Tag Archives: Illinois law

Inventory Your Property Before Filing for Divorce

The division of marital property is one of most disputed considerations in any divorce. Much of the disagreement is the result of each spouse believing that he or she should be entitled to keep certain assets. While you and your spouse will eventually need to decide who will be getting what, you can start preparing long before either of you files your petition for divorce. List EverythingContinue reading

Calculating Your Income for Child Support Purposes

When you are the parent who is responsible for making child support payments, the existing Illinois system for calculating your obligation is based on your net income. According to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA), you will be expected to pay a certain percentage of your income depending on how many children are being supported, beginning with 20 percent for one child upContinue reading

New Child Support Guidelines Coming Next Summer

For many years, the laws regarding the payment of child support in Illinois have been heavily criticized as being very outdated. While few parents would argue about the importance of providing financial support for their children, how such payments are calculated has changed very little over the last several decades. Next summer, however, a new law goes into effect that will change the way that support ordersContinue reading

Alcohol Abuse Can Affect Your Parenting Time

Do you share parenting responsibilities with your child’s other parent? If so, you probably cherish the time you get to spend with your child. While it may not be as much as you would like, you understand that every moment is one that can be enjoyed and used to foster a healthy relationship between your child and yourself. This is especially true around the winter holidays asContinue reading

Thinking About Divorce Without an Attorney?

Since the advent of the internet, more and more individuals have become “do-it-yourself”-ers. Regardless of the project or task at hand, there are online resources available to help you figure out how to do it—everything from car repairs to home network management to self-paced study courses to gourmet cooking. In fact, a quick Google search of the abbreviation “DIY” returns more than 1.6 billion results.Continue reading

Divorced Parents and College Expenses, Part 2: Eligible Expenses and Your Child’s Responsibilities

Last week on this blog, we discussed the basics of the Illinois law that allows a court to require one or both parents to contribute to their child’s college expenses following a divorce. To summarize, college expenses for a couple’s child are essentially considered to be a financial matter between the parents in divorce, as long as at least one parent is willing to help the child financially. TheContinue reading

Dealing With a Spouse Who Wastes Marital Assets

For many couples in unhealthy relationships, the marriage is often over long before the divorce process even begins. The spouses may continue to live in the same house, possibly still sharing the same bed, but the marriage, in all reality, stands virtually no chance of being revived. While the marriage is breaking down or after the breakdown is complete, there are limitations provided by IllinoisContinue reading

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

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 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