United States employees in every field have protections that guarantee fair treatment under the law. Some of these laws, such as nondiscrimination laws and sexual harassment protection laws, are federal. Others, such as minimum wage laws, vary from state to state. Illinois has a specific statute that protects hotel room attendants. Hotel workers are not only at risk of harassment and abuse from hotel patrons, but also poor working conditions, especially when they speak limited English or do not have a thorough knowledge of their legal rights. 
Fortunately, if you work at a hotel, motel, or another licensed establishment…
Continue Reading Cook County Hotel Employees Are Guaranteed Employment Rights Under Illinois Law

Unexpectedly finding out that you are a father of a young child can be one of the greatest shocks a person ever goes through. Perhaps you heard something through the rumor mill about an ex-girlfriend; perhaps a picture appeared on social media of an ex with a young child who looks remarkably like you did when you were younger. Whatever the circumstances, if you find yourself wondering whether it is too late to establish paternity of a child, you should learn more about your options from an Illinois paternity lawyer. 
How is Paternity Established in Illinois? 
In most cases, parents…
Continue Reading Can I Try to Establish Paternity if My Child is Already Several Years Old?

Several high-ranking supervisors and co-workers of a man who was sexually harassed by a prisoner made the news when, instead of helping their co-worker handle the incident appropriately, they decided to harass him further. Making matters worse, this took place in an Illinois correctional center, making a government agency responsible for providing an appropriate response to the sexual harassment. Several people were fired when the incident came to light, and further stories of sexual harassment in the Illinois prison system have now also come out.
The kind of behavior in this particular incident – inappropriate “pranks” and other jokes laden…
Continue Reading Workplace Sexual Harassment Leads to Illinois Prison Employees Being Fired

 Dividing property during a divorce is rarely a simple or pleasant process, but when one spouse lacks the ability to be honest about finances, the process of dividing the marital estate can become a real headache. Unfortunately, these kinds of high-conflict divorces happen all the time, and for the spouse who is left trying to deal with unscrupulous financial behavior, it may be tempting to get the divorce over as quickly as possible just so he or she can stop dealing with their partner. 
But rushing through a divorce when one spouse is trying to manipulate money matters can be…
Continue Reading Ten Common Ways Assets Are Hidden During Divorce

As anyone who has experienced it can testify, sexual harassment at work can make life miserable. In addition to the harassment itself, victims of such behavior often face an uphill battle to get their concerns taken seriously. 
Clearly, when it comes to sexual harassment, the stakes are high. People who suffer from sexual harassment at work may be reluctant to take legal action against their employer, but doing so may be the only way to make the harassment stop or to take a stand against employers and coworkers engaging in such terrible behavior in the future. Concerns about the process…
Continue Reading How Does a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Work? 

In previous decades, legal childcare arrangements often favored the mother after a couple’s divorce. A father’s time with his children was relegated to weekends and holidays, and sometimes not even that. Because of this skewed historical trend, many people are surprised to find that child custody laws in many states have been updated to reflect modern family trends. 
In Illinois, child custody has been divided into two important areas: Allocation of parental responsibilities (also known as “custody”) and parenting time (also known as “visitation”). Together, these two elements make up what is known as a “parenting plan.” If you…
Continue Reading Visitation in a DuPage County Divorce

 Asset division is one of the major issues that must be addressed in any Illinois divorce. Whether a couple already agrees how they will divide their marital property, or anticipate having to go through a long, drawn-out court battle to reach a settlement, the question of finances must be resolved before the divorce can be finalized. 
Because asset division laws vary from state to state and the process of asset division is often dramatized or oversimplified in pop culture, misunderstandings about the process are common. Couples looking to get divorced in Illinois are often surprised by how much…
Continue Reading The Basics of Asset Division in Illinois Divorces

While divorce is rarely a simple process, for couples who have a high net worth or ultra high net worth, it can be even more complicated. People often feel as though more money should reduce their problems, and yet this is rarely the case – especially if you have a spouse who intends to fight you over every penny. Furthermore, high-net-worth divorce cases often involve couples with at least one spouse who is in the public eye. If you are considering divorce, but are worried about the implications it could have for your reputation, estate, and children, having the help…
Continue Reading High Net Worth Couples in Illinois Face Unique Challenges 

Parents who are divorced, separated, or never married often struggle with the limited time they get to spend with their kids. Missed holidays and big chunks of summer vacations can be tough, but so can the basic, everyday interactions that parents miss out on when their children are with their other parent. 
Illinois allows parents to potentially resolve this issue by putting a creative section in their parenting plan called “the right of first refusal.” If you and your spouse get along fairly well and you are hoping to spend more time with your children, read on to find…
Continue Reading Can I Care For My Kids if My Ex-Spouse is Unavailable During Parenting Time? 

Nearly one in three women will be sexually harassed at work, and although workplace sexual harassment tends to affect women more often than men, men can be victims, too. Reporting sexual harassment is rarely easy and straightforward, and it can become even more complicated when power dynamics are at play. If you are being harassed at work, it is important to know your rights, as well as the potential consequences you could suffer if you do not take action to stop the sexual harassment.  
How Are Victims of Sexual Harassment Affected? 
In addition to the embarrassment and awkwardness of dealing…
Continue Reading Sexual Harassment Can Have Serious Negative Effects on Victims’ Mental Health

If you are getting or have already gotten divorced in Illinois, chances are that you are receiving or paying spousal maintenance payments. Also known as alimony or spousal support, spousal maintenance is less common than it used to be but is still common enough that it is important to be aware of the laws that regulate this area of family law. One of the questions that spouses frequently have after divorce, whether they are making or receiving alimony, is whether certain actions or events could cause alimony to end. Like most legal issues, the answer in a specific case is,…
Continue Reading Four Things That Could End Spousal Maintenance in Illinois

Every child deserves to have a safe, comfortable home in which to grow up. When parents get divorced, one of the court’s main duties is to make decisions that will benefit the children of the marriage. Often, this means that one of the spouses will be compelled to make child support payments to the other in order to help them raise the children.  
When Is Child Support Awarded? 
Child support is almost universally granted to one of the spouses during a divorce that involves the parents of minor children. Illinois courts base their child support decisions on an “income shares”…
Continue Reading Frequently Asked Questions About Child Support in Illinois

On the whole, couples today are considering the potentially negative impacts of divorce more carefully than couples of the past, especially when there are children involved. This means fewer marriages end in divorce, and, when they do, couples are more conscious about the way they choose to separate. Many people are children of divorced parents themselves and have experienced the pain of high-conflict divorce first-hand. Others have simply read the research and know that divorce does not have to be a catastrophic experience when adults can work cooperatively together. Whatever the reasons may be for you, if you are considering …
Continue Reading When is the Best Time to Pursue Collaborative Divorce?