Please see the flyer below announcing an upcoming virtual conference that takes place in India and of which PASG is a sponsor. Anyone in India and the rest of Asia as well as Australia may wish to attend. If you are a very early riser, members in the U.S. can choose to join in.
Zoom login details for the session that includes Dr. William Bernet, the founder and first president of PASG, are listed below.
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Latest from Illinois Divorce Law Blog
Kane County Divorce Lawyer: Once Again One of the “Best on the Planet!”
Law Offices of Michael F. Roe Family Law Blog: Once Again One of the “Best on the Planet!”
“The best Divorce blogs curated and ranked based on multiple factors, including content relevancy, subject expertise, posting frequency, and freshness of content. Blogs with highest credibility within the Divorce space are ranked higher. This list is updated regularly to ensure it reflects the most active, influential, and valuable Divorce blogs on the internet today.”
Continue Reading Kane County Divorce Lawyer: Once Again One of the “Best on the Planet!”
DuPage County Divorce Lawyer: Gathering Your Financial Ducks in a Row
Gathering Your Financial Ducks in a Row: What Documents You’ll Need in the Early Days of an Illinois Divorce
If you’re just starting the divorce process in Illinois, the paperwork can feel like a mountain—especially when it comes to finances. But here’s the good news: pulling together the right documents early on isn’t as scary as it sounds, and it actually makes the whole journey smoother. Think of it as creating a clear snapshot of your household’s money picture so everything (from child support and spousal maintenance to dividing assets fairly) can be handled transparently and equitably.
In Illinois, both
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Kane County Divorce Attorney: New Developments in Illinois Law: Virtual Parenting Time
Do you have questions about the use of Facetime, Zoom or similar forms of video parenting time with your kids?
Here’s a hopefully helpful article from family lawyer Michael Roe about the use of these technologies.
Divorce law in Illinois continues to evolve with technology and changing family dynamics. One of the most significant emerging topics in recent years involves virtual parenting time — the use of electronic communication methods (such as video calls, phone calls, or messaging) to facilitate parent–child contact when in-person parenting time is not possible. As families navigate long distances or busy schedules, this development has become a
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DuPage Divorce Attorney: Are accurate parenting time records essential?
Questions for Michael Roe about Illinois Child Support? Here’s a quick summary of the application of overnight calculations that affect actual child support.
Recent changes to Illinois divorce law have reshaped how courts handle child support calculations when parents share parenting time almost equally. These updates reflect the state’s ongoing efforts to align financial responsibility with actual time spent with children, a critical issue in modern family law.
Illinois courts determine child support under the Income Shares Model codified at 750 ILCS 5/505. This model allocates support based on each parent’s income and the proportion of time the child spends with
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Kane County Divorce Lawyer: The History of No-Fault Divorce
Understanding “Irreconcilable Differences”: Illinois’ Shift to a True No-Fault Divorce System
Illinois divorce law has undergone a profound transformation in the past decade. With the adoption of a purely no-fault divorce framework under the 750 ILCS 5/401(a), Illinois completely eliminated traditional fault-based grounds for dissolution. This means that divorcing spouses no longer need to prove adultery, cruelty, or abandonment — only that “irreconcilable differences” have caused an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.
Background: From Fault to No-Fault
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DuPage Divorce Lawyer: What Divorcing Spouses Need to Know about Spousal Support
The Landscape of Spousal Maintenance in Illinois
Illinois divorce law continues to evolve, particularly when it comes to spousal maintenance. Talk to Michael Roe at www.illinois-attorney.net if you have questions about spousal maintenance in Illinois.
The Purpose of Maintenance
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Kane County Divorce Lawyer: How “Irreconcilable Differences” Changed Divorce in Illinois
Do you need to prove fault to start a divorce in Illinois? Divorce law in Illinois has changed dramatically in recent decades. For most of the state’s history, spouses seeking a divorce had to allege fault—adultery, cruelty, abandonment, or similar misconduct. That all changed with the 2016 amendments to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/), which made “irreconcilable differences” the sole ground for divorce in Illinois. This reform reshaped the legal process, emotional dynamics, and privacy expectations for families navigating dissolution.
