The state of Illinois presumes that a husband of a mother who gives birth is the baby’s father. However, if the mother is unmarried, there is no presumption of paternity so paternity must be established to ensure the financial support of the child. Sometimes unmarried parents will enter into an informal child support agreement. However,…Read More
Quick Glance at Custody Evaluations
Deciding on a parenting time arrangement is not always easy, especially in a contested divorce. Sometimes a court cannot determine a parenting time or parental responsibility arrangement that is in the best interests of the child without the help of professionals such as a custody evaluator – a professional that can work with the parents,…Read More
Gary and Michael Selected as 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers
Congratulations Gary and Michael! You have been selected to the 2022 Illinois Super Lawyers list, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice. Only 5% of attorneys in Illinois receive this distinction.
Parent Not Providing Financial Child Support
Divorced parents are legally obligated to provide financial support for their children, ensuring that their child has the resources they need such as shelter, clothing, food and other basic requirements. Sometimes a parent who is considering divorce has concerns about the other parent pulling their weight when it comes to supporting their child. They may…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
Illinois Parenting Time and Parental Responsibility Defined
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
