Filing Taxes During and After Divorce

It seems like only a few weeks ago that we turned the calendars over to 2017, and now, March is already half gone. While some may wonder how time seems to go so quickly, others are acutely aware of an upcoming deadline. In most years, personal income tax returns are due on April 15, but thanks to some quirks in the calendar, this year’s dueContinue reading

Divorce Considerations for Stay-at-Home Parents

For many families, the thought of one spouse forgoing a career to stay home, care for the children, and maintain the home is a remnant of generations past. For others, however, such a situation may seem ideal—presuming, of course, that it was a mutually agreeable decision made by both spouses. While this type of scenario is much less common than it was a few decadesContinue reading

Helping Your Child With College Costs

With spring right around the corner and summer to follow soon after, school-aged children are beginning to look forward to a long break. For many high school seniors, it is also a time to start making preparations for college or other types of post-high school education. Of course, this also means figuring out a way to pay for it. If you are the parent ofContinue reading

Keeping Your Business Running After Divorce

In business, there are three real threats to your company, all of which may ultimately result in bankruptcy, closure, or dissolution. Otherwise known as the three “Ds,” these are death, disability, and divorce. Little can be done about the first since, ultimately, death does happen to everyone. Though difficult to overcome, disability is a matter that entrepreneurial couples may be able to get through together.Continue reading

Determining the Value of Real Estate in Divorce

The division of property in an Illinois divorce is based on the principle of equitable distribution. This means a court is not legally required to divide a couple’s marital property 50/50. Rather, if a couple cannot resolve any outstanding division of property issues on their own, a judge will make a “fair” distribution taking into account a number of factors. Of course, before the court can divideContinue reading

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

Frequently Asked Questions About Legal Separation

It is not uncommon for people to use the word “separation” when referring to a stage in their divorce process, but very few people ever actually obtain a legal separation. What most people refer to as a separation is considered by Illinois law to be spouses who are simply “living separate and apart” and requires no legal action on the part of either party. A legalContinue reading

Going Back to Work After Divorce

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 40 percent of mothers with children under the age of 6 years old do not work outside the home. Considering the high number of divorces that occur each year in the United States, there are a large number of those stay-at-home mothers who will be forced to enter the workforce sooner than they may have planned whenContinue reading

Understanding Parental Responsibilities, Part 2; Parenting Time

Making decisions about parenting in the wake of a divorce can be extremely difficult. It is impossible to predict what the future holds, so your only option is to create a parenting plan that will facilitate cooperation between you and your former spouse for years to come. In a previous post, we discussed the concept of significant decision-making authority and how each parent may be assignedContinue reading