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The Right of First Refusal Can Increase Parenting Time
As one might expect, the allocation of parental responsibilities—the new name for “child custody” in Illinois—is the most hotly contested topic in many divorces. In recent years, changes have been to...
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Social Security Benefits and Divorce
During a divorce, one of the most hotly-contested issues is often one spouse’s (or both spouse’s) Social Security benefits, either for disability or retirement. Federal law allows a divorced spouse, in...
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Parental Rights and Losing Them
Despite a common misconception, merely being the biological parent of a child does not grant an adult immediate and total governance of that child’s life. Parental rights manifest when someone accepts...
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The Benefits of Using a Prenuptial Agreement
Prenuptial agreements (also called premarital agreements or “prenups”) are legal contracts that are signed by individuals before they get married. The purpose of a prenuptial agreement is to establish...
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Cohabitation Agreements in Illinois
It has been a source of confusion to the older generation that many young people in the United States have chosen either to not marry or to wait on marriage until later in life. It is true that there...
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Divorce by Publication: When Your Spouse Cannot Be Found
Sometimes, when divorce is imminent, one spouse may attempt to serve the papers on the other only to find that he or she cannot be found. This can present a problem, as Illinois law requires that a...
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What Happens if a Prenuptial Agreement is Invalid?
There was a time when many thought prenuptial agreements were only for rich celebrities or those who did not have faith in the longevity of their marriage. Today, people realize that prenuptial...
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Child Custody Questions for Military Parents
Members of the United States Armed Forces are well trained to expect the unexpected at all points in their careers. However, sometimes the unexpected can affect not only them, but also their spouses...
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What Happens if a Prenuptial Agreement is Invalid?
There was a time when many thought prenuptial agreements were only for rich celebrities or those who did not have faith in the longevity of their marriage. Today, people realize that prenuptial...
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Child Custody Questions for Military Parents
Members of the United States Armed Forces are well trained to expect the unexpected at all points in their careers. However, sometimes the unexpected can affect not only them, but also their spouses...
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What to Include in Your Parenting Agreement
If you are a parent who is planning to divorce your spouse, it is likely that one of your biggest concerns is how the divorce will affect your children. The transition from nuclear family to sharing...
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Spousal Maintenance: Considerations for a Stay-at-Home Parent
In generations past—or so television and movies tend to depict—the average American family relied on a single income provided, in most cases, by a breadwinning father. The mother was primarily...
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“Heart Balm” Lawsuit Over Husband’s Affair Settled
In Illinois, laws once existed which allow legal action to be brought against someone who had an affair with a married person. Under the last iteration of such laws, Illinois recognized two torts known...
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Property Division in an Illinois Divorce
If you are thinking about ending your marriage through divorce, you probably have many questions and concerns. One of these concerns might be about how your marital property will be divided when you...
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Illinois Fathers Have Much Less Custody Than Fathers in Most Other States
Study after study has shown that children thrive with both parents in their lives. Except for cases involving domestic violence or abuse, having two parents involved in a child’s upbringing is...
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Why You Might Object to the Divorce Venue Your Spouse Selected
If your spouse has filed a petition for divorce, he or she had the choice of where the file the petition. This means that your spouse selected the county in which the proceedings for your divorce will...
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Does It Matter If I Move Out Before Filing for Divorce?
Right this moment, you can probably think of at least one couple that you know who are living separately but who have not yet filed for divorce. When a couple is having marital problems, it is not...
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Spousal Support for Stay-at-Home Parents After Divorce
While times have changed and there is no longer a cultural expectation for a parent—usually a mother—to sacrifice their career and stay home to raise a couple’s children, many couples choose such an...
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Understanding Significant Decision-Making Responsibilities
One of the most challenging aspects of being a divorced or unmarried parent is the idea of sharing parental duties with your former partner. Each person often has an idea of how a should be raised, and...
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Understanding Your Role in Creating a Parenting Plan
When you are in the midst of a divorce, it may seem very tempting to just sit back and the let a judge make the difficult decisions. Of course, this approach fails to account for the multiple court...
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