A divorce is a stressful process, and it is even more difficult if one spouse is hiding assets or lying about their finances. Divorcing spouses are required to provide an accurate account of their income and assets during a divorce. This information is used to determine child support, divide property and debts, and more. However, some spouses lie about money or hide assets during divorce.
It can be difficult to tell whether your spouse is being truthful during the divorce process, but there are a few signs that could indicate financial dishonesty. Knowing these signs can help you protect your…
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The term “high-conflict divorce” may seem redundant. Afterall, every divorce involves conflict. However, some divorce cases are much more acrimonious than others. When divorcing spouses are unable to move past their anger, frustration and hurt feelings, the divorce process can become a bitter battle. If you are involved in a continuous separation or divorce, you know this firsthand. Here are some tips that may help you navigate a high-conflict divorce and ensure that your rights are protected.
Navigating a Contentious Divorce and Protecting Your Rights
There is no way to completely avoid the stress that comes with a high-conflict divorce.
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When a spouse starts exploring the possibility of divorce, he or she is often met with confusing legal jargon and complex divorce laws. It can be hard to interpret dense legal information in preparation for a divorce. One issue that causes an especially high degree of confusion is property division. Divorcing spouses are often unsure of what is theirs and what is their spouse’s property. They are unsure of what they will keep after the split and worry about what they will be forced to give up during the divorce. This blog will provide a general outline of…
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Sharing a child with an ex can be exceptionally complicated. Parents who used to be married or in a romantic relationship together often have unresolved feelings of resentment toward each other. Some parents can put these feelings to the side for the sake of their co-parenting relationship. Others cannot.
Parental alienation occurs when a parent deliberately damages the child’s relationship with their other parent. It can be extremely harmful to both the child and the parent. Parental alienation can also influence child custody decisions.
What Does Parental Alienation Look Like?
Parents’ main priority should be caring for their children. Unfortunately,…
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Paternity or parentage is the legal relationship of a father to his child. Establishing paternity is important because it establishes the rights and duties of both the mother and father to their child. Fathers cannot petition the court for parenting time or parental responsibilities until paternity is established. Similarly, mothers cannot ask the court for a child support order until paternity is established.
In Illinois, there are several ways that paternity can be established, including a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, court order, or administrative order. In some cases, DNA testing is needed to confirm paternity.
Genetic Paternity Testing
DNA testing…
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For many couples, dividing assets during divorce is the most complicated and conflict-filled aspect of the divorce process.  This is especially true in Illinois, where the division of assets is governed by a mix of common law and statutory rules. If you are planning to divorce, you may have questions like, “Who keeps the house?” or “What happens to our bank accounts?” You may also have questions about complex assets like investments and retirement accounts or liabilities like student loan debt and credit card debt. This blog will cover some of the fundamental aspects of property division in Illinois…
Continue Reading Marital And Non-Marital Property In An Illinois Divorce

Massive layoffs at companies like Twitter and Meta have been making headlines across the country recently. Being laid off from your job can cause a lot of stress and uncertainty, especially if you have children. Simultaneously, in what has been called “The Great Resignation,” people are leaving jobs at an unusually high rate. If you or your child’s other parent is unemployed, you may wonder how this will influence your child support order. The answer to this question depends on several different factors.
Child Support Calculations in Illinois
In Illinois, child support payments are determined through a calculation process called…
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The two main components of child custody in Illinois are “parental responsibilities” and “parenting time.” Parental responsibilities involve the big decisions in a child’s life, such as education, religion, and medical care. Parenting time is simply the time each parent spends with the child. Parents can either share these responsibilities and parenting time, or one parent can have sole responsibility for the child. If parents cannot agree on parental responsibilities and parenting time, the court will make a judgment based on what is in the child’s best interests.
Factors Considered by Illinois Courts in Determining Child Custody
The Illinois Marriage…
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Marriage is about much more than money. However, when a marriage ends, financial matters are often a chief concern. If you are getting divorced, you may have questions and concerns about how marital property, such as bank accounts, real estate, and household items will be divided between you and your spouse. The situation becomes even more complicated if you or your spouse own complex assets like investments, retirement accounts, royalties, deferred compensation, businesses, or professional practices.
Divorcing spouses are expected to freely provide financial documents and truthfully disclose their income, assets, and debts. Unfortunately, some spouses lie about…
Continue Reading Financial Dishonesty and Your Illinois Divorce Settlement

The period during which a victim of domestic violence attempts to escape the relationship, often by way of a divorce, can be a dangerous period. Many abusers react strongly to the prospect of losing a person they intend to retain complete control over. There may be an elevated risk of further violence, harassment, or intimidation during the time in which you are making a plan to exit. Seeking an Illinois Order of Protection may be one way to mitigate these risks. Orders of Protection can forbid the abuser from engaging in certain forms of conduct that may have a frightening…
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Depending on the circumstances and timing of a child’s birth, some Illinois parents will need to take additional steps to ensure that they are their child’s legal parent. Other individuals are presumed to be a parent based on a legal relationship with the child’s mother. If you are a presumed parent, then you will generally not need to take additional steps to designate yourself as a legal parent to the child. In Illinois, biological parentage is not required to sustain a presumption of legal parentage. For example, if a woman is married to another woman who gives birth, both…
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