The Illinois Supreme Court has made it easier for co-parents suffering high conflict relationships. With the adoption of Illinois Supreme Court Rule 909, courts can now require parents to use a parenting coordinator to resolve ongoing parenting disagreements. Rule 909 defines “parenting coordination” as “a child-focused alternative dispute resolution process conducted by a licensed mental health or family law professional, which combines assessment, education, case … Continue reading Hope for High Conflict Parents
Category Archives: Child Support & Custody
7 Tips for Co-Parenting During the Holidays
Combine the general stress of the holidays with a recent divorce and custody battle, and you have a recipe for a less-than-jolly season. While the post-divorce holidays may be different, they don’t have to be stressful. No matter what you and your former spouse disagree on, you are likely both in agreement that you want a happy, low-stress holiday for your children. If you’ve been … Continue reading 7 Tips for Co-Parenting During the Holidays
Movin’ On: Child Relocation in Illinois
When can a parent relocate with their children after a divorce? What is the law with regard to child relocation per Illinois law? Here is a summary of the law regarding child relocation in Illinois. Nuts and bolts of relocation. Parents with the majority of parenting time must seek permission from their the other parent or obtain court permission if they want to relocate with … Continue reading Movin’ On: Child Relocation in Illinois
USE IT OR LOSE IT: A PARENT’S LACK OF INTEREST CAN LEAD TO TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS
The Illinois Adoption Act allows for the termination of parental rights in conjunction with an adoption. In order to do this, there must first be a showing that a biological parent is “unfit,” as defined in the adoption act. While the Adoption Act provides several grounds of unfitness, one of the most prevalent is the parent’s failure to maintain a reasonable degree of interest, concern … Continue reading USE IT OR LOSE IT: A PARENT’S LACK OF INTEREST CAN LEAD TO TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS
Effective Strategies to Handle a Divorce during Pregnancy
Having a baby is a joyful period in a couple’s life. Yet, in cases of infidelity, abandonment, abuse, or irreconcilable differences between couples, divorce may be the only option. The pain of going through a divorce can leave anyone emotionally distraught, but with pregnancy, the situation gets complicated beyond imagination. If you are an expectant mother heading towards divorce, you have a lot on your … Continue reading Effective Strategies to Handle a Divorce during Pregnancy
Maintenance Merry Go Round: Further Changes to Illinois Maintenance Law
Introduction Under longstanding tax law, maintenance was tax deductible by the payer and taxable income to the recipient. By using maintenance, families could shift income from a higher earning spouse’s upper tax rate to the lower earning spouse’s often negligible tax rate. As a result, families had more cash available to divide as part of the divorce settlement. Due to recent changes in federal tax law, original … Continue reading Maintenance Merry Go Round: Further Changes to Illinois Maintenance Law
No Kidding: How to Talk to Children about Your Divorce
Regardless of their age, kids are the worst affected during a divorce. Statistics reveal, nearly 50 percent of all American kids witness their parental separation by the age of 16, affecting their physical and emotional state of mind. Sadly, when they are unable to cope with the stress, they display upsetting reactions of shock, gloominess, frustration, and anger. More often than not, divorcing couples become … Continue reading No Kidding: How to Talk to Children about Your Divorce
Critical Child-Custody Questions to Ask Your Divorce Attorney
Divorce cases are tricky in themselves, but the situation can become more convoluted when children are involved. Questions pertaining to their custody run amok in every responsible parent’s mind. Getting accurate child custody information can help the parent be in control of the situation. This information can also help him/her prepare for the case and even win the custody. An experienced divorce lawyer can help … Continue reading Critical Child-Custody Questions to Ask Your Divorce Attorney
4 Things to Bear in Mind When Negotiating Child Support
Divorce adversely affects all the members in the family. Besides, the divorcing couple has to make several tough decisions like splitting the money and the joint assets. Most of these are one-time decisions that can be made and altered according to the needs of the couple and the children. Child custody and child support payment decisions, on the other hand, are the trickiest part of … Continue reading 4 Things to Bear in Mind When Negotiating Child Support