As high-income individuals getting divorced can attest, having money does not solve all of your problems in life. In fact, affluence can make divorce much more complex – especially if a spouse is not honest about income, assets, and debts. Forensic accounting is a process used in high-asset divorce cases to uncover hidden assets and other forms of fraud.
If you are getting divorced and suspect your spouse is transferring funds, concealing assets, misrepresenting income, or otherwise lying about money, forensic accounting may be useful in your divorce case.
Hidden Assets and Undisclosed Income in a Divorce
Spouses may use…
Continue Reading How is Forensic Accounting Used in a High-Asset Divorce Case?

In 2022, child support is calculated based on both of the parents’ net incomes. If the parents have a relatively equal amount of parenting time, the child support obligation is modified accordingly. Read on to learn more about how child support is calculated if parents share custody 50/50.
Parenting Time and Shared Parenting Scenarios
Physical custody of a child is now referred to as parenting time in Illinois, but the term custody is still used in informal settings. Divorcing parents are permitted and encouraged to develop a parenting time schedule that works for them. For example, in some families, one…
Continue Reading How is Child Support Determined When Parents Have 50/50 Custody?

As high schools finish up their spring semesters, many young people have their sights set on college. As a parent, the prospect of your child attending university can be both exciting and nerve-racking. College gets more and more expensive with each passing year. Average tuition and fees for public schools currently averages over $10,000 for in-state schools and nearly $23,000 for out-of-state schools. Private schools are even more expensive, with an average annual tuition of approximately $38,000.
If you are divorced and your child is nearing college age, it is important to understand how Illinois law handles the division of …
Continue Reading How Do Divorced Parents Pay For Their Child's College Expenses?

If you were recently married, but you regret it, you may be interested in getting the marriage annulled. Annulment is commonly portrayed in movies and television shows as a quick fix for couples wanting to end their marriage. However, annulment is more complicated than movies would lead you to believe. Annulments are only available in a narrow range of circumstances in Illinois. Couples who do not meet annulment criteria will need to end their marriages through divorce.
Annulment Criteria in Illinois
Many people assume that annulment is the same thing as divorce. However, these are completely different legal actions.
Continue Reading Can I Get My Marriage Annulled in DuPage County?

Marriages end for countless reasons. Some gradually break down over the course of years or decades. Other marriages end abruptly because a spouse has an affair or violates the other spouse’s trust. Sometimes, spouses simply fall out of love. If your marriage has reached the point of no return and divorce is imminent, there are things you can do now to make the divorce process easier.
Preparing for Divorce Can Help Make the Process Go More Smoothly
Divorce is a difficult process to go through, but preparing in advance can help you ready yourself to tackle divorce issues like property…
Continue Reading Six Steps to Take Now If You Know Divorce Is On The Horizon

Being a parent is hard regardless of your marital status. But co-parenting kids with an ex comes with additional challenges. If you are planning to divorce or you are an unmarried parent sharing custody of your kids with an ex, you may already have experienced some of these difficulties. Parents may disagree about parenting time schedules, their child’s education or participation in extracurricular activities, healthcare, and much more.
Every co-parenting relationship is bound to experience problems, but there are steps you can take to lessen co-parenting disagreements.

Disagreements About Child-Related Issues
Parents often have strong opinions about what is best…
Continue Reading 5 Common Co-Parenting Arguments and How to Prevent Them  

Domestic violence victims in Illinois have the option to get an order of protection to protect themselves, their children, and their property. A protection order is often the first step in leaving an abusive marriage or relationship. Protection orders can also provide legal protection if the abuse is at the hands of an ex-romantic partner, current or former household member, or family member. Unfortunately, many domestic violence victims are unaware of their rights and options under Illinois law. This leads them to suffer in silence and without the legal protection they need. Read on to learn about protection order hearings…
Continue Reading What Happens at a Hearing For an Order of Protection?

When divorcing spouses share children together, the divorce process becomes much more complicated. In addition to financial matters like property division, the couple must also address child-related concerns like child custody and child support. Read on to learn about some of the top questions Illinois parents have about parenting time and what you can do to get personalized legal guidance during your divorce case.
How is Parenting Time Different Than Child Custody?
One of the most complicated parts of the divorce process is navigating the sea of confusing legal terms and language. Illinois law no longer uses the term child…
Continue Reading 4 Common Questions About Parenting Time in Illinois

Taxes are probably the last thing on your mind if your marriage is ending. You may be more focused on the immediate financial implications of the split, the divorce’s effect on your children, ownership of the marital home, and other issues. However, divorce can have major tax implications for both spouses. Read on to learn about some of the top tax-related issues Illinois couples encounter when they divorce.
Tax Implications of Property Division
You and your spouse will need to value and divide your shared property in your divorce. The way you distribute property can have certain tax advantages…
Continue Reading Getting Divorced in DuPage County? Do Not Forget About These Important Tax Matters

Spousal support, spousal maintenance, and alimony are all terms used to describe financial support paid by one spouse to the other after divorce. Spousal support can be a significant source of financial relief to those who receive it. However, it can also be a major expense for the paying spouse. Whether you are the primary earner in your marriage or you intend to seek spousal support for yourself, it is important to understand how spousal support works in Illinois divorce cases.  
Spousal Maintenance is Usually Ordered for a Limited Time
In most cases, spousal maintenance is temporary. The spouse…
Continue Reading How Long Does Spousal Support Last in a DuPage County Divorce?

Divorce is rarely a pleasant experience, but most people expect their spouse to participate and cooperate to at least some degree. Unfortunately, some spouses make the divorce process much harder by refusing to participate. Some may leave the state or even travel out of the country to avoid divorce.
If you want to get divorced but you cannot find your spouse to serve the petition or your spouse refuses to sign divorce papers, you may be feeling frustrated and lost. Illinois law recognizes that some spouses are not able to be located or refuse to participate in the divorce proceedings.
Continue Reading Divorce Involving a Missing or Uncooperative Spouse in Illinois