March, 2013 - Chicago Illinois Family Law Blog Archive
Understanding Civil Unions
Civil unions are legal contracts between partners that are recognized by a government as conferring some of the rights usually associated with marriages. In December, 2010, the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act was passed. Beginning in July, 2011, adults who are not related and who are of any sexual orientation were permitted to enter into a civil union, provided they were at least 18 years old.
The Chicago civil union attorneys at Nottage and Ward want you to understand your rights within civil unions.
Illinois Same-Sex Marriage Push Joined by Obama Issue Group
The push for gay marriage is being joined by Organizing for Action (OFA) according to an announcement made March 19, 2013. As reported by The Chicago Tribune, the organization, which is an offshoot of President Obama’s re-election campaign, has decided to become involved in Illinois state issues.
OFA has a broad base along with the skill and technology to network that base. OFA says what the group hears from Illinois voters are that the same-sex marriage issue really matters to them. That’s why they are adding their voices to the fight. That’s what the organization’s national director of issue campaigns, Lindsay Siler, told supporters in an e-mail.
Illinois GOP Chairman under Fire for Support of Same-Sex Marriages
Illinois republican chairman Pat Brady has been under recent attack because of his endorsement of the same-sex marriage bill. In a National Organization for Marriage (an organization in opposition of same-sex marriages) campaign, hundreds of form-letter e-mails have been sent to and received by the Illinois Republican State Central Committee. The letters all call for Pat Brady’s ouster as state chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.
According to The Chicago Tribune, party leaders met behind closed doors on Saturday, March 9, 2013, to discuss Brady’s fate. According to the report it remains unclear whether committee members will reach a consensus.
Speaker Madigan Claims Same-Sex Marriage Bill 12 Votes Short in House
Courtesy of The Chicago Tribune and published on March 13, 2013, according to House Speaker Michael Madigan, the bill that would make Illinois the tenth state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage could face a difficult road to approval this Spring. He believes the bill is lacking 12 votes it needs for passage.
Since 60 votes are required for a bill to pass the Illinois House, Speaker Madigan’s comment means 48 Illinois lawmakers could already be in favor of establishing marriage equality in the state. The same-sex marriage bill last month passed in the state Senate and has the approval of Democratic Governor Pat Quinn. Governor Quinn is on record as being in support and has indicated that if the bill passes the Senate and reaches his desk, he would sign it into law.
Is Sale of the Family Home Necessary During Divorce?
When considering a divorce many questions come to mind. While we initially concern ourselves with the well being of our children and our own emotional health, financial matters must also be considered. In the state of Illinois, property or money acquired during the marriage is presumed to belong to the marriage and to be subject to equitable (fair) division upon divorce. Examples of property to be equitably divided during a divorce include the following:
Gay and Lesbian Couples Face Indefensible Financial Discrimination
Gay and lesbian couples face civil and social discrimination in states where same-sex marriage has not been legalized. According to Suze Orman, personal finance expert and host of “The Suze Orman Show” on CNBC, in a special report to CNN, while that discrimination is inexcusable, the financial discrimination those couples face is indefensible.
Nine states and the District of Columbia have made same-sex marriages legal. And even though that is encouraging for those who believe that all U.S. citizens deserve basic civil rights, what is needed, according to Orman, is for the federal government to recognize same-sex marriage. Orman believes that would eliminate current financial discrimination.
Divorcing a High-Conflict Personality
Therapists want us to get in touch with our true feelings. Their goal is to help us become self-assured and self-aware in order to remove ourselves from poisonous relationships and discover what we truly want out of life. According to Virginia Gilbert, MFT, licensed family and marriage therapist, in an article published in The Huffington Post, knowledgeable marriage therapists can help us to find our voice and improve our quality of life.
How could this type of personal awareness and growth be dangerous? It could be dangerous in a high-conflict divorce especially when children are present in the marriage. Marriage therapists working with partners, who are divorcing narcissists, need to invert the traditional goal of therapy. Expressing true feelings, being self-aware, and being apologetic can be terrible mistakes in a high-conflict divorce.
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