Tips for Making a Joint Parenting Agreement Work
Raising children can be very difficult for divorced or unmarried parents, especially if the relationship between them is strained. However, a child deserves the best from his or parents, and in many situations, that requires parents to put their differences aside and focus their efforts on meeting the child’s needs. Parents in Illinois with joint custody, or shared custody, of their children must do moreContinue reading
Finding Hidden Assets in a Divorce
Property and asset division are two of the biggest issues that come with any divorce. Each partner contributed to the couple’s shared pool of assets, and when the couple decides to end their marriage, part of the process is to make sure these assets are divided fairly among the spouses. In Illinois, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act does not require that marital assets be dividedContinue reading
Calculating Spousal Maintenance Awards in Illinois
The decision to divorce is a difficult one under the best of circumstances. The process of divorce can be challenging as well, as a couple must decide, or leave the court to decide, on considerations such as property division, child custody and support issues, and, in some cases, spousal maintenance. Spousal Maintenance In the state of Illinois, any financial support provided to a party by hisContinue reading
Children’s Testimony in Custody Cases
It is a hard truth that when many parents decide to divorce, they are unable to work through an agreeable child custody arrangement. Instead, many of these cases become a heated, mud-slinging, all-out battle. There are many different reasons for this scenario. In the majority of cases, it is because both parents truly love their child and do not want the child to only be withContinue reading
Does Living Together First Increase a Couple’s Divorce Risk?
In the past five decades, the number of couples living together without a marriage license has increased by 900 percent. In 2012, there were almost eight million couples living together, compared to just under three million in 1996. A recent studyhas concluded that living together before marriage – at least after reaching the age of 23 years old – may not the high-risk divorce factor that many peopleContinue reading
Children’s Testimony in Custody Cases
It is a hard truth that when many parents decide to divorce, they are unable to work through an agreeable child custody arrangement. Instead, many of these cases become a heated, mud-slinging, all-out battle. There are many different reasons for this scenario. In the majority of cases, it is because both parents truly love their child and do not want the child to only be withContinue reading
Does Living Together First Increase a Couple’s Divorce Risk?
In the past five decades, the number of couples living together without a marriage license has increased by 900 percent. In 2012, there were almost eight million couples living together, compared to just under three million in 1996. A recent studyhas concluded that living together before marriage – at least after reaching the age of 23 years old – may not the high-risk divorce factor that many peopleContinue reading
Can Adult Children Be Held Responsible for Nursing Home Costs?
As the average life expectancy in this country increases, one of the most difficult decisions that many adult children are faced with is placing their elderly parents in nursing homes. A recent ruling by the Ohio Court of Appeals reaffirms the importance of families consulting with elder law attorneys when making decisions that involve an older family member’s future and long-term care. The decision to place aContinue reading
What Happens to Digital Assets after Death?
Many people make arrangements for their property and assets for when they die. This is usually done through wills and/or trusts. However, over the past several years, more and more people are trying to figure out what they should do with their digital assets. An individual’s digital assets typically include email accounts, online music or photo libraries, and social media accounts on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, orContinue reading
Income Taxes and Divorce
There are so many important issues that people deal with while going through the divorce process – child custody and support, property and asset division, spousal support – that some of them sometimes get overlooked. Income taxes are among the issues that divorced couples tend to put on the back burner. However, with only a few short weeks left before the April 15th IRS deadline, there are several keyContinue reading