When we think about someone being hurt in a car crash, fall accident, dog attack, or another injurious event, our first thoughts are often on the physical injuries the individual sustained. The physical pain and discomfort caused by an injury are certainly valid concerns, but they are not the only negative consequences of a serious injury. It is important not to lose sight of the fact that an injury can also have profound effects on a victim’s ability to work and earn an income.
In Illinois, lost income and reduced earning capacity are both considered “economic damages”…
Continue Reading Lost Income and Reduced Earning Capacity in an Illinois Personal Injury Claim

Retirement is usually a lifelong endeavor; people work for decades, looking forward to the time when they can finally quit their job and pursue a life of travel and hobbies. The prospect of divorce can be especially concerning for adults who are nearing retirement age because it begs a host of difficult questions: How much of my retirement will I lose? What kind of home can I afford to live in on my own? Will I be able to retire at all? 
The answers to these questions vary for every divorcing spouse, but rest assured that whatever complications your case…
Continue Reading Does Getting Divorced Mean I Can Never Retire?

Experts generally agree that distracted driving is one of the most common causes of car crashes in Illinois and across the rest of the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that over 3,000 people are killed every year because of distracted driving. Tragically, many of those deaths were people who were driving or otherwise acting safely but were struck by a distracted driver and killed. 
Even when distracted driving accidents do not cause fatalities, they can still cause serious injuries. If you or a family member have been hurt in a car crash because another driver was…
Continue Reading What Are My Legal Options if Someone Hit Me While Texting and Driving?

You may have been surprised when your spouse served you with divorce papers, but now it is time to take action. Regardless of how you feel about divorce – whether you want it or not – the way you respond to the initial divorce papers will have a major impact on how the rest of the process goes for you. Here are some steps to take if you need to respond to divorce papers in Illinois. 
Take a Moment to Think it Through
It can be tempting to react right away to bad news by getting angry, calling your spouse,…
Continue Reading What Should I Do If My Spouse Has Served Me With Divorce Papers?

When a couple decides to create a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, they usually have questions about what, exactly, the agreement can include. Can they set limits on alimony? What about child support? Can parents agree to split custody of the kids 50/50 now, while they get along well and are not in a heated divorce? 
Enforceability is perhaps the most important part of a prenuptial agreement because if a contract is not enforceable, it is a waste of time and money, and a couple ends up fighting over the issues they hoped to protect themselves and…
Continue Reading What Can We Include in an Illinois Prenuptial Agreement?

A divorce is often a time of serious contention between parents of underage children. Despite the parents’ history of disagreements and distrust, they must find a way to work together to co-parent their children after the divorce. Sometimes, parents can do this. Other times, it is simply not possible. 
When parents cannot cooperate and negotiate a parenting plan themselves, a judge will intervene and make decisions for them. Parents may be understandably wary that a judge, who has no previous history with the family and is encountering each parent’s narrative for the first time, will be able to make decisions…
Continue Reading How Can I Trust a Judge to Discern My Child’s Best Interests?

Getting a finalized divorce decree should be the start of your new life as a single adult. You likely want to enjoy some freedoms you did not have while you were married. Many divorced parents want to move out of the area they lived in during the marriage, and for a variety of reasons. You may have gotten a better job offer a few states away, or you could just want to return to your hometown to be near your family. Whatever your reasons for wanting or needing to move, you may need to clear it with the court before…
Continue Reading Do I Need the Court's Permission to Relocate After a Divorce?

You might not love or want to be in a relationship with your spouse anymore, but you still love your furry, scaly, or feathery friends and want to keep them with you. Companion animals can be an excellent source of emotional support during difficult times. Many pet owners see their animal as a family member, however, courts in Illinois still see pets as property that you own. As such, pets are subject to the equitable division of property in a divorce action. Ideally, you and your spouse will be able to reach an agreement regarding pet custody. Otherwise, the court…
Continue Reading Who Keeps the Family Pets After Divorce?

All married couples have disagreements. In some cases, those disagreements lead one spouse to file for divorce. Most of the time, once someone initiates divorce proceedings, the marriage is effectively over and the divorce will go through. However, in some cases, the married couple reconciles and chooses to call off the divorce. Divorce proceedings can take over a year in some cases. While the divorce is pending, a married couple may elect to seek couples’ counseling in an effort to save their marriage. Sometimes these efforts succeed, and sometimes they do not. If you are uncertain about going through…
Continue Reading What If I Change My Mind About Getting a Divorce?

No one deserves to be abused by their spouse. No matter what has happened between you and your spouse, there is never any excuse for your spouse to abuse you. Spousal abuse can take many forms. While domestic violence is the classic form of abuse, there are other ways one spouse might abuse the other. Financial abuse, where one spouse controls all the assets to keep the other dependent is also common. Psychological or emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical violence. Excessive control is also abuse. For example, if your spouse does not “let you” do things…
Continue Reading Safely Seeking Divorce From an Abusive Marriage

Most spouses going through a divorce are able to avoid costly and time-consuming litigation through the use of methods like mediation, attorney-facilitated negotiation, or collaborative divorce. Alternative dispute resolution tends to work very well when the divorce is amicable, but it can also work for spouses who are not getting along. It is possible for spouses to settle their divorce out of court without even needing to be in the same room. These alternative routes to divorce have become popular because they can speed up the divorce process, save both parties money, and lessen the impact of any conflict for…
Continue Reading Who Should Not Pursue Alternative Divorce Methods?