Posted on July 20, 2022 in Child Custody

The world becomes a different place for most people once kids enter the picture. The natural instinct is to protect your children at all costs, and when the threat is coming from your child’s other parent, the stress may feel like more than you can bear. Unfortunately, child abuse is fairly common and in the heat and stress of divorce, child abuse may be even more prevalent. If your child is telling you that they are suffering at the hands of your co-parent, listen to them and take their allegations seriously. Then take action by meeting with a family law attorney who has experience handling matters of custody in Illinois. 

Signs Your Child May Be Abused

Managing cases of abuse or neglect is easier when a child is able to speak up about their treatment, but sometimes this is not possible. You may need to keep a close eye out for signs that your child is being abused. These include, but are not limited to: 

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 Posted on July 18, 2022 in Paternity

Fathers used to get the short end of the stick when it came to child custody disputes. Often held responsible for paying child support without any real options for getting custody of a child, fathers were left paying for a relationship they frequently did not get to participate in fully. Both fathers and children suffered because of this in the past, but with recent changes in Illinois family law, you do not have to suffer the same fate when it comes to your relationship with your child.

Illinois courts now recognize the importance of both parents playing a significant role in a child’s life. To that end, the law has changed in such a way that allows fathers to get custody of a child (known as “parental responsibilities” and “parenting time” in Illinois) - but they must first prove they are, in fact, the child’s father. To learn more, read on and then contact an Illinois paternity and child custody attorney. 

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 Posted on July 12, 2022 in Domestic Violence

Because litigating divorces is costly in terms of both time and money, Illinois courts can require couples seeking a divorce to attend mediation and work out their issues without help from a judge. For couples dealing with domestic violence, however, mediation may not be wise and might even be dangerous. If you are considering a divorce and have an abusive partner, it is important to understand how domestic violence can impact the divorce process in Illinois and to have a great divorce attorney who can help you leave the relationship safely. 

Mediation and Collaborative Divorce May Not Be an Option

Dealing with a spouse who is physically violent, emotionally abusive, or manipulative makes negotiating in good faith practically impossible. If your spouse would use negotiations as an opportunity to intimidate you, lie about your finances, or gain the upper hand in matters of child custody, it may be best to stay away from alternative dispute resolution methods and allow your divorce to be resolved in court with help from a judge. 

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 Posted on July 08, 2022 in DuPage County Divorce Attorneys

Although divorce is a heated emotional affair, people who are getting divorced need to be cool-headed and strategic. This can be difficult, especially because most people getting divorced have never been divorced before and have very little experience with the legal system. For some, getting divorced without the help of an attorney is a possibility because their divorce is uncomplicated, uncontested, and reading complex legal content and filling out forms is not intimidating. For others, however, the prospect of getting divorced without legal help is something of a nightmare. Here are three reasons you may want to work with an Illinois divorce attorney. 

Filing Forms

Determining which forms to fill out, which information to provide, and where to submit the forms can be a complex process. The forms need to be filled out correctly and even small mistakes can cause major delays because court dates may need to be rescheduled. Clerks and judges cannot help you fill out forms and cannot give legal advice. An attorney has experience filling out the forms, checking them for errors, and making sure that you provide all the necessary information to the right sources. 

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 Posted on June 27, 2022 in DuPage County Divorce Attorneys

Divorce is frequently rated as one of the most difficult experiences a person can have - more difficult, even than the death of a spouse. While everybody’s experience with divorce is different, the negative effects of divorce are common enough that research has been done that links divorce with specific negative health outcomes. 

There is some question as to whether correlation equals causation; for example, are people more likely to have heart disease because they got divorced, or did they get divorced because they were high-stress individuals and high stress also correlates to higher levels of heart disease? While more research is needed to answer these questions definitively, it is helpful to understand some of the potential negative health effects of divorce in Illinois so you can prepare yourself to avoid them. 

