Posted on July 28, 2021 in Relocation

Whether due to a new job or wanting to be closer to friends or family members, divorced parents may want to move away for a number of reasons. For divorced parents, however, moving with kids may not be simple. They have to get permission from the court and the other parent to move out of state. If your child’s other parent wants to relocate and you disagree with the relocation, it is important to understand your rights and responsibilities. A skilled family law attorney can help you contest the relocation and assert your rights. 

Factors Courts Consider Before Letting a Parent Relocate 

Before a judge can approve a relocation with a child or Illinois, he or she has to first make sure that the move reflects the best interest of the child. Here are the different factors a judge considers before deciding to approve or deny a relocation request:

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 Posted on July 21, 2021 in Child Support

Illinois law requires both parents to financially contribute to their children’s needs, even if they are divorced. However, either parent may petition the court to amend the order if their circumstances have changed. If your financial or employment circumstances have recently changed or your child’s needs have changed, you may be able to ask the court for a child support modification.

When Parents Can Request Child Support Order Modification

Child support orders are eligible for a review and possible modification every three years. However, if you can prove to the court that you have had a drastic change in circumstances, you may be able to modify your order even sooner than that. Here are several situations that may make you eligible for a child support modification:

• The child’s needs have substantially changed. For instance, if your child has been diagnosed with a health condition that requires extensive treatment, you may ask the court to require the other parent to help pay for the costs associated with the treatment.

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 Posted on July 13, 2021 in Divorce

A divorce can become even more complicated and stressful if you and your spouse have a high net worth. If you are thinking about getting a divorce and you or your spouse own high-value or complex assets, it is critical to have a skilled Illinois divorce attorney on your side.

Different Ways a High Net Worth Makes Your Illinois Divorce More Difficult

If you and your spouse are wealthy, you can expect your divorce to have more complexities than a traditional divorce. Here are a few ways the process may be more complicated than a typical divorce.

• Divorce proceedings may last longer. If you and your spouse have more assets than the average married couple, it stands to reason that it will take more time to divide them. 

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 Posted on July 06, 2021 in Parenting Time (Visitation)

If your ex has not been following the child custody order or parenting plan that is in place, you may feel angry and frustrated. You want the child custody arrangement to go as smoothly as possible, but your ex refuses to cooperate. Although this is indeed a difficult situation, you can take steps to rectify it.

Common Examples of Child Custody Violations

Sometimes parents refuse to abide by a child custody order. This can make a difficult situation even more trying. Here are a few common examples of child custody violations:

• Refusing visitation time to the other parent

• Taking children out of the state without permission

• Failing to attend required counseling sessions

• Not telling the other parent about the children’s whereabouts

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 Posted on June 30, 2021 in Divorce

Disagreements about financial issues are one common issue that can cause a marriage to break down, and these types of disputes are likely to continue into the divorce process. Matters related to money can be difficult to resolve, but under the law, spouses are entitled to a fair and equitable division of marital property, which includes all assets and debts acquired during a couple’s marriage. Unfortunately, some spouses do not agree with this idea, and they may believe that they are entitled to certain assets or that the other spouse should receive less. In many cases, a person will attempt to hide assets to avoid having to divide them with their spouse. If you are concerned that your spouse is attempting to conceal marital assets, you will want to understand how to uncover these activities and bring them to the court’s attention to ensure that your marital property can be divided fairly.

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 Posted on June 23, 2021 in Divorce

When parents who have minor children decide to end their marriage through divorce, they will need to address multiple issues related to child custody. As parents work to negotiate a parenting plan, they will decide how parenting time (formerly known as visitation) will be divided. While this will entail creating a schedule that states when children will live in each parent’s home or spend time in the care of a parent, parents will also want to make sure other issues related to parenting time are addressed properly.

Additional Parenting Time Concerns

In addition to providing a complete understanding of when children will stay with each parent, a parenting plan can also address rules and issues that affect parenting time, including:

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 Posted on June 16, 2021 in Prenuptial Agreements

In many cases, couples who are planning to get married may be considering whether they will need the protection of a prenuptial agreement. A prenup can be beneficial in many situations, including cases where one or both spouses own significant assets or have children from a previous relationship. By entering into an agreement that decides how certain issues will be handled if their marriage ends in divorce, a couple can avoid uncertainty, minimize potential disputes, and provide themselves with financial protection. When creating a prenup, it is important to understand how matters related to spousal maintenance (also known as alimony or spousal support) may be addressed.

Modifying or Waiving the Right to Spousal Support in a Prenup

Under Illinois law, a person may have the right to receive financial support from their former spouse if there is a significant disparity between the parties’ incomes. During a divorce, a spouse may ask that spousal maintenance be awarded, and the judge in their case may consider multiple factors to determine whether this type of support would be appropriate. If maintenance is granted, statutory formulas will be used to calculate the amount that will be paid and the duration that these payments will last.

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 Posted on June 09, 2021 in Paternity

In many cases, when a child is born, the identity of the parents is known. If a child’s mother is married, her spouse will be presumed to be the child’s legal parent. If a mother is unmarried, paternity may be established by submitting a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) form. However, there may be some cases in which the identity of the child’s biological father is in doubt, or a person who is presumed to be a child’s father or who has signed a VAP may later find out that they are not the child’s biological father. In these cases, parents will need to understand the procedures that must be followed to dispute paternity.

Denial of Presumed Parentage

A man is presumed to be a child’s parent if he was married to the child’s mother at the time of the child’s birth or if the couple was divorced or legally separated within 300 days before the child was born. If a presumed father believes that he is not the child’s biological father, he can sign a denial of parentage document. However, a denial of paternity will only be valid if the child’s biological father has signed a VAP and the presumed father has not previously signed a VAP or been adjudicated as the child’s father in family court.

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 Posted on May 27, 2021 in Child Custody / Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

Families commonly move to new homes for a variety of reasons, including when a parent is pursuing employment opportunities or because a person wants to live closer to their extended family members. Moving is a decision that married couples or unmarried partners make together. However, it can become more complicated for divorced parents or unmarried parents who do not live together. One parent’s choice to move could affect the other parent’s ability to spend time with the couple’s children, especially if they plan to move a significant distance away from where they currently live. In these situations, a parent may need to request a parental relocation officially. The case may need to be heard in family court, where a judge will decide whether to allow the move and determine how to modify the couple’s parenting plan.

Factors Considered in Parental Relocation Cases

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 Posted on May 20, 2021 in Child Custody / Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

Parents who decide to end their marriage and get a divorce will need to address multiple legal issues. Child custody is one of the most important aspects of a divorce case. However, the laws in Illinois use some terminology that may be unfamiliar to many parents, so it is important to understand exactly what will be addressed in these matters.

Understanding the Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA), the law that governs divorce cases, does not use the term “child custody.” Instead, it refers to the “allocation of parental responsibilities.” Parents will need to address two separate types of parental responsibilities: decision-making and parenting time.

Decision-making refers to what is commonly called “legal custody.” It addresses the parents’ rights and responsibilities in making major decisions about their children’s lives. The IMDMA specifies that there are four areas where parents will make decisions regarding their children: education (where children will go to school, whether they will receive tutoring, etc.), religion (whether children will attend church or other religious services and receive religious training), healthcare (what doctors children will see and what types of medical, dental, orthodontic, or mental health treatment they will receive), and extracurricular activities (the sports, music lessons, drama clubs, scouting organizations, or other activities children will participate in outside of school).

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