Tag Archives: Will County family law attorney

Challenging a Prenuptial Agreement

Prenuptial agreements, or simply “prenups,” are a common means of providing security for one’s assets before entering into a marriage. Many soon-to-be spouses find the topic of prenuptial agreements both emotionally challenging and complex. However, it is important for both parties to understand the stipulations of an agreement and the conditions under which the agreement could be considered invalid. If a couple signs a prenuptial agreement andContinue 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

Controlling Costs in Your Divorce

For many divorcing couples, the process of ending a marriage can quickly become very expensive. This is especially true for divorces that drag on for months or even years before being finalized. Depending on the circumstances, expenses related to hiring an attorney may be among the highest, but there are many other considerations that could drive the costs of your divorce through the roof. Instead of tryingContinue 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For many years, the laws regarding the payment of child support in Illinois have been heavily criticized as being very outdated.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

Keeping Your Inheritance After Divorce

Inheriting assets following the death of a loved one can be a bittersweet situation. On one hand, it means that a friend or family member has died, which can obviously be tragic. However, receiving a family heirloom or proceeds from the person’s estate can be fairly exciting, and, depending on the size of the inheritance could provide a measure of financial security. But what happensContinue reading

Children of Divorce May Experience Trouble in School

There is no such thing as a “typical divorce,” and there is certainly no such thing as a “typical child of divorce.” Every situation is unique and is the result of a combination of countless variables in the family’s circumstances and relationships. There are, however, certain trends and possibilities of which divorced parents should be aware, as many children of divorce may experience similar challenges. A commonContinue reading

Spousal Maintenance: The Case of the Stay-at-Home Parent

Whether by necessity or by choice, two-income families are certainly becoming the norm in today’s American society. In some situations, both spouses work hard to balance full-time careers with family responsibilities. In others, one spouse may work full-time while the other picks up part-time jobs to make ends meet, while still tending to the needs of the family and, possibly, children. There is, however, stillContinue reading

Consider Eliminating Debt Prior to Divorce

If you are considering a divorce, you probably realize that your life is about to get fairly complicated, at least for a little while. You and your spouse will need to work out a large number of considerations, which, depending on your ability to work together—or lack thereof—may lead to stressful negotiations. For many couples, dividing the marital estate can be among the most challenging of allContinue reading

What Is an Annulment?

Most people understand that a divorce legally ends and validly recognized marriage. Whatever a couple’s reasons may be for ending the marriage, relatively few do so in the belief that the marriage was never initially valid. Those relative few, however, may have an alternative to divorce if they have reason to believe that their marriage was invalid. A declaration of invalidity of marriage, formerly called annulment, mayContinue reading

Pets Are More than Property to Many Divorcing Couples

Do you own a dog or a cat that you treat like part of the family? Does he or she sit with you while you watch television and sleep on the bed with you at night? More than half of Illinois households own pets, and in many cases, they represent more than just animals. Each one is a member of the family with his or her ownContinue reading