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Recent Blog Posts
When Will a Court Appoint a Parenting Coordinator in an Illinois Custody Case?
By the time a couple has decided to get a divorce, the acrimony between them is often high. It is not uncommon for the contention between the two spouses to be so thick that they are even unable to have a civil conversation with each other. This can make negotiating divorce issues difficult. If the couple has children, this tension between them can make co-parenting impossible. In these situations, the court may decide to appoint a parenting coordinator.
Parenting Plan
When a divorcing couple does have children, a major part of the divorce settlement is the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time (previously referred to as child custody and visitation). In many divorces, the couple is able to civilly work through and come up with an agreeable parenting plan, usually with the help of their divorce attorneys. But if they cannot get to this point, the court will intervene.
How Are Assets and Property Divided in an Illinois Divorce?
One of the main components of a divorce is to divide the assets and property the couple have acquired during their marriage. Under Illinois law, this is done via “equitable distribution.” This means that the court will distribute the assets between the spouses in an equitable manner. Unlike community property states, which split the marital estate 50/50, Illinois courts focus on the division being a “fair” one, not necessarily and equal one.
Marital Property
Under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, the state defines marital property as any property that is acquired by either spouse during the marriage, excluding inheritances or gifts. Other definitions of non-martial property under the law include:
- Any property that is acquired by a spouse after the court has entered a legal separation judgment.
- Any property that is specifically included by a legal agreement, such as documented in a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement.
New Report Reveals Troubling Domestic Violence Statistics in Illinois
The results of a new study released last week reveal that the number of calls to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline continues to increase each year while the number of domestic violence survivors reaching out to police for help has decreased. The study was conducted by The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence. The organization gathered data from a variety of sources, including public agencies, service providers, law enforcement, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline, the Department of Children and Family Services, and interviews with survivors.
Serious Statistics
According to the data collected, there were more than 32,000 calls made to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline, up by 9 percent from the year before. Although there was an increase in hotline contacts, the number of domestic violence survivors reaching out to police decreased by 5 percent. The reasons cited for that decline by survivors are alarming. Many said that there is a lack of support from law enforcement, including being met with denial by police and even accused of lying.
What Is the Best Interest of the Child in an Illinois Custody Case?
One of the main factors the court will use when deciding child custody in a divorce is what arrangement is in the best interest of the child. Over the past few decades, society’s – and the courts – have changed their understanding of what those best interest actually are. Although there is no “official” legal checklist the court checks off to meet that standard, there are elements the judge will look for when making his or her final decision.
The Age of the Child
The first thing the court will consider is the age of the child. The younger the child, the more “hands-on” care they need. In especially young children, the court may look at which parent has been the primary caretaker thus far, evaluating what type of bond has been established with each parent. In older children, the court may consider what type of arrangement the child prefers.
Parenting Ability
What Are Temporary Orders in an Illinois Divorce?
If you are thinking about ending your marriage – or have already made the decision to do so – there are likely many questions and concerns you have regarding the divorce process and what will happen during this process. For example, you may be worried about your spouse removing all the funds from any joint bank accounts you have. If you have children and the divorce is contentious, you may be concerned about your spouse making decisions about your children – such as changing their schools or even where they live – without consulting with you first.
In these situations, it is not uncommon for a judge to enter temporary orders in order to prevent either spouse from taking these types of actions without the other spouse’s knowledge.
What Types of Issues Can Temporary Orders Be Issued For?
Protecting Your Finances in an Illinois Gray Divorce
One of the fastest-growing groups of people who divorce are those 50 years of age or older. Divorce involving older adults is commonly referred to as “gray divorce.” According to national statistics, since 1990, the rate of gray divorce has doubled. Currently, approximately 25 percent of all divorces that are filed each year in the U.S are by couples who fall into the gray divorce category. It is predicted that by the year 2030, there will be more than 828,000 gray divorces each year.
Impact of Gray Divorce
Unfortunately, study after study reveals that when an older person divorces, the emotional and financial impact of the marriage ending can be even more significant than for their younger counterparts. Older individuals are often left feeling they wasted their lives with the wrong spouse and fear they will end up living what is left of their life alone. Studies show that the levels of depression are higher for a person going through a gray divorce than it is for a person whose spouse has died.
My Ex Says I Have to Pay For Our Child’s College, Even if I Do Not Want To. Is This True?
A common frustration for many divorced parents in Illinois is the unavoidable fact that they can be ordered by an Illinois family law judge to pay child support for their adult child’s college expenses. While some parents are happy to support their children while they attend college, other parents might disagree with their child’s choice of major, the rising expense of college, or the idea of college as necessary in the first place. Other parents may be justifiably concerned that an ex is encouraging an adult child to attend university against the child’s wishes because they want to get under the other parent’s skin.
If you are divorced in Illinois and have questions about adult children and child support for educational expenses, read on and then contact a Kane County child support attorney who can help.
When Do Divorced Parents Need to Pay Child Support For Their Adult Children?
Divorced or unmarried parents of minor children in Illinois often believe they will be able to stop making child support payments when their youngest child turns 18. Many parents are surprised to learn that child support can continue past the age of legal adulthood in several circumstances. If you are paying or receiving child support and have questions about whether payments might be extended past your child’s 18th birthday, read on to learn about circumstances in which a parent may need to pay child support for an adult child. Then, contact an Illinois family law attorney with experience in child support matters for further answers to your questions.
The Child is Still in High School
If a child has turned 18 but has not yet finished high school, child support payments will continue until the child either graduates or drops out of high school. However, if the child is over 18 and decides not to finish high school, the parent making payments will need to file a motion with the court requesting that payments be terminated. Ending payments without permission from the court can result in owing back child support and legal consequences.
Does “Permanent” Alimony End if My Ex Gets Remarried in Kane County, IL?
When a couple in Illinois gets divorced, alimony - technically known as “spousal maintenance” - is sometimes negotiated or awarded if a court deems it appropriate. For couples who have been married for a long time, spousal maintenance is more common. Spousal maintenance may be awarded permanently or indefinitely if a divorcing couple was married 20 years or longer. However, this does not mean that the spousal maintenance will actually need to be paid forever; certain actions on the part of the recipient can terminate payments. If you are paying alimony in Illinois and you know your ex is engaging in behaviors that would permit you to stop making payments, read on.
Why is Permanent Alimony Ordered By a Court?
Although it is less common now, traditional marriages of the past often consisted of a spouse who earned all or most of a family’s money and a spouse who cared for the children and the home. After several decades of such an arrangement, the non-working spouse will often struggle to find sufficient employment or education to support themselves after a divorce. Although paying alimony forever may feel unfair to the person making payments, Illinois courts see this as necessary for ensuring the spouse who gave up their career and educational advancements to support a marriage is not left penniless because that marriage ended.
Can I Get My Parental Rights Back After They Have Been Terminated?
Illinois family judges take parental rights seriously and only terminate them against the wishes of the parent in the most serious cases. Abuse, neglect, or abandonment can make it dangerous for a child to live with a parent in their home and Illinois DCFS must sometimes take action against a parent’s and even a child’s wishes. Unfortunately, this means that if your parental rights have been terminated, it is very unlikely that you will get them back, even if you have taken extensive measures to improve your circumstances.
However, it is sometimes possible to reverse a parental rights termination and reunite a child with his or her parent. An experienced Illinois family law attorney can talk to you about your situation and help you understand your options.
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