The Move from Fault to No-Fault Divorce
From as early as 1874, Illinois law listed specific
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Kane County Divorce Lawyer: Business Valuation Methods
Valuing a Small or Medium-Sized Business in an Illinois Divorce
When a couple divorces in Illinois and one or both spouses own a business, determining the value of that business is an essential step in dividing marital property fairly. Illinois law treats closely held businesses as marital property to the extent they were created or grew during the marriage. The court must therefore determine the business’s fair market value as of or near the date of dissolution.
1. Common Valuation Methods in Illinois Divorces
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Kane County Divorce: After Filing, What are the Next Steps?
It’s the new year, and a client with a new case just filed emails me to understand what the next steps are in his/her case. Even though the case may feel brand new to a new litigant, financial disclosure comes up quickly. Illinois divorces typically require a Financial Affidavit, which details income, expenses, assets, and debts.
Encourage readers to start gathering:
- Pay stubs and tax returns
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Working with neurodiverse children as a guardian ad litem
What is neurodivergence?
Neurodivergent means in layman’s terms that a person’s brain works differently, including their processing of sensory input and output. Neurodivergent children may have conditions such as autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing disorders, apraxia, dyslexia, bipolar disorder, and attention deficient disorder. Neurodivergent people also tend to be visual thinkers and innovators, and they contribute significantly to our society.
Scientist, autism advocate, and best-selling author Temple Grandin wrote many books on her life experience as a neurodivergent person, which include stories about how challenging traditional school and day-to-day life was for her.9 Grandin emphasized the need for children to
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Navigating Parenting During a Divorce: Fostering Stability and Consistency for Your Children
Going through a divorce is undoubtedly one of life’s most challenging experiences, not only for you but also for your children. As a parent, your priority is ensuring your children feel secure, loved, and supported, even as your family dynamic shifts. In Illinois, where family law emphasizes the best interests of the child, maintaining stability and consistency during the divorce process is critical. This blog post offers practical tips for parenting through a divorce, helping you create a nurturing environment for your children during this transitional time.
Why Stability and Consistency Matter:
Children thrive on predictability. Divorce can disrupt their
DuPage Divorce Attorney: GALs and Child Reps in Child Custody Cases
Many of our family law cases necessarily involve the appointment by the Court of a GAL or Child’s Representative. Sometimes, there is some question or confusion about the role of the GAL vs. that of the Child’s Rep.
In Illinois family law, under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA), a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) and a Child’s Representative are two distinct roles appointed by the court to represent the best interests of a child in family law proceedings, such as custody (allocation of parental responsibilities) disputes. While both roles focus on the child’s best interests, their functions,
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DuPage Divorce: What is the Role of the Child Custody Evaluator?
The custody evaluator is a neutral, court-appointed professional (often a licensed psychologist) tasked with conducting an independent clinical evaluation to provide the court with objective information regarding the child(ren)’s best interests. Their role is to assess the family system dynamics, parenting abilities, and the child’s needs to make recommendations about:
Allocation of Parental Responsibilities: This includes decision-making authority (e.g., education, healthcare, religion, extracurricular activities) and parenting time schedules.
Best Interests of the Child: The evaluator focuses on factors outlined in 750 ILCS 5/602.5 (for decision-making) and 750 ILCS 5/602.7 (for parenting time), such as the child’s adjustment to home and
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Kane County Divorce: What is a Claim of Dissipation in an Illinois Divorce?
Understanding Dissipation of Marital Assets in an Illinois Divorce: In Illinois divorce cases, the concept of dissipation of marital assets can significantly impact the division of property.
Dissipation refers to one spouse’s wasteful or improper use of marital assets for purposes unrelated to the marriage, often to the detriment of the other spouse. Understanding this concept is crucial for ensuring a fair division of property during divorce proceedings. Under Illinois law, specifically the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, marital assets are divided equitably, not necessarily equally.
Dissipation
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Kane County Divorce: Why High-Conflict Divorces with a Narcissist Are So Difficult
Why High-Conflict Divorces with a Narcissist Are So Difficult
Divorcing a narcissist is uniquely challenging, often escalating into high-conflict scenarios that drain emotional, financial, and mental resources. Narcissistic personality traits (NPD)—such as grandiosity, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy—create a perfect storm of obstacles that make these divorces particularly difficult.
Understanding why these situations are so difficult requires examining the narcissist’s behavior, their impact on the legal process, and the emotional toll on the other spouse. First, narcissists thrive on control and validation, which makes them resistant to compromise. In a divorce, where negotiation and cooperation are
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