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Getting married is one of the biggest decisions an individual makes in their life, and while exciting, it can also be scary.  Prenuptial agreements, or prenups, are a beneficial tool to minimize stress  and also safeguard your interests and assets. In recent years, prenup agreements have become increasingly more prominent and the stigma surrounding the documents has lessened. In fact, a recent study found that prenups may actually strengthen relationships because it forces both parties to give a full and honest perspective of their intentions and assets. [1] With financial worries and disagreements being one of the leading causes of
Continue Reading Why You Need A Prenuptial Agreement

When Illinois courts order a support obligation – whether for a child or former spouse, they consider the financial standing of each party. Despite the court’s attempt to ensure support obligations are equitable and fair, the reality is that financial situations may change. Courts will alter support obligations only in particular situations. Because of this, it is important to know when support obligations can be reevaluated by the court.
WHAT DOES THE COURT CONSIDER?
If the original agreement between the parties contained an agreement that support obligations would be non-modifiable, the party requesting the change has a significantly higher burden
Continue Reading When Are Support Obligations Modifiable?

We at Sherer Law Offices are definitely ready to get back to life. We are honored to be included in this video that represents just some of the amazing local businesses that are ready to open their doors again. Rest assured, Sherer Law Offices has been and will always remain ready to continue to help you with life’s transitions. We look forward to a safe re-opening and encourage you to shop local and support this great community.

Click below to watch the full video.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kXljf64VbJlEl8-0YTzvkLkjVoGPTIp7/view
The post 618: It’s Been A While Since We’ve Seen You appeared first on Sherer
Continue Reading 618: It’s Been A While Since We’ve Seen You

In 2018, 39% of the babies born in the state of Illinois were born to unwed parents. [1] When a child is born to unwed parents, specific legal steps must be taken to ensure that each parent’s rights and responsibilities regarding the child are allocated properly. This is different from when a child is born to married parents, as the Illinois law has a presumption that each parent will equally contribute. Considering the rising numbers of unmarried parents, it is important to understand your parental rights as an unmarried parent under Illinois law.
First, when a child is born to
Continue Reading Parental Rights Of Unmarried Parents

In 2019, Illinois legislatures enacted a bill requiring public schools to include the historical contributions of members of the LGBTQ+ community in their annual curriculum. Specifically, the new law requires public schools to incorporate the positive contributions of members of the LGBTQ+ community in the history curriculum for grades kindergarten through twelve. Illinois is the fifth state in the United States to enact a law of this type. The intent of the bill is to expand upon the visibility and representation of the LGBTQ+ community in an educational setting. Advocates of HB 246 have further indicated that one goal of
Continue Reading Illinois Mandates Teaching LGBTQ+ History Beginning With The 2020-2021 School Year

Today, individuals are connected nearly every second of the day. This has only increased with the recent COVID-19 restrictions, which have caused people to work, learn and interact through technology even more than before. While this technology allows for increased human connection, it can also create issues regarding an individual’s ability to maintain privacy. Modern technology can affect everything from public persona to the understanding of one’s own history. Despite the beneficial uses for technology, some individuals attempt to use these developments to invade a person’s privacy.  In 2020, Illinois legislatures enacted a number of new laws to protect citizens’
Continue Reading Privacy Rights In A Digital Age

When most individuals think of “estate planning,” their mind immediately turns to documents addressing the death of a person. This belief, however, captures only part of estate planning’s purpose. One of the most significant aspects of estate planning is planning for the incapacitation of an individual. Everyone should have a legal document detailing their wishes in the event of incapacity. While this reality is difficult for many young people to face, it is important as we face the reality of a pandemic. Studies show that one in four of today’s 20-year-olds can expect to be out of work for at
Continue Reading Planning For Incapacity

With children now home from school and the state under a shelter in place order, you may be wondering how the COVID-19 situation will impact your court ordered parenting time.  The current “stay at home” order for the State of IL mandates that nonessential businesses close and prevents residents from any nonessential travel.  But how does this effect parenting time exchanges? Pursuant to the executive order, transporting children to and from parenting time is considered essential travel.

Although parenting time orders remain in effect unless specifically altered, there are many new things you may be considering.

