Recently, one of my partners, Gary Schlesinger, and I represented a party in litigation at the trial court level regarding a disability benefit. We prevailed at the trial level only to see the ruling overturned at the appellate court level. The issue was regarding whether or not a disability pension is to be treated the…Read More
Articles & Information
Firm founder Gary L. Schlesinger is a frequent speaker and writer on various family law topics. Many of his articles are included here. We have also posted a variety of summaries and information regarding Illinois family laws.
An Embryo Custody Case That Even Solomon Couldn’t Resolve
Our society strongly encourages the rights of both parents in raising a child. But what happens when that child is only a gleam in a lab technician’s eye? This question rests at the center of the Second District Illinois Appellate Court decision In Re the Marriage of Eneya Katsap and Alexander Katsap, which was decided…Read More
Testing the Waters
By Michael Strauss, Published in ISBA’s Newsletter Section on Family Law, August 2021 • Volume 65 • Number 2 For years, the common practice has been that once a judge opines at a pretrial conference or just in general on the case, then a party could not successfully replace the judge by way of a…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
Regarding Litigants and Facebook
I write on the issue of judges having litigants or lawyers who appear before them as friends on Facebook. Rule 62 of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules is part of Canon of Judicial Ethics. “A judge should not allow the judge’s family, social or other relationships to influence the judge’s judicial conduct or judgement.” That…Read More
File Your Taxes, Even if You Can’t Pay – Tax Penalty Review
The following article, published on the Illinois State Bar Association, Family Law Section, by Alan Stumpf, Stumpf & Gutknecht, P.C. Last week the WSJ warned taxpayers about the duty to file an income tax return, and the roadmap of what happens after the filing delinquency, in the article, “The IRS is the most powerful creditor…Read More
Gary Schlesinger’s Letter to the Editor
Gary Schlesinger’s, Letter to the Editor, published by the Lake County Bar Association, Docket, Titled, Withdrawing an Appearance as the Attorney of Record.
Smoking in Cars with Minors Now Prohibited
Among the new laws taking effect in Illinois this month is one that outlaws smoking in a vehicle with children present. Public Act 101-0468 makes it a petty offense to “inhale, exhale, burn or carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, weed, plant, regulated narcotic or other combustible substance” in a vehicle while a person under…Read More
Issue of Modifications of Child Support
This month, I am tackling the issue of modifications of child support and recent rulings by the Illinois Appellate Courts regarding this. I am specifically speaking of In re Marriage of Salvatore, 2019 IL App (2d) 180425, In re Marriage of Wengielnik, 2020 IL App (3d) 180533, and In re Marriage of Connelly, 2020 IL…Read More
Withdrawing an Appearance as the Attorney of Record
I write on the concept of withdrawing an Appearance as the attorney of record for a client in the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Lake County, Illinois. The procedure that the Judges wish to follow is that unless and until either the green card from return receipt certified mail may be presented in…Read More
