Divorce - Chicago Illinois Family Law Blog - Page 12
Investigation Alleges that Will County Divorce Judge Used Courthouse Computer to Watch Porn
A state probe revealed some troubling news recently, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, when it revealed that a 69-year-old judge in Will County, Illinois was spending time browsing various pornographic websites in his judicial chambers instead of deliberating law. The state probe was conducted after an initial Sun-Times investigation.
As dedicated divorce attorneys in Chicago with Nottage and Ward, we are disappointed that a former divorce court judge would allegedly abandon his legal duties in such a way, especially as his actions may point to underlying personal issues that could potentially interfere with his decision-making ability in divorce court. This is likely the reason why the judge was transferred from divorce court to a courtroom that hears mental health and building code enforcement cases the day after the initial story appeared in the Sun-Times. The judge who made the transfer explained that since “(divorce) court calls … by their nature are adversarial and … the issue of gender is often central,” it was logical to remove him from that position.
Extending 4th of July Holiday: Marital Histories of our Founding Fathers
Although the Fourth of July holiday has passed, the family law attorneys at Nottage and Ward in Illinois would like to take a moment to relate less common information about our nation’s history, specifically about our Founding Fathers, as provided by The Huffington Post.
Not many people think about the marital histories of our Founding Fathers. Having made such a significant impact on the history of the United States, many people may forget that our Founding Fathers were regular people, with wives, children, and their own views on the institution of marriage. And so, in celebration of the men that contributed so much to shape the nation, here is a rare glimpse into them as regular people:
Attorney Jeffrey Knipmeyer Discusses Issues Surrounding Divorce and Economy
Jeffrey Knipmeyer, an experienced family law attorney with the Illinois law firm Nottage and Ward, understands the impact of economic recession on married couples more than most. Financial issues are a common cause for divorce, but the difficult financial state of some married couples may have other effects, including the postponement of divorce and even the decision for recently divorced couples to cohabitate until they obtain financial security individually. Living with your ex can be very stressful, which is why it is important to keep a few ground rules in mind. The Huffington Post offers these five tips for cohabitating with your ex while still trying to move on with your life:
-
- Plan out who pays for what. Financial issues may have been a factor in your divorce, and they can continue to create problems. The last thing you want is a stressful and even hostile living arrangement.
- Be considerate. Clean up after yourself, always ask to use something that is not yours and just generally practice good manners.
Divorce Hotel a New Option for Troubled U.S. Marriages?
The Divorce Hotel, a company based in the Netherlands, offers married couples a different option when deciding what to do about their divorce, and it is often the cheaper option, at least in the Netherlands. A couple takes a long-weekend trip to a hotel, married, and returns home as exes. According to The Huffington Post, the Divorce Hotel will be making its way to Los Angeles and New York sometime in the near future.
The Divorce Hotel is not actually a specific physical hotel but a partnership between the company and multiple “boutique” hotels. The Divorce Hotel helps divorcing guests feel at ease by, on the one hand, making them feel at home in a comfortable, homey environment, while, on the other hand, taking them out of their comfort zone, which also frees them from partners and/or in-laws. None of the hotel’s other “regular” guests know who is there for a divorce and who isn’t. All divorces happen in specific departments of the hotel and all conversation concerning the divorce proceedings occur in private. Staff members are always around for divorcing couples who may find the process more emotional.
Reasons You Should Never Use to Justify Getting Back Together after Divorce
The time it takes to heal after a divorce can vary greatly depending on the person and the circumstances surrounding the separation. There’s no denying that divorce can have a profound effect on a person’s emotional, physical, and mental well-being; however, it is not uncommon for divorcees to eventually start dating again. In some cases, divorcees may actually return to their former spouses once the dust has settled. But is that a good decision?
According to The Huffington Post, it depends on the couple. If the ex-spouses are able to learn from their mistakes and resolve the issues that broke them up in the first place, they may have a chance at reconciliation. Unfortunately, that is the rare exception. There are plenty of reasons why getting back with an ex is simply a bad idea.
