Goostree Law Group

Website: http://napervillefamilydivorcelaw.com
Follow:

Goostree Law Group Blogs

DuPage County Divorce Blog
Kane County Divorce Blog

Blog Authors

Goostree Law Group, Kane
Goostree Law Group, DuPage
Publisher

Latest from Goostree Law Group

When finalizing a divorce and child custody arrangements, parents often have questions about how child support affects their taxes. They may wonder whether child support payments are tax-deductible or how child-related tax benefits are divided between parents. These tax benefits can be a significant source of confusion during divorce proceedings, especially because of their impact on each parent’s financial situation. If you are navigating divorce and taxes, a skilled Illinois family law attorney can assist you in managing these financial considerations.
Are Child Support Payments Tax-Deductible in Illinois?
Child support payments are not tax-deductible for the paying parent, nor are…
Continue Reading Is Child Support Tax-Deductible?

Suppose you have been with your spouse for more than ten years at the time of your divorce. When you married your wife, her daughter was only two years old, so you have essentially been the child’s father for a decade because her biological father was a chronic “no-show” during his allotted parenting time. You love the girl you think of as your daughter, yet at the time of the divorce, your soon-to-be ex tells you that since you are not her “real” father, you are not entitled to continue to be a part of the allocation of parental responsibilities…
Continue Reading Do Stepparents Have Rights to Parenting Time After Divorce?

Divorce is a complicated process, especially when it comes to dividing property. Just like the rules of dividing property purchased during a marriage, the laws of dividing property acquired before a marriage may not always be clear. Understanding these nuances can help you protect your assets and prepare for future legal proceedings. To help ensure a fair outcome, an experienced Kane County attorney can guide you through the steps of dividing your property.
Is Property Acquired Before the Marriage Considered Separate?
In most cases, property owned by either spouse before the marriage is viewed as separate property. This means…
Continue Reading What Happens to Property Owned Before Marriage in Divorce? | IL

Awareness of mental health issues has been slowly increasing in America over the past few years. While some parents involved in a tense divorce might throw terms around like “he’s crazy” or “she’s insane,” data shows that the number of people receiving mental health treatment has been steadily on the rise in recent years. 
This also means there is an increased understanding of what it means to live with mental illness, making those insults much less effective. Yet it can still be extremely distressing if you are accused of being mentally unfit to raise your children. If your ex is…
Continue Reading Will I Lose Custody if I Suffer from Mental Illness?

No-fault divorce has played an important role in family law for many years. Instead of requiring spouses to convince the court that there are reasonable grounds to let them get divorced, a couple can say they have irreconcilable differences and start the process.  By enabling couples to end their marriages because they are not happy together, without needing to prove that anyone did something wrong to the other, the entire process of dissolving a marriage became smoother.
However, a movement in the country has been working to change that. This article will explore what it would mean if no-fault divorce…
Continue Reading Efforts to End No-Fault Divorces in Illinois

Divorce is often a stressful experience to go through. As a couple navigates the division of assets and allocation of debts that is an important part of a divorce, you are probably wondering who will be responsible for paying for the credit card debt that your spouse amassed. A seasoned Kane County, IL debt division attorney can review your case and offer valuable guidance.
How Does Debt Division Work in Illinois?
Illinois follows a model of equitable distribution in divorce. That means that all the assets as well as debts that were acquired during a marriage are divided fairly,…
Continue Reading Who Pays a Spouse’s Credit Card Debt in an Illinois Divorce?

While the concept of divorce is familiar to most people, there is a lack of knowledge about the various options available. Many people, especially those who have never been through a divorce themselves, have seen a high-conflict divorce play out in a movie or TV show. In these stereotypical scenes, the spouses do everything in their power to punish and hurt each other. They try to keep as much property, assets, and parenting time for themselves in an attempt to leave the other with nothing or as little as possible.
You might be surprised to learn that many couples manage…
Continue Reading Illinois Uncontested Divorce Examined

With cryptocurrency becoming more popular, it is increasingly included in divorce proceedings. Since it is a relatively new asset category, it can raise interesting questions about equitable asset division in an Illinois divorce. If you or your spouse own cryptocurrency, speak with a qualified Kane County, IL divorce lawyer to understand how it could be divided in divorce.
Determining the Value of Cryptocurrency
The state of Illinois differentiates between marital property and separate property. Any savings, investments, property, and other assets you had when you entered the marriage are generally considered exclusively yours. On the other hand, anything either of…
Continue Reading What Happens with My Cryptocurrency if I Get Divorced in Illinois?

