Divorced parents often struggle to communicate about their child’s schedule and needs. It can be hard to coordinate parenting duties with an ex – especially if you are not on good terms with that person. Fortunately, modern technology has many different solutions for parents in this predicament. Using smartphone and computer applications is a great way to keep track of your parenting time schedule, coordinate drop-offs and pick-ups, and record child-related information.

Joint Online Calendars Can Help Ensure Parents Are On the Same Page

Smartphones have changed nearly every aspect of our lives. More and more parents are throwing out paper calendars and address books in favor of digital applications on their phones, tablets, or personal computer. Google Calendar, iCloud Calendar, and Microsoft Outlook Calendar are some of the most popular digital calendars available today. Parents can create shared calendars that may be viewed or edited by either parent in real-time. This can help eliminate confusion about school events, birthday parties, changes to the parenting time schedule, and more.

Co-Parenting Applications for Your Cell Phone

There are also smartphone applications specifically for co-parents. The app 2Houses lets parents organize their parenting time schedules, keep track of child-related expenses, and record medical and school information. Parentship offers similar features and also allows parents to store digital documents like the child’s social security card and passport. OurFamilyWizard is another app that parents can use to communicate information about their children. This particular app comes with a feature called “ToneMeter” that helps parents identify when their message to the other parent may be phrased in an antagonistic or negative way. Apps like these will not completely eliminate the stress of co-parenting with an ex, but they may make it a little easier to stay on the same page with the other parent.

Most people are familiar with the idea of prenuptial agreements, which are legal agreements made by couples who are planning to get married. While prenups are often thought of as tools used by celebrities or wealthy people, they can provide benefits in many other situations. For couples who do not have a prenup or who wish to make additional agreements based on changes to their circumstances, postnuptial agreements can provide similar benefits. By understanding the situations where a postnup may be a good idea and working with an experienced family law attorney, spouses can use these types of agreements to address their needs.

Cases Where a Postnup May Be Used

A postnuptial agreement may address how certain types of issues will be handled if a couple chooses to get a divorce or legal separation, including making decisions about the division of marital property or spousal support. An agreement may also address other issues, such as each spouse’s right to make certain types of financial decisions during their marriage. A postnup can be beneficial in situations such as:

Until fairly recently, couples in Illinois who were unable to conceive on their own had few options when it came to growing their family. Thankfully, modern medicine provides couples who have fertility challenges with many wonderful options for bringing a child into their loving home.

A couple or individual exploring the possibilities may have some questions about which option is right for them. Those who long for a child must navigate the emotional complexities of their situation, and at the same time make careful legal decisions that will set up their family for success. Having an experienced lawyer on your side can help you understand the legal aspects of each of these options, allowing you to make a decision with confidence and security.

This post discusses a few of the most common options for couples struggling with infertility and examines the advantages of each.

If you are involved in a family law dispute—a divorce, a child custody case, a disagreement over child support, etc.—you may need to go to court to obtain a fair and just resolution. When in family court, it is essential that you are able to present a strong, well-supported case. In some circumstances, expert witness testimony may be needed. Here, our attorneys explain the important things you should know about using expert witnesses in a family law case in Illinois.

Expert Witnesses Provide Context and Clarity For Complex Matters

Witness testimony is an important form of evidence in many kinds of legal cases. In family law disputes, there are three main types of witnesses. Fact witnesses testify to a specific event they saw or a specific matter about which they have personal knowledge. Character witnesses testify to the overall disposition of the parties involved in the case. Expert witnesses are educated specialists who help bring context and clarity to a complicated matter. In family cases, an expert witness may be called to testify regarding:

• Financial issues: Financial disputes can be extremely complicated. A financial expert witness, such as a forensic accountant, may be brought in to help the court understand financial documents or records, perhaps related to claims of hidden assets or asset dissipation. Expert witnesses can also testify regarding the value of certain properties.

At Goostree Law Group, we know that our clients and other visitors to our website use our blog as a helpful source of information and answers about divorce and family law in Illinois. In our blog posts, we try to answer common questions and address issues that can arise in the divorce process, as well as in other types of family law cases, such as parental responsibilities, parental rights, and adoption. Today, we will look back at the ten blogs that were the most popular among our readers throughout 2020:

1. Can I Sign Away My Parental Rights to an Unborn Child? – We talk about the options that a man has when his partner is pregnant but he does not wish or is not ready to be a father.

2. Grounds for Terminating Parental Rights in Illinois – We discuss the various conditions under which an Illinois court might terminate a parent’s rights regarding his or her children.