Posted on August 29, 2019 in Child Custody

If you are going through a divorce with children involved, you will also have to go through child custody proceedings. Child custody, which is known as the “allocation of parental responsibilities” in Illinois, is one of the most emotional and hotly contested aspects of any divorce, since there is a lot on the line. In order to give your case the best chance of success in court, you should be sure to know what to do and what not to do. If you are currently going through a custody battle, make sure you avoid making any of the following mistakes that could sabotage your case:

1. Try to Alienate Your Children From the Other Parent

During a divorce, one parent may try to influence the other parent's relationship with the couple's children. He or she may not allow the child to call the other parent during visits, or he or she may speak badly about the other parent to the child. While this type of behavior is common in divorce cases, the courts do not view it favorably. A judge will typically view alienation as damaging to the child, and he or she may choose to restrict the parental responsibilities or parenting time of a parent who engages in parental alienation.

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 Posted on August 27, 2019 in Divorce

Getting an uncontested divorce sounds fairly simple. In fact, these are typically the least complicated divorces in Illinois because both spouses agree to the terms of the divorce; however, this type of divorce isn't always straightforward or uncomplicated. Any couple facing a divorce, even one that is uncontested, is going to have questions. Below are the five most common issues that come up in uncontested divorces:

Can We Use the Same Lawyer?

One lawyer representing both sides in any legal matter is a major conflict of interest. While both spouses may consult with a single attorney as they proceed with the divorce process, the attorney can only represent one spouse during the divorce proceedings. In order to ensure that both parties' rights are protected, you and your spouse should use different attorneys that will represent each party's separate interests. Even during an uncontested divorce, you will need legal advice on the steps to take and an advocate who will stand up for your rights.

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 Posted on August 26, 2019 in Child Custody

If you are going through a divorce, you will likely come across a variety of procedural rules that you will have to follow and many different legal terms you may not have heard before. One of these terms is “guardian ad litem.” Many divorcing couples do not understand the role of a guardian ad litem (GAL) or why one may be appointed by the court. However, this person can play an important part in decisions about child custody, so you will want to be sure to understand how to proceed if a GAL has been appointed.

What Is a Guardian Ad Litem?

In some divorce cases, matters related to the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time may need to be addressed by the judge. When making decisions about these issues, the judge must take a number of factors into consideration, including the home life of both parents, the financial situation of each parent and ultimately, what is best for the child.

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 Posted on August 23, 2019 in Divorce

In April of 2019, daytime talk show host Wendy Williams filed for divorce from her husband, Kevin Hunter. During the divorce proceedings, Hunter requested a substantial amount in spousal support, as well as child support for the couple's 18-year-old son, Kevin Junior. Hunter relied on his job as executive producer on Williams' show for an income, and he was also her personal manager. Now, after being fired from both jobs, he has no source of income.

This case is interesting, raising several questions. One significant issue involves Williams' claim that she should not have to pay spousal support because Hunter cheated on her. Those who are divorcing in Illinois may wonder how the state's laws would address these issues. Does adultery affect the terms of a divorce?

Adultery as Grounds for Divorce

In Illinois, the only grounds for divorce is “irreconcilable differences.” This simply means that there has been a breakdown in the marriage and that there is no hope that the couple will reconcile. This is different than how divorce worked in Illinois historically, as previously, there was once a long list of grounds for divorce, including adultery.

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 Posted on August 22, 2019 in Divorce Decree Modification

The completion of divorce proceedings has an air of finality. The marriage is officially over, the sometimes long and drawn out divorce process is finished, and both parties can move on with their lives. However, just because a divorce is final does not mean those involved will live by their divorce decree forever. Like everything else in life, the terms of a divorce often change, sometimes years after they were finalized.

Remarriage is one of the biggest reasons the terms of a divorce will change. When one of the ex-spouses gets remarried, both parties will want to consider how spousal maintenance and child support will be affected.

Remarriage and Maintenance in Illinois

Generally speaking, when a person who is receiving maintenance gets remarried, their former spouse will no longer be required to pay alimony. The only exception is when the two parties have come to another agreement. The person making alimony payments can stop doing so upon the date of the remarriage. They do not have to return to court or ask for an order of termination of support.

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 Posted on August 20, 2019 in Child Custody

When parents are divorced, the death of a parent can create a number of difficulties. If the deceased ex-spouse was the custodial parent, this will likely mean that the other parent will have more parenting time with their child. However, it is important to understand how Illinois courts address child custody in cases in which a parent dies.