Although “prenuptial agreement” is a well-known phrase that many people have heard, there is a great deal of confusion about what it means. Often, it comes up in TV shows portraying a couple about to get married when suddenly the wealthy fiance’s family issues an ultimatum, telling the other fiance to sign the prenup “or else.” 
Thankfully, the truth can be far less dramatic. Prenuptial agreements are practical documents that act like a contract, where both fiances are given a clear understanding of how financial matters will be handled in their marriage and in the hypothetical event of…
Continue Reading Should I Sign a Prenuptial Agreement in Illinois?

When someone claims to be a victim of domestic violence, Illinois takes those claims seriously and responds swiftly. A restraining order, officially called an order of protection, can be issued against the person being accused, which might legally keep them out of their home without a solution for where they can spend the night. 
When accusations are especially severe, the court can even issue an emergency order of protection almost immediately, without a long court process and without giving the accused an opportunity to tell his side of the story. Unfortunately, this swift handling of cases meant to…
Continue Reading My Wife Got a Restraining Order Against Me. How Can I Fight It? | IL

It has become somewhat common practice to sign a prenuptial agreement. Not everyone signs one, but almost everyone has heard of one. However, even though a prenup can have a serious impact on your financial future, some people sign it without truly wanting to. Maybe their future in-laws gave them an ultimatum to pressure them into signing it. Perhaps they lacked the knowledge to fully understand that they were signing a document their spouse’s family lawyer drew up that unfairly represented the spouse’s interests. 
If you signed a prenup that you did not want to, it might not have…
Continue Reading Proving You Were Forced Into Signing a Prenup in Illinois

There is no arguing that a divorce can sometimes seem like one enormous, horrible fight that hurts not only the spouses involved but also their children. But some couples can feel they should not be married and still want to avoid hurting each other. Once the divorce is finalized, parents still need to be involved in each other’s lives as they continue to raise their children, and that can be extremely challenging following a high-conflict divorce. When two people share the understanding that they can work together instead of against each other so that each can leave with a…
Continue Reading 4 Tips for an Amicable Divorce in Illinois

Most couples going through a divorce are aware of the need for them to figure out how they will divide their marital assets. Illinois follows an equitable distribution model for dividing assets, which focuses on an arrangement that might not be equal but is fair based on several factors that are taken into consideration. It is, therefore, important for both spouses to agree about the value of each item considered a marital asset. However, some assets are unusual and can be difficult to value. Art, collectibles, and family-run businesses are just some examples of assets that can be difficult…
Continue Reading Dividing Hard-To-Value Assets in an Illinois Divorce

Parents going through a divorce often fight when both want the most time with their children. Bitter custody battles can be a painful experience, but it can become even more traumatic if one parent decides to take impulsive action. In Illinois, if a parent violates the visitation schedule, they can be charged for parental abduction. If your child’s other parent might try to take them away from you, speak with a skilled Kane County, IL child custody attorney to hear your options.
 How Does Illinois Handle Parental Kidnapping?
Illinois courts prefer granting both parents some amount of visitation and parental…
Continue Reading Parental Abduction and Custody in Illinois

This month, Illinois is marking Child Support Awareness Month by celebrating some newly launched initiatives aimed at helping parents and children across the state. By bringing attention to new efforts and improvements in how child support is handled, this awareness month places special focus on a legal issue that affects so many people. Child support can be an essential lifeline to parents after divorce by ensuring their financial ability to raise their children. If you have questions about child support, speak with a qualified Kane County, IL divorce lawyer to learn more.
New Child Support Initiatives in Illinois
With child …
Continue Reading Celebrating Child Support Awareness Month in Illinois

Many people getting a divorce have never been through one before. Naturally, all the emotional, legal, logistical, and financial steps can be overwhelming. Finding an experienced and reliable lawyer is an excellent first step, but some people need the support of a specialized mental health professional to get through the process. If you believe you could benefit from that type of assistance, contact a DuPage County, IL lawyer about hiring a divorce coach.
What Does a Divorce Coach Do?
A divorce coach is a mental health professional specially trained to guide people through their divorce. Having unique experience with…
Continue Reading Practical Ways an Illinois Divorce Coach Can Help You