Tag Archives: Orland Park Family Lawyer
Legal Guardianship of a Child
When a divorce involves children, it is not uncommon for parents to become entrenched in a lengthy, stressful dispute over parental arrangements regarding their children. Illinois courts always seek to allocate parental responsibilities—formerly known as child custody—based on considerations that will promote the child’s overall well-being. As a result, courts do not consider the mother to be the default parent following a divorce and will hearContinue reading
Protective Orders in Illinois
Domestic abuse is a reality for a surprising number of Illinois residents. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that one out of every three women (33 percent) and one out of every four men (25 percent) will be victims of domestic violence in the United States. To prevent instances of domestic violence from occurring – and to prevent victims of domestic violence from beingContinue reading
Modifying the Allocation of Parental Responsibilities: Can It Be Done?
There are many reasons that parents may wish to modify their allocation of parental responsibilities (child custody) order, but can a parent really change a court order once it has been entered? If so, under what circumstances? The following information may be able to provide guidance to those who wish to modify the allocation of parental responsibilities for their child. Obtaining a Modification Is Often Difficult TheContinue reading
Non-Minor Support for an Adult Child With a Disability
Parents of a child with a disability or special needs often face tremendous pressures and difficulties. The emotional strain of raising a disabled child can, in many cases, even lead a couple to divorce. During the divorce process, determining the child’s best interests and allocating parental responsibilities can be extremely complicated. Depending upon the level of your child’s disability, such complications can continue even afterContinue reading
Calculating Your Child Support Obligations
Over the last year or so, posts on this blog, along with countless others around the internet, have extensively covered the upcoming—now currently enacted—changes to the family law statutes in Illinois. These changes brought reform on an unprecedented scale to the state’s approach to divorce and child custody. Somewhat surprisingly, however, the existing laws that govern child support were largely left untouched. While efforts are currently underwayContinue reading
The Importance of Establishing Paternity
Establishing paternity means much more than just child support for a single parent. Whether or not the child has a legally-recognized father can make a huge difference in the child’s life—for his or whole life, not only childhood. Paternity does not necessarily imply that the father is present in the child’s life on a daily basis. It only means that the father is legally and fiscally responsibleContinue reading
Uncontested Divorce Can Set the Tone for the Future
Late last summer, a Canadian couple posted a picture to Facebook that quickly garnered international attention. The photo was a “selfie” of the smiling duo standing outside the Calgary Courts Centre, with a caption that stated they had just filed for divorce. Within days, the post had been shared more than 30,000 times, and countless more since. It also triggered a trend which was quickly dubbed—inContinue reading
Arranging Parental Responsibilities in Illinois
Entering the post-divorce world as a single parent can be overwhelming, especially in wake of the emotional toll brought on by the separation. One of the most important tasks you will face as a newly single parent is handling the allocation of parental responsibilities. This is a phrase that the law in Illinois began using as of January 1, 2016 to refer to arrangements that areContinue reading
Bird’s Nest Parenting: A New Type of Coparenting
Taking its name from the behavior of birds, “bird’s nest” parenting is a different approach to providing a stable environment for children after the parents divorce or separate. Instead of the children being shuffled from house to house, the children stay in one place and the parents move in and out of the home during their parenting time. This concept can be traced to a 2000 courtContinue reading
Family Law Appeals in Illinois
Sometimes, even with the best preparation you can lose your family law case. You may have gotten an unfavorable property division decision, or you may feel the judge made a mistake in setting the amount of the spousal maintenance or there may be some other problem. After the court has issued a final ruling, you may need to file an appeal to keep your case alive. WhatContinue reading