Organizing Your Finances Before Divorce
Divorce is full of challenges, but few carry as much risk as those related to your finances. As such, it is critical that you understand how to effectively prepare for your divorce. Learn how to organize your personal finances, and what steps you can take to prepare for the process ahead. Gathering Important Documents Before you can determine what you want or may be entitled toContinue reading
Special Needs Children and Divorce
While any child may experience negative consequences after a divorce, those with special needs are considered to be at the highest risk for emotional, financial, behavioral, and developmental problems. This is because the future, health, and development of a special needs child often rely on continued care and treatment. Many also struggle with changes to their environment. If you are filing for divorce and haveContinue reading
Divorcing With Children: Future College Expenses
The children may be young now, yet all too soon they will be achieving high school graduation and looking at different colleges and universities to attend. In many situations, if biological parents are financially able to pay for the costs of their children’s college education, they have the responsibility to do so. The same is true regardless if the biological parents are married, divorced, orContinue reading
Paying Support for a Child Who Is Not Yours
When an unmarried couple finds out that they are expecting a baby—and especially if it is a surprise—men are generally expected to “do the right thing” and to provide for the mother and the child. This is often the case even if the man and woman are not involved in a committed relationship. For many people, “doing the right thing” means voluntarily acknowledging paternity andContinue reading
Talk to Your Divorce Lawyer About Billing Practices
One of the most common questions that many people have about the divorce process is in regard to how much it will cost. Most divorce attorneys will tell you that there is no way to know for sure how much you should expect to pay because it all depends on the complexity of your case and how quickly you and your spouse can resolve your differences. WhileContinue reading
Abandoned Newborn Found By 9-Year Old Girl
Health officials in Lowell, Indiana—about an hour south of Chicago, just across the state line—say that tragedy seems to have been averted as an abandoned newborn baby is expected to fully recover after being found in a rural backyard. According to reports, the baby girl was found wrapped in a towel, lying in the sun about 100 yards from the street. The infant was takenContinue reading
Deciding to Appeal Your Divorce Judgment
Court systems around the United States are typically organized in tiers. Most state-level cases—including divorce and matters of family law—begin in circuit court in the county in which the case was filed. From there, appeals are usually brought before an appellate court, typically divided into districts that cover the state in question. Further appeals can be taken before the state Supreme Court, and potentially the United StatesContinue reading
Illinois Appeals Court Refuses to Order Pet Visitation
We Americans love our companion animals. According to estimates from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), up to 47 percent of U.S. households own a dog and up 37 percent own a cat. This translates to between 70 and 80 million dogs and between 74 and 96 million cats with whom we share our homes and lives. But what happensContinue reading
Moving On After a Rough Divorce
There are countless reasons that a marriage could deteriorate to the point where a divorce is healthier than staying married. Some—including infidelity, financial indiscretions, and abuse–are more dramatic than others, but ending a marriage that slowly eroded over time can still be extremely traumatic. While you may know that you have made the right decision, moving forward with your life can require a great deal of work.Continue reading
Thinking About a Move With Your Child? Know the Law
When you are single or married without children, the decision to move to a new city or state is relatively straightforward, at least as far as the law in concerned. The personal aspects of moving may be difficult to deal with, but logistically, the only limits are your budget and your personal desires. The decision to move becomes much more complicated when you have primary parentingContinue reading