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Recent Blog Posts
Enforcing Delinquent Child Support Payments - What Can Receiving Parents Do?
Children are entitled to emotional and financial support from both parents. When the parents do not live together, financial support typically comes through the payment of child support - but what happens when the paying parent refuses to comply with an order for support? The following information explains how you can enforce delinquent child support payments with the help of a seasoned family law attorney.
Establishing Proof of Unpaid Support
Before a receiving parent can enforce an order for support, they must first provide proof that the support has gone unpaid. If the payments are made through the Illinois State Disbursement Unit (SDU), the receiving parent can ask the SDU for a record of payments that have been made along with the amount that the paying parent still owes. It is important that receiving parents compare their own records to those of the SDU, however, as they are not always accurate. If payments are made through the circuit clerk’s office, the parent can ask the office for this same information. (Again, it is important to compare records.) Parents who receive payments directly may experience more difficulty in obtaining proof of unpaid payments, as they are the only ones who have a record of the payments made. Thankfully, an attorney can help you with the process.
Why Hire a Family Law Attorney for Your Illinois Adoption?
While growing your family through adoption can be a positive and exciting life experience, there are many hurdles and obstacles that prospective parents must overcome. Some are exceedingly difficult to navigate on your own. As such, it is highly recommended that adopting families hire an attorney during the process. Learn more about why in the following sections.
Adoptive and Birth Parents Have More Control Over the Process
Although adoption agencies are a wonderful resource for prospective parents, they tend to pair birth and adoptive parents based on an algorithm, or what they call “the best match.” Sadly, these matches are not always “the best” for the involved parties. There could be issues that you were not made privy to, or you may find that your personalities are incompatible. Unfortunately, you may have little to no other options if you go strictly through the agency. An attorney can serve as a mediator and assist with the decision process, which could allow you to have more control over who the prospective birth parents will be. Your attorney can also help to ensure the birth parents understand the legalities of their choice, which may give them more confidence as they move forward through the process.
Should You Fight for Your Home in a Gray Divorce?
Divorce can be financially devastating for women - especially if they are over the age of 50. Some say women can avoid such a catastrophe by fighting for their home during their divorce. Unfortunately, this may not be sound advice for everyone. Learn how you can determine which path might be most appropriate for your case and discover how a seasoned divorce lawyer can help protect your financial future during an Illinois divorce.
Fighting for the Family Home - Understanding the Logic
Women are often attached to the family home, and some say it is the key to protecting their financial future during a divorce. A study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College only seems to confirm that this is the best route for women. In its survey of formerly married women, it found that, in terms of assets, those who kept the house were “better off” than single, never-married women. Yet, it is important to note that the study did not examine the overall wealth of these women. Instead, it just looked at the assets they were holding at the time of the survey.
Study Suggests Children of Divorce May Be Less Likely to Graduate College - How to Mitigate Your Child’s Risks During an Illinois Divorce
A college degree is almost critical to career success in today’s working world, and as the United States continues to move further away from manufacturing and more into a service-type economy, that need for higher education is expected to grow even further. Unfortunately, a recent study has found that children of divorce may be less likely to obtain this education. Learn more about why this might be, and discover how a seasoned divorce lawyer can help to improve the circumstances for your child during an Illinois divorce.
Study Finds Children of Divorce Are Less Likely to Pursue a College Degree
Most studies regarding divorce and children focus on the tender years - the way that a parental separation impacts the child’s immediate circumstances. Data from these suggest that children of divorce tend to have lower reading and math scores, are less engaged at school, and they tend to participate in fewer after-school activities than children whose parents stay married. Yet, until now, no one really knew how this translated into the lives of adult children of divorce.
Illinois Dads Continue to Receive Less Parenting Time Than Moms After Divorce
Fathers offer something special to their children. They are more likely to engage in physical activity with their kids than moms, and they can help children understand societal roles. Unfortunately, dads continue to receive less parenting time than mothers when the family separates in a divorce. What is more, Illinois is one of the worst states for dads seeking shared or equal parenting time. What might this mean for your Illinois divorce case, and how can you increase the time you might receive with your children? The following information explains.
Illinois Ranks as One of the Worst States for Shared Parenting
Recent data indicates that children do not suffer, but instead typically benefit greatly from equal time with both parents. In light of this information, many states have started to move toward more equal parenting time among divorcing parents, and 25 attempted to implement laws that would either encourage 50/50 shared parenting time or make it the default. Illinois has even attempted to increase the amount of parenting time that dads receive in divorce, but the state continues to lag behind many other states in the country. In fact, one survey found that Illinois children spend an average of only 23.1 percent of their time with their fathers. Thankfully, under new state laws that have been implemented over the last couple of years, fathers can fight for close to equal time with their kids.
