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
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
Unique Issues for Divorce During the Pandemic
Following the holidays, many more spouses tend to file for divorce, perhaps postponing their plans to allow children or other family members to enjoy the festivities before starting divorce proceedings. As the new year approaches, those considering divorce may wonder if there are any obstacles to getting a divorce during the pandemic and what unique…Read More
Sharing Parenting Expenses After Divorce
Sharing child rearing expenses can be challenging. Divorce almost always means that parents will have to tighten their belts as they begin to maintain separate households. When structuring a divorce settlement agreement, it is important to consider the personal finances involved in co-parenting so that you are not on the losing end of financial arrangements…Read More
Past Due Child Support Relief
Unpaid child support in the U.S. has climbed into the billions and many states are struggling to collect it when parents have all but given up on paying when faced with accumulating child support debt. Not long ago, Maryland started a program to get so called ‘deadbeat parents’ back on track by offering a 10…Read More
Child Support Modification Due to Job Loss
While Illinois residents are celebrating summer with family activities, many sheriffs’ departments across the nation are gearing up for deadbeat raids in an effort to snare unsuspecting parents who are behind on child support payments. Child support debt in the U.S. has increased by 1000 percent, reaching over $114 billion last year. As debt skyrockets,…Read More
Children Face Poverty in Single Parent Households
Marriage may be dead according to 77-year-old Isabel V. Sawhill, a long-time defender of marriage, author on marital topics and past democratic official of President Clinton’s administration. In a change of direction, Ms. Sawhill argues it is “high-time we stop trying to revive marriage and start figuring out what will replace it” to stem the…Read More
How to modify a divorce settlement in Illinois
Life is full of changes; relationships end and begin, children are born and grow up, salaries increase and decrease. While divorce settlements are meant to be permanent this doesn’t always make sense thanks to all of life’s changes. That’s why under Illinois law it’s possible to have a divorce settlement modified when a substantial change…Read More
Does fault matter in an Illinois divorce?
One might think that issues such as adultery, cruelty or abuse should be taken into consideration during a divorce, but for the most part, they aren’t. That’s because Illinois, like the rest of the states, follow no-fault divorce laws, which means that grounds for divorce aren’t taken into consideration when deciding how marital property should…Read More
