You want to keep it quiet. You don’t want your personal information, family life details, and financials in public records. You especially don’t want your life broadcast on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We understand. We’re really good at keeping secrets. All attorneys in Illinois have an ethical duty of confidentiality. See Rule 1.6 in the […]
It is often assumed that divorce is an issue that younger couples face, yet statistics indicate that divorce rates are declining among most age groups. Those aged 50 and older are the exception, however, with a divorce rate that has more than doubled since 1990. There are many theories as to why, but the real […]
Not every divorce will include an award of alimony (also known as spousal support), but those that do generally involve spouses who have an income disparity, or a spouse that is unable to support themselves. If you believe you may be entitled to spousal support, or if you are concerned over what a request for spousal support […]
The decision to divorce is not one easily made. There are weeks, months, and sometimes years of grappling with complex emotions, including fear, anxiety, and overwhelming sadness. Then there is the time that is spent considering how the divorce will affect any mutual children. Some couples continue to stall with moving forward as they ponder […]
While divorce can be an emotionally devastating process for all involved parties, children are often the most susceptible to experiencing long-term effects. They can become angry, depressed, may struggle in school or at home, or may even develop behavioral issues. However, studies suggest that parents play an important role in their ability to cope during […]
Divorces or parenting time trials can be difficult enough without calling into question someone’s mental health. When an accusation is empty and anger-based, it wastes everyone’s time and resources. Moreover, it may frustrate the judge who ultimately determines each parent’s responsibilities and time with their child. However, in some custody disputes, a parent’s mental health is […]
Children do not stay young forever, and it may only seem like seconds between your child going to kindergarten and applying for colleges. No matter how slowly you wish time would move, the moment eventually arrives for college tours, personal essays, and then of course, tuition payments. For divorced or unmarried parents, when their children […]
While the major consequences of divorce are at the front of the spouses’ minds, the tiny details can be ignored until they suddenly have to be dealt with. One common—but often disregarded—issue that arises during divorce is the question of who continues to care for the family pet. This becomes an even greater concern when […]
Raising children is difficult. Moreover, the addition of a child’s medical needs, among others, can bring a troubled marriage to a breaking point. Therefore, when parents with a special needs child decide to divorce, that child may need an extra focus placed on their welfare with regards to the divorce or child custody case. Support […]
Major changes to Illinois’ family law will take place January 1, 2016. Changes include the elimination of the fault-based divorce system and a revamped approach to child custody issues. Therefore, because of the changes, many are asking, “If I am considering divorce, should I file now or wait for the new changes to take effect?” […]
A divorce may come after months or years of disagreements, and the process can be ugly. For some people, this is exactly what they want; the competitiveness can be cathartic. However, for others, a less contentious approach is more appropriate. This is particularly the case where there is a child involved and the divorcing spouses […]
Divorces can be contentious, especially when there are children involved. No matter what sort of agreement the parties are able to reach or the court is able to fashion when it comes to child custody, at least one parent is not going to get to spend as much time with his or her children as he or […]
Adoption can be a difficult, expensive, and time consuming process. In those regards, the process of adoption actually has a lot in common with parenting. Many prospective parents who choose to go through the adoption process have been dreaming of a child for years. Cutting through the red tape and getting on with being a mom or […]
There comes a time in every adolescent’s life when he or she becomes an adult and takes on new responsibilities. It is an exciting, turbulent, and sometimes uneasy stage. And for most young adults, it results in the freedom of independence and self-determination. For parents, however, it can be bittersweet. When your child grows older, […]
When a couple divorces, it is not merely the individuals in the marriage who go their separate ways. Marital property must also be divided in a process known as “equitable distribution.” At first blush, this undertaking may sound like a simple splitting of assets. However, in truth, equitable distribution often involves contentious determinations of property value and […]
It is easy to get bogged down in the emotional morass that is divorce. Only the most callous amongst us avoid feeling some negativity about the break-up. Maybe you wanted the relationship to work so badly that giving up on it feels like defeat; maybe you truly want to be with your spouse, but the […]
A man who had refused his wife a divorce in Israel has been extradited from the United States, Arutz Sheva reports. The unidentified man fled Israel to avoid getting divorced, after he was accused of pedophilia for alleged misconduct with his wife’s underage sister and the couple’s young son. Seeking to avoid this, the Rabbinical Court in […]
Patrick Arbor, former chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade and prominent Chicago citizen, has lost some legal options as his appeal to the Illinois Appellate Court has been dismissed, the Sun-Times reports. Apparently citing Arbor’s efforts to conceal, evade, and otherwise stonewall his ex-wife, Antoinette Vigilante, and her legal team, a panel of three […]
Less than a month has passed since Governor Pat Quinn signed the Illinois Religious Freedom and Marriage Equality Act into law. And although the law will not go into effect until June 1st, Illinois is already making some changes as a result of the landmark event. Springfield is formulating a policy on whether gay prison […]
Child custody disputes can be onerous situations that can quickly morph into intense legal battles that take years to be resolved. This fact has never been more true for a local Illinois woman who is currently engaged in a heated international custody dispute with the father of her child, a national of Ireland. In the case […]
