Whether you are divorced or unmarried, raising a child with an ex can be challenging. Understandably, parents want what is best for their children. When two parents disagree about what is in a child’s best interests, the situation can quickly escalate. Building a parenting plan is the best way to ensure that you and your child’s other parent are on the same page. Parenting plans are also required for parents getting divorced in Illinois.
Required Elements for Illinois Parenting Agreements
Parents who file for divorce in Illinois are asked to submit a parenting plan to the court. If the parents…
Continue Reading Crucial Elements to Include in Your DuPage County Parenting Plan

For many people, the beginning of a new year presents an opportunity to make positive changes in their lives. While new year’s resolutions do not always last more than a few months, they can help you take stock of your life, identify potential areas of improvement, and begin taking steps toward a more positive future. For those who are going through a divorce or who have recently ended their marriage, resolutions can be especially beneficial. A divorce will require you to make major changes, and the new year can be a good opportunity to take a positive approach to these…
Continue Reading 3 New Year’s Resolutions to Consider During or After Your Divorce

There are multiple situations where family members may need to address legal issues. These disputes can become very contentious, especially when parents or other parties disagree about what is best for children. In some cases, divorcing spouses, parents who need to address issues related to child custody, or other family members involved in children’s lives may become concerned about children’s safety, physical and mental health, and overall well-being. To ensure that children will be protected from harm or to address other concerns about the safety of family members, psychological evaluations may be performed.
Reasons for a Psychological Evaluation…
Continue Reading When Are Psychological Evaluations Used in Illinois Family Law Cases?

The decision to pursue a divorce is usually not an easy one. However, if your relationship with your spouse has broken down, ending your marriage may be the best option for you, your children, and your family. Rather than living in a tension-filled home and dealing with the stress of regular arguments or disagreements over finances and child-related issues, you can make plans to leave this situation and live a happier, more fulfilling life. As you get ready to end your marriage, you can make the process easier by taking steps to prepare for the divorce process and ensure that…
Continue Reading 4 Ways to Prepare for a Divorce in Illinois

When a couple gets married, they usually expect to stay together for the rest of their lives. However, things do not always go as planned, and divorce may become a possibility. In some cases, a couple may plan for the eventuality of divorce by creating a prenuptial agreement before they get married. For those who had not created a prenup, a postnuptial agreement can be created at any time during the couple’s marriage, and it can make decisions about how certain matters will be handled in a potential divorce, including issues related to the division of property or spousal maintenance…
Continue Reading 3 Reasons Why a Couple May Want to Use a Postnuptial Agreement

Of the various issues that must be addressed during a divorce, matters related to a couple’s property and finances are often among the most complex. When negotiating a settlement that fully details the division of marital property, spouses will need to make sure they fully understand the different assets they own, the value of their property, and how dividing these assets will affect each spouse’s finances both immediately and in the future. These determinations can be especially complicated in cases where one or both spouses are business owners, and a business valuation will usually need to be performed…
Continue Reading How Are Business Valuations Handled During Divorce Cases?

If you are getting divorced, you may understandably have concerns about the divorce’s impact on your finances. Illinois law allows courts to award spousal maintenance, also referred to as alimony or spousal support, to help offset the negative financial impact of a divorce. However, spousal maintenance is only available in certain circumstances. Many people misunderstand how and when maintenance is available in an Illinois divorce. Read on to learn the answers to the most frequently asked questions about spousal maintenance.
How Can You Get Alimony?
Alimony or spousal maintenance is not automatically awarded to a spouse in Illinois. There…
Continue Reading Top Questions About Alimony in Illinois

Grandmothers and grandfathers play an important part in a child’s life. However, some grandparents go above and beyond the typical grandparent role. They take on the responsibilities usually expected of a child’s mother and father. Sometimes, grandparents step in because the child’s parents have passed away. Other times, grandparents are forced to assume parenting responsibilities because the child’s parents suffer from addiction or mental illness. Whatever the reason, grandparents in this situation may be interested in formally adopting their grandchild. Grandparent adoption is the legal process through which a grandparent becomes a child’s legal guardian. Depending on the circumstances, adopting…
Continue Reading How to Adopt Your Grandchild in Illinois

Domestic abuse can take many forms. Some victims suffer physical abuse including punching and kicking. Others are psychologically manipulated and isolated from their loved ones. Some aggressors show up at the victims’ homes, schools, and workplaces or use threats and intimidations to maintain control over their victims. If you have been stalked, threatened, or abused, you should know that there are legal protections available to you in the form of protection orders.
Emergency Order of Protection
Domestic violence or domestic abuse involves abuse between family members, past or current romantic partners, or household members. If you have been the…
Continue Reading What Types of Protection Orders Are Available in Illinois?

Child support is a crucial form of financial support for divorced and unmarried parents in Illinois. Both of a child’s parents are expected to contribute financially to his or her upbringing – even if they are not married to each other. Child support allows parents to share child-related expenses including housing, tuition, and other educational costs, clothing, and more. However, child support laws are often confusing and hard to interpret. Read on to learn answers to some of the top questions Illinois parents have about child support.
Which Parent Pays Child Support?
The parent with the greater amount of “parenting…
Continue Reading Top 5 Questions About Child Support in Illinois