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Illinois Statutes Chapter 750. Families § 16/15. Failure to support

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

§ 15. Failure to support.

(a) A person commits the offense of failure to support when he or she:

(1) willfully, without any lawful excuse, refuses to provide for the support or maintenance of his or her spouse, with the knowledge that the spouse is in need of such support or maintenance, or, without lawful excuse, deserts or willfully refuses to provide for the support or maintenance of his or her child or children in need of support or maintenance and the person has the ability to provide the support; or

(2) willfully fails to pay a support obligation required under a court or administrative order for support, if the obligation has remained unpaid for a period longer than 6 months, or is in arrears in an amount greater than $5,000, and the person has the ability to provide the support; or

(3) leaves the State with the intent to evade a support obligation required under a court or administrative order for support, if the obligation, regardless of when it accrued, has remained unpaid for a period longer than 6 months, or is in arrears in an amount greater than $10,000; or

(4) willfully fails to pay a support obligation required under a court or administrative order for support, if the obligation has remained unpaid for a period longer than one year, or is in arrears in an amount greater than $20,000, and the person has the ability to provide the support.

(a-5) Presumption of ability to pay support. The existence of a court or administrative order of support that was not based on a default judgment and was in effect for the time period charged in the indictment or information creates a rebuttable presumption that the obligor has the ability to pay the support obligation for that time period.

(b) Sentence. A person convicted of a first offense under subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(2) is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. A person convicted of an offense under subdivision (a)(3) or (a)(4) or a second or subsequent offense under subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(2) is guilty of a Class 4 felony.

(c) Expungement. A person convicted of a first offense under subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(2) who is eligible for the Earnfare program, shall, in lieu of the sentence prescribed in subsection (b), be referred to the Earnfare program. Upon certification of completion of the Earnfare program, the conviction shall be expunged. If the person fails to successfully complete the Earnfare program, he or she shall be sentenced in accordance with subsection (b).

(d) Fine. Sentences of imprisonment and fines for offenses committed under this Act shall be as provided under Articles 8 and 9 of Chapter V of the Unified Code of Corrections  1, except that the court shall order restitution of all unpaid support payments and may impose the following fines, alone, or in addition to a sentence of imprisonment under the following circumstances:

(1) from $1,000 to $5,000 if the support obligation has remained unpaid for a period longer than 2 years, or is in arrears in an amount greater than $1,000 and not exceeding $10,000;

(2) from $5,000 to $10,000 if the support obligation has remained unpaid for a period longer than 5 years, or is in arrears in an amount greater than $10,000 and not exceeding $20,000; or

(3) from $10,000 to $25,000 if the support obligation has remained unpaid for a period longer than 8 years, or is in arrears in an amount greater than $20,000.

(e) Restitution shall be ordered in an amount equal to the total unpaid support obligation as it existed at the time of sentencing. Any amounts paid by the obligor shall be allocated first to current support and then to restitution ordered and then to fines imposed under this Section.

(f) For purposes of this Act, the term “child” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 505 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act  2.

1 730 ILCS 5/5-8-1 et seq. and 5/5-9-1 et seq.
2 750 ILCS 5/505.
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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Illinois Statutes Chapter 750. Families § 16/15. Failure to support - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/il/chapter-750-families/il-st-sect-750-16-15/

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