Electronic Discovery Upsets Status Quo: Attorney Jeffrey Knipmeyer Discusses Evolution of the System
Our previous blog posts have discussed how electronic discovery is making it more difficult for spouses to keep secrets and how spouses may gather evidence of deception against their husband or wife; for today’s post, the experienced Chicago family law attorney at Nottage and Ward, Jeffrey Knipmeyer, discusses how electronic discovery is reshaping the nation’s family law system.
Electronic discovery is being used by spouses and lawyers alike in order to obtain evidence to be used in court. In fact, according to Yahoo! Finance, 92 percent of divorce attorneys have seen more cases using evidence collected using smartphones in the last three years. Additionally, 66 percent of these divorce attorneys claim Facebook as the top source for compromising information on the Internet. It is not only advancements in Internet-based technology that has created new methods for finding evidence, but there are now programs that attorneys and other professionals, like forensic accountants, can use to investigate large amounts of information for evidence of deception. These new methods beg the question, when is it illegal?
Electronic Discovery Upsets Status Quo: Is All Fair in Love and War?
In our previous blog post, we discussed how electronic discovery has made marital mischief harder to hide. In summation, it is because technological advancements have made it easier to trace. But who can look for it and can the discovery of deception by one spouse actually be used against the other?
Electronic discovery is finding its way more and more often into marital disputes. Oftentimes, an angry spouse does his or her own snooping to validate suspicions that the spouse is hiding something. But these investigative tactics are not necessarily legal and though discovering deceptive actions may still be used as leverage, they may not result in a more favorable divorce settlement.
Electronic Discovery Upsets Status Quo: Why Marital Mischief is Getting Harder to Hide
Technological advancements have made, and continue to make, many changes in our society on both personal and professional levels. One aspect of society that is being made more difficult by such advancements is secrecy. It is becoming harder and harder for people to keep secrets and none feel this more than dishonest spouses. It used to be much easier for spouses to hide assets and relationships back when your husband or wife could not track your phone and Internet activity; now, electronic discovery is changing the balance of the scales.
Understanding how electronic discovery is changing the family law system is an important factor in the success of a divorce in Illinois and across the nation. In this three-part blog series, the experienced Chicago divorce attorneys at Nottage and Ward will make some key points about how electronic discovery has changed the divorce process.
Understanding the Four Main Divorce Options
Every marriage is different and, likewise, the type of divorce that may work for one couple may not be possible for another. If you have been thinking about divorce, there are four main options for how you can proceed, according to an article in Forbes. Understanding what each of those options are and the pros and cons of each can help you decide what type of divorce will be the best for you.
The first option is do-it-yourself divorce. The bottom-line for DIY divorce is don’t do-it-yourself. Divorce is a complicated process and trying to get through that whole process by yourself can lead to irreversible mistakes. The only circumstances which would make DIY divorce beneficial are if it was a very short marriage, there are no children, little to no marital debt or assets which must be divided, no alimony, and comparable incomes.
New Queen’s University Study Links Life Expectancy and Divorce
A recent study released by Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, has established a correlation between life expectancy and the likelihood of divorce, according to The Huffington Post. The study’s author, a post-doctoral fellow in the math department of Queen’s University, states that “the actual life expectancy of a province or a health region can predict when men and women get married” and the rate at which they divorce.
The study focused on the relationship between life decisions and lifespan. During the research process, population statistics were compared with birth records, marriage certificates, and other court documents. In the U.S., Census data collected by Ohio’s Bowling Green State University identified that the baby boomer divorce rate has jumped more than 50 percent over the last 20 years, even though the national divorce rate has stabilized. This statistic is very telling and points to a tendency for people to not tolerate being unhappy in marriage as they live longer.
We are proud sponsors of Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center.
To learn more, click here.
Proud Member of Friends of the Chicago River.
To learn more, click here.
Client Reviews
5 Leslie has been the strongest representation I could ask for
Leslie has been the strongest representation I could ask for in a very complicated, emotional matter. She has continuously looked out for my best interest and the best interest of my son. She is always prompt in getting back to me and in keeping me well informed about my case.
Read More Client Reviews
