Monthly Archives: December 2015

New Law Places Limits on Support for College Expenses

If you are currently paying child support pursuant to a court order, you probably expect that your obligations will be complete when your child turns 18 and/or graduates high school. While such an expectation is certainly reasonable, and even accurate in most cases, the state of Illinois may require you to continue providing support beyond age 18 for the purposes of assisting with educational expenses.Continue reading

QDROs and Back Child Support

When you are working hard to raise your child, but the other parent fails or refuses to comply with his or her obligations for child support, it is easy to feel like your options are limited. You may begin to believe that once he or she has missed an ordered payment, your child will never see that money, no matter what type collection activities are pursued.Continue reading

New Law Permits Nursing Home Monitoring Devices

According to AARP Illinois State Director Bob Gallo, public health officials in Illinois receive about 19,000 complaints each year from residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Throughout the past year, the state legislature and Governor Bruce Rauner officially took a stand against nursing home negligence and abuse by passing a measure designed to protect some of Illinois’ most at-risk residents. Beginning in 2016, IllinoisContinue reading

Understanding Your Role as Executor

When a friend or a loved one asks you to serve as the executor of their estate, you may be inclined to immediately agree, due to the nature of your relationship with that person. However, you may really understand what your duties may entail until the time comes to fulfill the role, whether you are prepared or not. An experienced probate law attorney can help you learnContinue reading

Family Law Changes for 2016: Child Custody and Visitation

In the last post on this blog, we talked about a number of upcoming changes to the laws regarding divorce in Illinois. These changes are being implemented January 1, 2016, and are the result of a family law reform measure that was signed by the governor this past summer. The amendments to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act also address child-related concerns, making substantialContinue reading

Family Law Changes for 2016: Divorce

Throughout the last few months, various posts on this blog have been discussing some of the expected effects of the family law reform passed in Illinois in the summer. For the first time in nearly four decades, a large portion of the existing statutes regarding divorce, child custody, and parentage is being completely overhauled. With the effective date of the new provisions fast approaching—they are setContinue reading

Commit to Cooperation This Holiday Season

For many families affected by divorce or separation, the winter holiday can present a number of logistical and personal challenges. Making arrangements for parenting time, holiday meals, and out-of-town trips to visit extended family can be very difficult, especially if you and your ex are unable to communicate effectively. No matter how divisive the relationship with your child’s other parent may be, one of the best giftsContinue reading

Paying Down Marital Debt Prior to Divorce

When divorce seems to be imminent in your relationship, you are well-advised to being preparing for the process. Preparation can obviously take many forms, but among the most important decisions to be made will almost always be financial considerations. At some point along the way, you and your spouse will need to determine how your property and assets will be divided, or, if you cannotContinue reading