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 Posted on June 22, 2022 in DuPage County Divorce Lawyers

Divorce is hard on adults, but it is perhaps even harder on young children who are not mature or experienced enough to understand why parents get divorced. Children are often trapped in the immediate consequences of their parents’ divorce without foresight about what will come next or whether things will get better. 

As a result, children are often blindsided when either parent begins dating a new partner. Even older children, who could reasonably be expected to anticipate their parents dating again, can have negative emotions about a new partner and may treat the partner with suspicion or even hostility. While all of this is natural, here are some tips from experts about how to help your children get along with a new partner after your Illinois divorce. 

Do Not Talk to Your Kids About a New Partner Until Things Are Established

Adults frequently date many partners after divorce and it can take some time to meet someone you feel good about. Children should not be introduced to a new partner until you are fairly certain that this partner is likely to be around for the long term. Introducing multiple partners can cause children to feel a sense of anxiety around whether the adults in their lives are likely to stay or leave, especially if a child develops an attachment to a particular partner. 

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 Posted on June 17, 2022 in Children of Divorce

As much as most divorcing parents wish they could be rid of each other’s presence in their lives forever, sharing children means constant contact even as both spouses transition away from their marriage. Even when spouses go their separate ways amicably, many events can trigger conflict - perhaps none more so than the presence of a new partner. When someone is co-parenting in Illinois and their former spouse gets remarried, the introduction of a third “parent” requires major adjustments and presents serious challenges. If you are in this situation, here is some advice from experts to help you manage. 

Ensure Your Children Are Safe

Every parent worries constantly about their children, and it is natural to be worried or even paranoid about the presence of an unknown adult in your child’s life. While this worry will probably abate on its own as you get to know your ex’s new spouse, you still need to make sure your children are safe. At the same time, you never want to ask your children leading questions or make them unnecessarily suspicious or hostile towards your ex’s new partner. This can be a tricky balancing act, but use your parental intuition to guide you if you sense something may be wrong. 

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 Posted on June 14, 2022 in Reasons for Divorce

While every couple gets married with high hopes of staying together forever, the reality is that life’s daily stresses push many couples to the brink of separation. Whether it is because the stress shows partners that they are not compatible or causes them to slowly grow apart because they have no time and energy for each other, life’s difficulties cause many couples to reach a point where staying married is just not an option. 

A child with autism can contribute enormously to parental stress, so much so that studies suggest parents of an autistic child may divorce nearly twice as often as parents without an autistic child. The unique challenges of raising an autistic child can put more of a burden on a marriage than parents can bear. If you find yourself in this situation, know you are not alone. While your divorce may involve some additional complications to ensure your child is well-cared for, an experienced Illinois divorce attorney can help you every step of the way. 

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 Posted on June 08, 2022 in Child Support

The most responsible parents in Illinois sometimes lose their jobs, face unexpected expenses, or deal with other challenging circumstances that cause them to fall behind on their child support. Unfortunately, missing child support payments can cause a snowball of debt to quickly accumulate, threatening not only your financial stability but that of your children as well. If you are facing sanctions for unpaid child support, meet with an attorney who can help you explore your options, including requesting a child support modification from an Illinois court.

What Happens if You Miss Child Support Payments? 

The first consequence of unpaid child support is the interest a court may charge, starting 30 days after child support is unpaid. While interest is no longer automatically applied in cases managed by DHFS, interest can be calculated for every missed payment, continues to accrue as long as the support remains unpaid, and is paid to the parent receiving child support payments. Other consequences of not paying child support on time include, but are not limited to: 

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 Posted on June 03, 2022 in Parenting Time

Stability is important to children and few events are as destabilizing as a divorce that requires children to begin splitting their time between parents in different Illinois households. In addition to the trauma of their parents’ separation, children must also adapt to two new households when both parents move out of the marital home. This can result in complex logistical challenges for the children, which can then manifest in concerning behavioral challenges for the parents. 

These challenges are often exacerbated at the junction between the two households as parents hand off the children to each other during parenting time changeovers. Here are four ways to minimize the stress of these changeovers for children and make the process more manageable for adults. 

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