Starting July 1, the state of Illinois is changing the formula used to figure child support.

The new law eliminates hard percentages used in the past and now requires both parents to submit their income plus the time they spend caring for their children to come up with a fair payment.

This means that two parents making a similar salary could now result in a lower child support payment.

And the more time the children spend with a parent, the less that parent might have to pay.

Proponents say that this change brings Illinois more in line with what other states have done with child support for many years.

Critics warn that the new rules make it possible for a parent to game the system, resulting in lengthy custody battles instead of focusing on the child’s well-being.