Anyone with a valid child support order in Illinois has probably seen that there is a box in the order indicating that there is a $36.00 annual fee payable by the obligor for the processing of child support in the state of Illinois. I am not sure how many individuals remember to pay this annual fee, but it is definitely a mandatory fee for the use of the State Disbursement Unit, which the obligor needs to pay, otherwise, there are consequences. The state will eventually move to ensure that this fee is paid, so it is important to pay it on an annual basis. The states attorney is able to file a contempt petition against people who don’t pay to try and entice them to pay it. Punishment for non-payment may include contempt, monetary sanctions and more. While it is easy to forget to pay this fee, it is important that it gets paid.
Additionally, someone who is attempting to enforce a support order through a Notice to Withhold Income for Support has to pay a fee of $1.00 to whoever is collecting the support and distributing it to the State Disbursement Unit. So, for example, if Sally is due to receive child support from Michael and requests that the support is paid from Michael’s paycheck, Sally or her attorney would send a Notice to Withhold Income for Support to Michael’s employer, along with a copy of the court order. Along with that Notice, Sally or her attorney are supposed to include a $1.00 fee as payment for the processing of the support and the payment of said support to the State Disbursement Unit.