Relationships can enjoy peaks and valleys of good times and bad. Weathering the storm is not always possible, and marriages or partnerships entered into with the utmost of good faith cannot stand the test of time. Amicable or not, if a relationship ends, the question of how property a couple own or shares will be divided. […]
March 24, 2017
Parenting Time Is the New Visitation
Once a divorce is finalized and the final decree issued, the mechanics of how children of the marriage are cared for take effect. The overriding principle the law applies to children is always a consideration of what is in their best interests. No matter how contentious matters get between parents, coming together to raise children […]
February 27, 2017
Fathers Seek Changes in Child Custody Laws
A group of fathers has banded together to lobby for child custody law changes. The group, called Dads Can Too, believe that joint custody should be the starting point for all custody hearings in Illinois. The fathers in the group have struggled — in some cases for over a decade — to see their children more often […]
February 20, 2017
Avoiding an Acrimonious Custody Battle
The unfortunate reality across the country is that couples continue to end their marriages. Divorce is a major decision that requires careful thought and consideration. There are several layers to address, including financial and property assets. But one of the biggest issues couples face are the arrangements to be put in place for any children of […]
October 14, 2016
Protecting Your Assets in a Domestic Partnership
Relationships are complicated. Even marriages entered into in good faith can face difficulties down the line and can have very messy endings. There can be long, complicated, contentious and drawn out proceedings when it comes to the split and who gets what. Personal property, major decision-making powers, and control over assets, children, and financial support […]
October 7, 2016
llinois Parenting Plan Basics
When parents in Illinois file for divorce, they must determine and legally document how decisions will be made about the child’s life and future, and how much time each parent will spend with the child (and when). This is done through something known as a parenting plan. The following can help you understand the basics […]
September 23, 2016
Fighting a Child Relocation in Illinois
Learning that your child’s other parent wants to relocate your child can be a frightening experience. Your child, possibly hours away, could end up visiting you even less frequently. Those opportune moments that have given you extra time with them – when the other parent has to work late or go to the doctor – might no […]
August 16, 2016
Children of Divorce: Navigating the Anger and Fear
Sometimes relationships turn bad. They run their natural course, end amicably, or result in a long-lasting relationship. Often though, they end in divorce. Divorce can be a straightforward process or end up being very complicated. In the event of a complex divorce, children may be treated as pawns or become upset and angry about the […]
July 4, 2016
Protecting Father’s Rights in Illinois
Despite recent changes to divorce and parenting laws in Illinois, fathers still sometimes struggle to receive their fair shake in a courtroom. Stigmas regarding gender roles, issues in establishing paternity, and other, various factors are often to blame. However, there are a few ways that you can protect your legal rights as a father and improve your […]
March 3, 2016
Study Focuses on Impact and Prevalence of Parental Alienation after Divorce
Although the family laws in Illinois have changed, there is still great risk of parental alienation – a process in which one parent negatively influences their child’s relationship with the other parent. Sadly, there is a severe lack in data on this common issue; to rectify this, Colorado State University researchers have initiated a study to better […]
February 22, 2016
The Role of Civil Unions for Unmarried Couples in Illinois
Many people mistakenly think of civil unions as something that no longer is needed because of the recent ruling of the Supreme Court extending the right of marriage to same sex couples all across the United States. However, in Illinois, civil unions are still an important part of family law that can benefit both heterosexual and homosexual […]
December 21, 2015
Can Mediation Help You Settle Your Divorce?
Divorces can be difficult cases to resolve because the issues are deeply personal and the stakes are so high. However, most people will be happier with a solution they have a role in creating than a solution imposed by a court order. Mediation can help spouses resolve their differences and create a solution that works for everyone. […]
November 9, 2015
Reevaluating a Shared Parenting Plan
Divorce is never easy. When there are children involved, deciding the specifics of divorce agreements and settlements can be even more difficult. In 2016 in Illinois, child custody laws will change to reflect parental responsibility instead of custody: As society changes from a traditionally male-dominated workforce, and more and more divorced parents choose joint custody and shared […]
October 30, 2015
Joint vs. Sole Custody During Divorce
If you are facing divorce and have children, determining who gets custody can be the most difficult part of dissolution agreements. There are two types of custody — joint custody and sole custody. If both you and your ex-spouse are present during the divorce, determining the specifics of a joint custody agreement will likely be part of […]
July 20, 2015
Challenges of Same-Sex Divorce
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling extending the right to marry to all people in each one of the 50 states, there is one bittersweet factor for many same-sex couples: they can now also be divorced. Until now, they could not. A good example of this concerned one couple who had married in 2009 in […]
April 12, 2015
Legal Recourse for Parental Alienation
Parental alienation is the systematic breakdown of a child’s relationship with one parent after a divorce. It most commonly occurs after a contested or particularly nasty divorce. One parent may harbor extremely negative or detrimental feelings of the other and wants their shared child or children to be on his or her “side.’ The most […]
February 16, 2015
Coping with Anxiety over a Joint Custody Agreement
While shared or joint custody may seem like the best and most fair option for all parties involved after a divorce, it is not always easy. According to a personal story in The New York Times, learning how to deal with the separation from your child when it is the other parents’ turn to have custody can be […]
February 2, 2015
Requesting a Child Support Modification in Illinois
If you are a divorced parent, chances are you have been through challenging and complicated proceedings concerning your children. Whether you and your ex-spouse share custody, or if custody was awarded to primarily one parent and visitation rights to the other, a child support order is likely to be part of the arrangement. Determining a Child Support […]
January 9, 2015
What is a “Bird’s Nest” Co-Parenting Agreement?
Divorcing with children is never easy, but a new trend in divorce may make the dissolution of a parents’ marriage easier on children. This is because a so-called “bird’s nest” co-parenting agreement is the most child-centered co-parenting in which divorced parents can engage. A bird’s nest, or “nesting” agreement is one in which the children stay in […]
November 20, 2014
Illinois National Adoption Day Festivities Kick Off Saturday
This year marks the 15th anniversary of National Adoption Day—an initiative started to help move the nearly 10,000 children in U.S. foster care into permanent, loving homes. While it is not run by one advocacy group, it is a collective effort of policymakers, practitioners, and advocates who work together to finalize adoptions that are in the works. […]
October 13, 2014
Defining Parental Alienation after Divorce
With technology infiltrating every aspect of modern society and a tendency for people to choose screens over traditional interaction, the idea of social alienation is one oft-discussed by sociologists and psychologist alike. Yet one of the oldest—and arguably most effecting—types of alienation is one perpetuated not by societal trends, but the oldest relationship in history: […]
September 10, 2014
Back-to-School Co-Parenting
If you are a parent, back-to-school time can be one of the most stressful and busiest of the year. There are new clothes to buy, supplies to shop for, schedules to sort, and busy student days to work into your workday. This can be all the more complicated if you are divorced and have decided […]
August 28, 2014
Advice for Divorced Dads
Being a divorced parent can be a difficult role for any adult. Not only does he or she have to deal with the fallout of the failure of marriage and partnership, divorced parents who are the non-custodial parent may also deal with the loss of regular contact with children. Illinois awards custody to whomever the court deems as the […]
August 20, 2014
Parental Gatekeeping and Custody Battles
Parental gatekeeping is a term used by divorceprofessionals and those going through marital dissolution and refers to protracted or restricted custody battles in which one parent keeps the children from the other. According to The Huffington Post, parental gatekeeping is the act of “facilitating or restricting the relationship with a parent and a child.” Limitations can be placed on […]
