Chicago Illinois Family Law Blog
The Complications of High-Asset Divorce
Divorce is never an easy process. There is property to split, emotions run high, and things can quickly become tense. However, there are few divorces as difficult to undergo than a high-asset divorce. With more assets to look over and split come more financial documents and complicated legal wrangling. Paperwork can quickly stack up, leaving you with mountains to deal with. But why is high-asset divorce so difficult, and how can you make it easier to deal with?
Who Is Allowed to Have Parental Responsibilities for a Child?
Determining who should be given parental responsibilities for a child, sometimes known as custody, can be a contentious topic.
Parental responsibilities may be determined by both parties in divorce court, and they may also be brought up if a parent seems to be failing in his duties to his child. No parent wants to lose their right to take care of their child, but when the matter of parental responsibility is called into question, it is the judge who gets the final say.
How to File for an Order of Protection in Illinois
When we enter into a relationship, we do so with a sense of trust. We trust that our partners will not just be kind and respectful, but also offer us a safe place to relax and be vulnerable in. Unfortunately, there are some people who take advantage of that trust and vulnerability. If you are living with an abusive partner, then you need to find somewhere safe to say and then file an order of protection. Nothing is more important than your safety. Even if your partner tries to dissuade you from leaving and getting help, put yourself first and ask the court for the protection you are in dire need of.
How to Stop Your Ex-Spouse From Moving Out of State With Your Child
Divorce can be difficult, especially when you have to share allocation of your child or children. But there is nothing more heart-wrenching than receiving a notice that your former spouse plans to move out of state and take your child with them. After getting such a notice, you may be panicking, wondering what on earth you can do to make sure you don’t lose your child. Well, never fear, there are several solutions that may work in your favor.
The Danger of Parental Alienation
Parental alienation is not uncommon after a divorce or separation. In fact, you may have seen it depicted in countless TV shows and movies. Sadly, this form of toxic parenting can destroy a relationship between child and parent, as well as leave the child in a damaged state of mind for potentially their entire life. If you are worried that your former spouse is trying to alienate you from your child, then you need to take action.
COVID-19 and Spousal Maintenance: When You Can No Longer Pay
As COVID-19 continues to rage across the United States, millions of Americans have lost their jobs. Without a form of employment, many are having difficulty paying rent, groceries, and utilities. When you have the extra costs of spousal maintenance thrown on top of that, it can seem impossible to keep your head above water. You shouldn’t give up hope, however.
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.
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