As a parent, the
Continue Reading Parenting Time During COVID-19

On March 27, 2020 Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, as a measure to assist Americans in navigating through the uncertainty wrought by COVID-19. The Act provides a number of remedies from expanding unemployment assistance to addressing medical supply shortages. The provision that have garnered the most attention since its enactment is Section 6428, which provides recovery rebates for individuals.
For people receiving a stimulus check under the CARES Act, there are still questions.
One such issue is the case of a non-custodial parent who is behind in their court
Continue Reading CARES Act Raises Questions For Overdue Child Support and Newly Divorced Couples

In October of 2019, the State’s Attorney of Illinois welcomed its newest member, Hatty the black lab.  The 2-year-old lab was sworn into duty by placing her right paw over a law book at the George N. Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on October 29, 2019. Hatty will now share in the duty of providing support to Illinois children who are victims of sexual assault and will offer comfort to children struggling to discuss their assault.
Hatty’s therapy training specialized in helping children and developmentally disabled victims of sexual assault. She will provide assistance to victims while they testify in
Continue Reading These Employees Have Paws

This year, the state of Illinois made history as the first state to require insurance companies to offer EpiPen coverage for all resident children. House Bill 3435 took effect on January 1, 2020 and effectively shifts the burden of paying for the live-saving injections from parents to insurance companies. The law requires all insurance companies offering health insurance coverage in the state to pay for all epinephrine injectors for any individual 18 or younger suffering from the potential of a severe allergic reaction.

This legislation could not come at a better time, as the cost of EpiPens has risen significantly
Continue Reading Illinois EpiPen Coverage For Children

In May 2018, The Supreme Court of the United States handed down a verdict which permitted states other than Nevada to legalize sports betting and gambling. Since this opinion has come out, many states have introduced proposed legislation to legalize sports gambling within their borders. In 2019, Illinois joined states like Kentucky and Missouri in considering legislation that would legalize sports gambling.  In June 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill legalizing sports, making Illinois the fifth state this year, and the largest by population measures, to officially legalize sports gambling.  The new law will allow for state-wide mobile sports
Continue Reading Legal Sports Betting & Gambling May Be Coming To Illinois

Recently, California joined the ranks of states like Oregon and New York in enacting a law controlling the maximum amount of rent a landlord may charge a tenant. These laws, commonly known and rent control laws, prevent landlords from raising rents to levels which the state deems unreasonable. Since 1997, restrictions of this kind have been banned in Illinois. This year, Illinois legislators and advocates alike have proposed a bill to remove this ban.  Legislators are split over whether rent control is a good thing for the state or if it will negatively affect the rental market.

THE CURRENT BAN
Continue Reading Will Illinois Be The Next State To Allow Rent Control Laws?

When an individual receives a document drafted by an attorney, it often contains terms which may be confusing or unfamiliar. Attorneys use these terms to not only comply with court requirements but also to make specific arguments and requests for their clients. Although it is the attorney’s responsibility to draft every document submitted to the court, documents can only be submitted with the client’s approval. For this reason, it is important that you have a basic understanding of the most frequently used terms in dissolution documents.  Below is a list of some common terms used in dissolution documents:
Arrearage
When
Continue Reading Commonly Used Terms In Divorce Documents

Many couples considering divorce are hesitant  to make the decision due to their fear of the stigma they may face. In fact, 1 in 10 divorcees report staying in their marriage after they knew it was over for this  exact reason. Although divorce has become a normal part of society and human relationships, a recent study found that half of all couples who divorce feel a sense of shame and failure. This feeling, while natural, is not deserved. Today, nearly 45% of all marriages end in divorce, totaling nearly 2,400 divorces per day.  If divorces are so common, then why
Continue Reading Why The Stigma Surrounding Divorce Is Wrong

For some individuals, when their spouse files for divorce, it is a shocking, unexpected act. In other situations, however, both spouses realize that for one reason or another their marriage is no longer working.  When a divorce is something that both parties want, the couple is typically seeking to end the marriage as quickly and painlessly as possible.  If this is the case, the couple may be able to avoid the traditional adversarial form of divorce and may instead seek to use a more collaborative process.
WHAT IS AN “UNCONTESTED” DIVORCE?
An uncontested divorce exists when both parties are seeking
Continue Reading We Both Want A Divorce, What Are Our Options?