The language used to define child custody in Illinois can be confusing. What was once referred to as legal custody is now called parental responsibility while physical custody is now referred to as parenting time. To understand what the terms mean, it is important to take a closer look. Parental Responsibility Parental responsibility can be…Read More
The Child Independent Care Tax Credit
For one year only so far, 2021, Congress has modified the Child Independent Care Tax Credit. This is a credit against taxes that are actually owed for up to $4,000.00 for one qualifying individual and $8,000.00 for two or more individuals. A credit is much better than an exemption because a credit reduces the taxes…Read More
Child Support and Parenting Time Modifications
After parents divorce, their financial or other circumstances may change over the months or years following the divorce. When the financial or living situation change substantially, they may want to pursue a modification to the divorce orders for child and spousal support or parenting time and responsibility. Typically, the court will not entertain changes to…Read More
June ISBA Family Law Section Council Meeting
The first ISBA Family Law Section Council meeting was held June 24th for the year 2021-22. Attorney Michael Strauss was appointed a co-chair of the Parental Responsibilities sub-committee and was also appointed to the following sub-committees: Legislation, Domestic Violence, Continuing Legal Education, Income Shares and Maintenance, Covid 19 related issues, and Department of Corrections.
Comprehensive Parenting Time Agreement
A comprehensive parenting time agreement not only includes a detailed schedule for the kids to spend time with each parent, but may also address issues such as screen time, dating parents, how to share expenses, or even how to resolve disputes in the future. Parents in Illinois often share custody of children which provides relatively…Read More
The Divorce Settlement Process
During the divorce settlement process, it is important for each spouse to only agree to the terms they are comfortable with, agreeing to some issues and disagreeing on others is par for the course, as is responding with counter offers in an effort to find common ground where possible.
Attorney Fees for Divorce
Getting a divorce can be costly, especially if there are unresolved conflicts or areas of disagreement that can only be resolved in court or if there are complex issues related to the division of marital property and debts. Certainly high conflict child custody battles can result in additional legal fees, where the best interests of…Read More
Gary Schlesinger 50 Years & Going Strong!
Please join Schlesinger & Strauss LLC in celebrating Attorney Gary Schlesinger’s 50 years of practice. Congratulations Gary!
May 2021 Firm News
Schlesinger & Strauss LLC legal clerk, Britnee Hart, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, May 15th with a Juris Doctor degree. Britnee will spend the 2021 summer preparing for and taking the Illinois bar examination. Congratulations Britnee!
Hiring an Expert Witness in a Child Custody Case
An expert witness is a professional qualified as having the knowledge, skill, experience, training or education in a particular area beyond that of an average person, who may testify in court based upon sufficient facts or data. When a couple is embroiled in a child custody dispute, an expert witness such as a mental health…Read More
