Hey @Paul Flynn - I was there and know they feeling my friend, I worked more and more an more overtime at my W2 to provide for my children and be able to afford to live and provide them with a home and things when they were with me, the more I worked the more I paid year after year after year. It's a vicious cycle for the guys that work hard and do what they are supposed to but no way around it, the more you make the more you have to pay I'm sorry to say.
As mentioned above, rental income does and will count toward your gross earnings and therefore will most likely subject to child support withholdings. You could/should file a petition for a reduction if what you are paying is a hardship, doesn't mean the judge will award it but take a look at the Illinois CS calculator and see what it says.
https://www2.illinois.gov/hfs/ChildSupport/parents/Pages/ChildSupportEstimator.aspx
https://www.illinoislegalaid.o...
What you are paying could be appropriate, based on Illinois law, depending on how many children you have, how much time they are with you and how much the mother earns. The State of Illinois changed the law several years ago, hell when I had to pay it was a straight % based calculation didn't matter the mother made more then me and that we had the kids the same amount of time, truth be told it is a much "fairer" system now - not perfect but definitely better than the old way.
Lastly, this is a PUBLIC forum, if she and/or her attorney search your name in Google and see this (assuming it is your real name) and they bring this to the Judge that you are trying to hide paying child support - believe me it WILL NOT go over well. Just my $.02 sir
Mark