for since he was born...thats not what I am saying. your responce seems to make me look like an A** trying to get out of paying support..my question was about the medical bills that have been paid already by private insurance and this "bond" of 1 yrs worth of child support...

[cyjeff]

I AM NOT saying that I will not support my son!!!

Your exact words were

I read somewhere on line and can not find it now that in Illinois, the minor parent is not obligated to start paying child support till 6 months AFTER they turn 18. IF that is true law, it would give me time to finish school and get a good job.

to me, that sounds like someone hoping they don't have to pay anything for at least six months.

I have been giving the mother anything she has asked for since he was born...thats not what I am saying

You have, again by your own admission, brought over clothes and diapers every week. This is NOT supporting your child.

You are required to pay for half of the entire financial needs of the child.

your responce seems to make me look like an A** trying to get out of paying support.

No, YOUR response made you look like an ass trying to get out of paying support.

my question was about the medical bills that have been paid already by private insurance and this "bond" of 1 yrs worth of child support...

Then why did you ask if you had a six month cushion?

Anyway, if you think you shouldn't pay it, counter file with your attorney. It is not the grandparents job to pay for the medical bills assessed during the birth of your child. Those would be YOUR bills to pay.

Some insurance won't pay them... because the insurance will say that their responsibility stops at the minor child of the insured... and not the second generation.

Do you KNOW that the mother of your child's bills were paid by insurance? Heck, does the MOTHER know?

You need to be working more than part time... starting now.