Posted on September 15, 2021 in Divorce

During a divorce, spouses will often encounter multiple types of disagreements over the various issues that will need to be addressed in order to end their legal partnership. For parents, disputes related to child custody will often be some of the most contentious issues, and spouses may have completely different ideas about how to make decisions regarding their children or expectations about when children will live with each parent. By understanding how Illinois law addresses these issues, parents can determine how to reach workable solutions, or they can prepare to advocate for their rights through litigation in court.

Factors Considered in Child Custody Disputes

Parents are usually encouraged to work together to resolve issues related to their children and create a parenting plan that details how they will share parental responsibilities and parenting time. Parents can make sure they are approaching these negotiations the right way by understanding the factors that courts may consider when making decisions about child-related issues. This can also give them an understanding of what issues a judge may look at if negotiations break down and litigation will be required to resolve these matters.

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 Posted on September 14, 2021 in Divorce

The decision to end your marriage is likely one of the biggest decisions of your life. There is no "undoing" a divorce once it is finalized. Consequently, some states require married spouses to wait a certain amount of time before they can get divorced. Illinois used to have such a requirement; however, there is no longer a mandatory separation period or waiting period for divorce in Illinois. That being said, there are still certain criteria that must be met before you can divorce in Illinois.

Divorce Requirements and the Separation Period

To get divorced in Illinois, you or your spouse must have lived in the state for 90 days or longer. You may divorce in Illinois even if you were not married in the state.

Before changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, spouses also had to live apart for a certain period of time before they were eligible for divorce. In 2021, though, there is no longer a mandatory separation period. Furthermore, there are no longer fault-based grounds for divorce in Illinois. The only reason you can seek a divorce in Illinois is "irreconcilable differences." In other words, you and your spouse simply cannot get along anymore, and you wish to terminate your marriage relationship.

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 Posted on September 10, 2021 in Property Division

Getting a divorce can be a stressful experience, especially if you feel like your life is being completely upended as you separate from your spouse. As you determine how to divide your marital property and address other financial matters, one issue that will need to be resolved is ownership of your family home. Being attached to the home where you have lived is understandable, and you may wish to continue living there after completing your divorce. However, you will want to be sure to understand the ramifications of this decision and make sure you will be positioned for financial success as you move on following the end of your marriage.

Reasons to Keep the Family Home

Maintaining ownership of your home may seem like the ideal outcome in your divorce, especially if you have lived there for a significant time, built connections with others in your community, and want your children to continue to live in the home they have become accustomed to. After spending years making mortgage payments and building equity in your home, you may not want to give up this valuable asset, especially if you have made improvements and put your own personal touch on the property.

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 Posted on September 07, 2021 in Divorce

There are a variety of tax issues that spouses will need to consider when they get a divorce. When parents are divorced or separated, a child can only be claimed as a dependent by one party. In many cases, the custodial parent who has the majority of the parenting time will be able to claim a child, although a couple’s divorce settlement may provide for other arrangements, such as each parent claiming a child in alternating years. The parent who claims a child as a dependent can receive a child tax credit when filing their tax return.

In 2021, this issue has been complicated by a law that provides parents with an Advance Child Tax Credit. Divorced parents or those who are going through the divorce process will need to be sure these tax credits are addressed correctly.

What Is the Advance Child Tax Credit?

As part of the ongoing efforts to provide assistance to people who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has begun making advance payments to taxpayers who will be able to claim a child tax credit for 2021. The total tax credit for children who will be five years old or younger at the end of 2021 is $3,600, and children who will be 17 or younger at the end of 2021 will qualify for a tax credit of $3,000. Half of this total credit is being sent to those who can claim children as dependents in monthly payments from July through December of 2021. Parents will receive $300 per month for each child under the age of six and $250 per month for each child under the age of 18.

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 Posted on September 07, 2021 in Family Law

Prenuptial agreements are marital contracts that cover a wide range of issues. These documents are grossly misunderstood by the general public. Some people assume that prenuptial agreements are only necessary if a spouse intends to get divorced or does not take the marriage seriously. Others assume that if a spouse asks for a prenuptial agreement, he or she plans to take advantage of the other spouse financially. Although these myths are slowly being replaced by facts, it can still be a difficult topic to broach with a fiancé(e).

Wait Until the Right Time to Talk About a Prenup

Prenuptial agreements are increasingly popular among engaged couples, especially couples who own substantial assets or investments or have substantial debts. If you are interested in signing a prenup before tying the knot, you may be unsure of how to bring it up with your partner.

