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How To Protect Your Child’s Inheritance From A Divorce
As a parent and grandparent, you want to make sure your children, grandchildren, and their descendants receive the inheritance they are due, based on your wishes. In many cases, this is as simple as willing your assets to them – but a will may not protect your children and grandchildren from losing a large portion of their inheritance in a divorce.
Thankfully, there are ways to plan an estate to provide maximum protection for your descendants in the case of divorce. While we always recommend you retain an experienced Chicago family law attorney, there are a few fundamental actions you can take to help protect the people you love.
Allocation of Parental Responsibilities and COVID-19
As COVID-19 spreads more and more, we have all naturally become concerned for our family and loved ones. This hold especially true for parents, who must now contend with having to work for financially support their children, while also having to do their best to provide adequate homeschooling while both public and private schools are closed.
The Stay At Home orders can make the allocation of parental responsibilities difficult and confusing to navigate for separated parents to navigate. What does your parenting time schedule look like now? What if your child’s other parent lives somewhere that is unsafe due to COVID-19? How do school closings impact parenting schedules?
What Should I Include in my Prenuptial Agreement?
Prenuptial agreements, commonly known as prenups, have become more and more popular over the past few years. It is very common for young couples to enter into a prenuptial agreement before committing to marriage, so that both parties can be protected should the relationship end in divorce. These agreements are legal documents, and so should be looked over by an experienced family law lawyer before being signed. But it can be difficult to decide what is worth including and what is not. That is why we at Nottage and Ward, LLP have put together this brief guide for you.
The History of No-Fault Divorce in Illinois
The first divorce laws in Illinois were passed in 1819. Abraham Lincoln represented more than 120 litigants in divorce cases in his 25 years of practice, a mostly unknown fact reported by researchers for the Lincoln Legal Papers project. The Illinois state legislature had given women the right to divorce earlier than many other states, and Abraham Lincoln served as their advocate. At that time, Illinois judges not only granted divorces to women but also awarded them custody of their children.
COVID-19 Update: Nottage and Ward, LLP Continue to Work
We hope that everyone reading this blog post is in good health and is staying as safe as is currently possible. This pandemic has left all of us in a difficult position. We at Nottage and Ward, LLP will be working from home in an attempt to do our part to flatten the curve. However, that does not mean we have stopped focusing on our cases or our clients.
When Does Legal Separation Become Divorce?
Spouses who are experiencing a rough patch may choose separate temporarily or even permanently if they feel that rough patch can’t be overcome. This may involve a trial separation, in which one spouse moves out but the legal rules of marriage continue to apply. Couples who are not ready for divorce may opt for a legal separation, which changes your legal status without dissolving the marriage.
How to Dissolve a Domestic Partnership or Civil Union in Illinois
Domestic partnerships and civil unions can be wonderful for couples who wish to enjoy the same benefits as marriage, but who don’t feel the need for a big, blowout wedding or a marriage certificate. Unfortunately, not all relationships last the test of time and it can be difficult to know just how to end a domestic partnership or civil union. Thankfully, Cook County, Illinois has a clear process for each.
Divorcing After Retirement Is Costly
Few things can affect your finances more than divorce, especially when the divorce requires court appearances. Divorcing after retirement, however, can increase the financial burden exponentially. The primary reason for this is that once retired, the partners are living on their existing resources without the means to produce further income. In other words, both parties must have the ability to sustain their quality of life with existing assets and resources.
Better to Get Your Support Order Late Than Never!
Recently, ABC 10 News reported on the case of a San Diego woman, Toni Anderson, who won back child support from her ex-husband nearly 50 years after their divorce. She filed a claim for what she was owed, plus interest, when she realized there is no statute of limitations on child support. Ms. Anderson wants to spread the word to other single parents that they can still collect child support, no matter how many years have gone by.
Understanding “Invisible Divorce”
It is a well-known fact that about 50% of marriages in the U.S. ultimately end in divorce. While that statistic may imply that the other half of marriages where couples stay together are happy and healthy relationships, this is not always the case.
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