Dealing with Difficult to Value Assets in an Illinois Divorce
The valuation and distribution of assets is one of the leading sources of contention during a divorce - even more so when the assets are unusual or otherwise difficult to value. For example, artists and other creative individuals may be required to value and split the value of their works. Art collectors may be subject to the same valuation and division of their beloved artwork. Other collectibles and family-run businesses can also be difficult to divide. Learn what you need to know about dividing difficult to value assets in your Illinois divorce, and discover how a seasoned divorce lawyer can assist you with the process.
Placing Value on Unusual Items During Divorce
Divorce settlements are reached by first examining the total value of the couple’s marital estate. Some assets are easy to value. For example, a bank account is only worth what is in it. Other assets, such as artwork, jewelry, cryptocurrencies, coin collections, luxury furniture, and businesses are far more difficult to value. For items such as these, an expert appraiser is needed. Most often, they will determine what the item would be worth if it were auctioned off or sold.
How to Avoid Letting a Gray Divorce Derail Your Retirement
Although statistics indicate that the divorce rate is declining across most age groups, couples over the age of 50 are ending their relationships at an unprecedented rate. In fact, rates have more than doubled over the last decade, and it is leaving many soon-to-be retirees at risk for future financial troubles. Learn how you can mitigate against such issues, and discover how assistance from our seasoned divorce lawyers can help.
Understanding the Potential Effects of a Gray Divorce
Divorce can be costly at any age, but those who are nearing the end of their working years have less time to recover from the financial toll that a divorce can have on their savings and retirement accounts. Marital assets must be equitably split between the parties - and that can include everything from jointly acquired inheritances and co-mingled premarital assets to retirement accounts and businesses that were established during the marriage.
Dealing with Student Loans in Your Illinois Divorce
Student loan debt is currently at an all-time high in the United States ($1.5 trillion), and it is creating excessive financial stress for married couples all over the country. In fact, a survey of divorced couples revealed that student loans were a factor in one-third of all failed marriages, and a total of 13 percent specifically blamed student loans for the end of their relationship. How are these debts divided when a couple pursues a divorce, and how can a seasoned divorce attorney help protect your financial well-being during the process? The following information explains.
How Student Loan Debt is Divided in an Illinois Divorce
Debts, like assets, are divided equitably in an Illinois divorce. What this essentially means is that the assets, income, and future earning potential of each party is considered when determining how the debt should be split. The one exception that may apply is if the debt was incurred prior to the start of the marriage; in this instance, it is typically considered pre-marital debt, and the owner of the loan is usually responsible for repaying it on their own.
Planning for Your Special Needs Child During an Illinois Divorce
Divorce can significantly impact the mental, emotional, and financial well-being of any child, but those who have special needs’ are at an especially high risk. When one takes into account that an estimated 10 percent of the population has a family member with special needs, and the risk of divorce is significantly higher for them when compared to the general population (an estimated 86 percent compared to 50 percent), the importance of proper divorce planning becomes clear. Learn more about how to approach the process in the following sections, and discover how a seasoned divorce lawyer can help to improve the overall outcome of your case.
Understanding What Could Be At Stake
Minor and adult children with significant disabilities often need a lot of support from their families, health care professionals, community, and government. Unfortunately, if their parents go through a divorce and the process is not approached carefully, it may render the child ineligible for many of these types of assistance. As a result, the physical, mental, or financial well-being of the child may be negatively impacted.
When is the “Right” Time to File for Divorce?
When it comes to divorce, parties often wonder when is the best time to file. Some make their decision based on circumstance (i.e they are fighting more frequently). Others base it on emotion (which some believe to be the driving factor behind the peak divorce times each year). While neither is necessarily “wrong,” they are not the best determining factor for determining when to file. Learn what determining factor may give you the best possible chance at a favorable outcome in your Illinois divorce, and discover how a seasoned attorney can help you prepare for the process.
Basing Your Decision on Financial Standing
The end of a marriage can be emotional and tumultuous, but basing your decision on emotional and circumstantial factors alone can leave you (and your spouse) at risk for financial devastation. Part of this can be attributed to the divorce process itself, which is financial, rather than emotional or fault-based. Having a one-income household or being in the dark about your financial situation can further exacerbate the problem. Thankfully, if you base your decision more on your financial standing and readiness, rather than other factors, you can mitigate many of the money-related risks that are commonly associated with a divorce.
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