The Courts Are Generally in Favor of the Surviving Parent

When a custodial parent dies, and the courts need to reassign custody of children (known as “allocation of parental responsibilities” in Illinois), they will generally give preference to the surviving parent. The court will typically assume that the surviving parent has a greater interest in the care, custody and control of the child than anyone else. This will generally hold true even when another person, such as a grandparent or stepparent, asserts rights over the child.

However, this does not mean that the surviving parent is always awarded parental responsibilities when the custodial parent passes away. If the surviving parent has been found unfit, has not visited the child, or has not expressed any interest in the child, the court may take those factors into consideration. In these instances, custody could be granted to another person.

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 Posted on July 08, 2019 in Divorce

In any divorce, there are a wide variety of complicated issues that must be addressed and resolved, and disputes over child custody, child support and property division can make emotions run high. However, there are some divorce cases that have all of these issues and even more. High net worth divorces can be extremely complex, since they will have the same issues as any other divorce, along with additional factors that can make resolving these cases more challenging. These factors may include:

The Scope of Assets

Typically, there are many assets in a high net worth divorce, and determining how to divide marital property can be difficult, especially when this property includes assets such as real estate, investments and retirement accounts. An asset acquired before the marriage will typically be considered separate property that is not divided during the divorce process. However, if a non-marital asset appreciated in value during the marriage, the courts may view this appreciation as marital property. Determining what assets are considered marital property and how to divide them fairly and equitably during divorce can be a complicated undertaking.

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 Posted on July 03, 2019 in Divorce

Parental alienation during divorce is more common than many people think. One study has found that parental alienation plays a part in 11 to 15 percent of all divorces. For the parent being alienated, this can be devastating and frustrating. How does one prove the other parent is attempting alienation of children? Is there anything a parent can do about this?

What Is Parental Alienation?

Parental alienation occurs when one parent attempts to interfere in his or her children's relationship with the other parent. This commonly happens during and after divorce, although sometimes it may even begin to happen towards the end of the marriage.

A parent may commit alienation by telling their children that the other parent does not really love them or does not want to see them. However, alienation is not always so obvious. Sometimes, one parent will simply speak negatively about the other parent in front of the children, such as by blaming the other parent for the divorce, for financial difficulties, or for any other problems the children are experiencing. Over time, children may believe what they hear and start to pull away from the parent they are being alienated from.

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 Posted on June 24, 2019 in Divorce

If you feel that your marriage may end in divorce, you are probably wondering about the steps that you will need to follow to complete the process of dissolving your marriage. Since divorce almost always causes financial upheaval, you also may be wondering if you can save money by attempting to complete the process without being represented by an attorney.

Should I File for Divorce Without a Lawyer?

In Illinois, everyone has the right to represent themselves in court and that includes while getting a divorce; however, if you and your ex-spouse will need to resolve disputes through litigation in court, you should seek the help of an attorney. A lawyer will ensure that your rights are protected throughout the legal process and help you understand the steps that will be followed and the requirements.

If you and your ex-spouse are able to work together to resolve the issues that must be addressed during your divorce, mediation is often a good solution. During mediation, you and your ex will meet with a neutral mediator over the course of several meetings, and you will work together to iron out the terms of the divorce. The mediator will try to facilitate conversations and help you reach agreements that you both find satisfactory.

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 Posted on June 20, 2019 in Divorce

Illinois is an equitable distribution state. This means that when two people get divorced, the courts will divide their marital property equitably, or fairly. This type of property division is usually fairly straightforward, but there are certain factors that can make it more complicated. Today, frozen embryos are one issue that can make a divorce case especially complex.

There are currently hundreds of thousands of frozen embryos in the United States, and because of this, the number of divorces involving frozen embryos is likely to increase. Since the courts in Illinois have not yet set a precedent for dividing frozen embryos between divorcing spouses, the decisions made during a divorce will likely depend on the facts of the case. So, what facts are taken into consideration when frozen embryos were part of a marriage and are now part of a divorce?

Contracts for Frozen Embryos

In the best case scenario, a couple will have a contract outlining who will receive their frozen embryos if they choose to get a divorce. Terms outlined in written contracts will certainly apply, as will those of oral contracts. If the couple had an agreement, the courts are likely to award the frozen embryos accordingly.

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