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 Posted on September 01, 2021 in Divorce

If you are getting divorced, you may be completely unsure of what to expect. How long will the divorce take? Will I need to go to court? What steps are involved in the divorce process? Questions like these are important. While there is no way to predict exactly how your divorce case will unfold, educating yourself about the Illinois divorce process will help you prepare for the different possibilities. The "discovery" phase of the divorce involves gathering facts and information using discovery tools such as interrogatories and depositions.

Discovery Depends on the Spouses’ Transparency

Divorcing spouses are asked to fill out a financial disclosure form in which they list assets, income, and other financial data. If both spouses freely disclose accurate financial data and other relevant information, the discovery process involves little more than confirming this information. Unfortunately, in many divorce cases, spouses are not fully transparent about financial issues or other divorce concerns. They may refuse to disclose certain information, hide assets, or lie about parenting matters. Consequently, the spouses’ attorneys must use various legal methods to obtain this information and ensure its accuracy.

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 Posted on August 31, 2021 in Divorce

Marriages can break down for a variety of reasons, but infidelity is one of the most painful and emotionally difficult issues that can lead to divorce. If your marriage is ending because either you or your spouse were unfaithful, you will probably be wondering how this will affect your divorce proceedings. Whether you are struggling to come to terms with your spouse’s infidelity or you are concerned about whether your own behavior during your marriage will play a role in your divorce, you will want to understand how Illinois law applies in your situation.

Addressing Infidelity When Filing for Divorce or Resolving Disputes

Even though the wounds of your broken marriage may still be raw, it is important to understand that the legal process of divorce is not focused on assigning blame for the end of a relationship. When filing for divorce in Illinois, the petitioning spouse will not specify any fault-based grounds for divorce, and they will not give specific reasons for their desire to dissolve the marriage. Instead, a divorce petition will state that irreconcilable differences have led to the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. This will allow you and your spouse to approach your divorce on equal terms without any disputes over who was at fault.

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 Posted on August 30, 2021 in Divorce

Alimony, spousal maintenance, and spousal support are all terms used to describe the financial assistance an individual provides to his or her spouse during or after divorce. In Illinois, you can request temporary spousal maintenance while your divorce is ongoing through a "temporary relief order." You may also receive payments after the divorce is complete. However, spousal maintenance is not guaranteed, and many divorce cases conclude without a spousal maintenance order. Read on to learn about how, why, and when spousal maintenance is awarded in Illinois.

How Can You Get Spousal Support?

Spousal maintenance may be awarded to a spouse if the spouses agreed to maintenance in a valid prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. The spouses may also reach an agreement on the amount and duration of maintenance payments during settlement negotiations in their divorce. Lastly, a spouse may request maintenance by filing a petition with the court.

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 Posted on August 27, 2021 in Child Custody

Many parents who are thinking about ending their marriage have the same concern. They wonder, "How often will I get to see my kids if we divorce?" If you are thinking about divorce and you live in Illinois, it is important to understand how the state handles visitation. It is also important to know the vocabulary Illinois courts now use to describe parenting duties. In Illinois, the term "visitation" is no longer used to describe the time that a child spends with each parent. Visitation has been replaced by the term "parenting time." Read on to learn about how parenting time decisions are handled in Illinois divorce cases.

How Much Parenting Time Does Each Parent Get?

Parents have the right to design their own parenting plan and submit it to the court for approval. As long as the parenting plan serves the child’s best interests, the plan will be approved and formalized into a binding court order. The parenting plan contains important information about how parents will make major decisions such as where the child goes to school, as well as the parenting time schedule. Some parents decide to split parenting time nearly equally. Others create a plan in which the child lives with one parent on the weekend and the other parent on the weekdays.

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 Posted on August 25, 2021 in Alimony / Maintenance

There are a variety of reasons why either spouse may wish to modify the terms of their divorce. Both parties may experience changes in their lives that affect their finances, their living arrangements, and their ability to meet their ongoing obligations or provide for themselves. Based on these changes, a person may believe that the decisions made about spousal support during the divorce process no longer apply to their situation. If a person believes that a modification of spousal maintenance is needed, they will want to understand their options and the procedures that will be followed.

Requesting a Modification of Spousal Maintenance

As with other types of post-divorce modifications, requests to make changes to spousal support obligations will need to be based on significant changes in the circumstances of either or both parties. These requests will usually be based on changes to the income and financial resources available to the parties. For example, if a person paying support loses their job, they may ask for maintenance payments to be reduced or terminated. Similarly, if the person receiving support experiences a decrease in income or an increase in their financial needs, they may ask that support payments be increased.

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