Monthly Archives: September 2016

Know the Dangers of Divorce Without a Lawyer

As you approach the process of divorce, you may consider your situation and decide that you can do this. You do not need to spend extra money for some lawyer to fill out a few pages of paperwork and to file them for you, right? You and your spouse—despite the fact that your marriage is ending—get along well enough to get through the process without anyContinue reading

Parent-Teacher Conferences for Children of Divorce

If you are the divorced parent of a school-aged child, you have probably spent the better part of the last month helping your child adjust to the rigors of the new school year. Reestablishing school routines after a several-month vacation can be quite challenging, to say the least. Now that school is well underway once again, the first parent-teacher conferences will be coming soon. It isContinue reading

Understanding the Division of Property in an Illinois Divorce

Unlike equal distribution states, where marital assets are divided right down the middle, Illinois is an equitable distribution state. This means that the marital estate is divided “fairly.” Of course, fair is an obscure term that can create a lot of confusion and contention. If you are filing for divorce in Illinois, learn what factors may be used to divide your assets and property, and how youContinue reading

The Joy of Inter-Family Adoptions

Coverage of last month’s Summer Olympics highlighted the touching story of an American gymnast and her inter-family adoption through which her grandparents formally adopted her and became her legal parents. With the support of a loving family, she was able to pursue her dreams of competing on the world’s largest stage. When a family issue becomes untenable, an adoption by a close family member mayContinue reading

The New Understanding of Child Custody

Beginning in January of 2016, new laws went into effect in Illinois that altered the state’s approach to child custody proceedings for divorced, separated, and unmarried parents. Proponents of the changes had held for many years that the previous version of the law had become outdated and often led to bitter, impassioned disputes between parents who each wanted to “win” custody of their children. While no lawContinue reading

Child Support for a Pageant Participant

There is an elite group of individuals who go on to become pageant queens and kings. However, they all must start somewhere. Many times, the desire to hold these titles begins with a nudge from one or both parents during the school-aged years. Participation includes effort of appearance in addition to positive personality traits and a high financial cost. If the parents are divorced, changesContinue reading

New Law Requires Domestic Violence Training for Hairdressers, Cosmetologists

Men and women alike tend to share fairly intimate details of their lives with the individuals who cut their hair. The nostalgic image of men sitting in a barbershop chatting about any number of topics is almost timeless and still, to an extent, exists today. Similarly, women are often not afraid to talk about their lives with their hairdressers and nail technicians, frequently revealing extremelyContinue reading

Knowing What You Want: Asking for Spousal Maintenance in Divorce

The role of each spouse in a marriage is often unique to that particular couple’s needs and circumstances. The days of presuming that the husband will work a nine-to-five job while the wife tends to the home and children are all but gone. Of course, couples are free to choose such an arrangement, just as they are free to choose one in which the wife is theContinue reading