Blog Posts in June, 2014

Illinois Adoption - Part 2: The Process

In part 1 of this series, we discussed some of the legal aspects of adoption in Illinois . In this post, we outline the process of adoption. The process can take a substantial amount of time and is guided by Illinois adoption laws . The General Steps: Orientation - During the orientation stage, individuals and couples seeking to adopt participate in one or more orientation meetings. These meetings ...

Illinois Adoption - Part 1: The Legal Landscape

Individuals and couples adopt for many reasons. For example, some couples adopt due to fertility challenges; some families have biological children and wish to increase their family size through adoption; and other families merely wish to provide a safe home to children who need such a family. Adding a child to your family can be a joyous occasion. However, navigating the law concerning adoption ...

Broken Promises: What to Do When All That Is Left Is The Ring

When a member of an Illinois couple is shopping for a shiny new engagement ring, he or she is filled with promise and hope for the future. It therefore seems counterintuitive to immediately consider the personal property ramifications of a rejected marriage proposal or, much more significantly, an accepted proposal ending in a broken engagement. It is estimated that 20 to 25 percent of all ...

The Changing Tax Landscape For Married Same-Sex Couples in Illinois

In the 2013 case of United States v. Windsor , the Supreme Court declared parts of the Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) to be unconstitutional, holding that states have the authority to define marital relationships and that DOMA undermined that authority. The result is an expansion of rights—but also confusion regarding state and federal taxes—for same-sex couples who are married or in civil ...

The Modern-Day Prenuptial Agreement

Saying “I Do” When a couple comes together in marriage, they bring together their finances. This includes both their past assets and their past liabilities. Traditionally, prenuptial or premarital agreements were entered into as a means to protect a wealthy spouse from losing a significant part of his or her fortune, should the marriage end in divorce. However, there are other very important ...

Sperm Donation and Parental Rights

Fertility Challenges In the past, when couples had difficulty conceiving children during marriage, their only option was to adopt . With modern-day technology, there are now several ways couples can produce children with at least one partner’s genetic contribution, either via artificial insemination or by using a surrogate to carry the baby to term. The decision to use a sperm donor for artificial ...

Building Relationships with the Extended Family

Marriage and the Creation of One Combined Family Marriage is hard. Marriage requires two people to construct one life together. Oftentimes, in that building process, the couple fastens together their respective families and, as a result, spouses and children become very close with their in-laws. In those instances, the marriage becomes more than just maintaining a healthy relationship between the ...

Keeping a Marriage Healthy When Faced With Infertility

All marriages experience some rough patches along the way. In marriages where infertility is an issue, these challenges can become amplified and divorce can become a more likely outcome if the couple does not learn how to successfully cope with the challenges that arise. Infertility in America When people get married, having children is generally assumed to be part of the normal progression of the ...