Recent Blog Posts

Divorce and Data Gathering

 Posted on March 29,2012 in Divorce

Most people wouldn't imagine that a retailer could tell if you were recently divorced by your shopping habits. However, a recent exposé by the New York Times discussed how Target has an initiative in place to determine when customers are experiencing life cycle events. Such life cycle events include marriage, child birth and yes, divorce.

The aim of the initiative is to tailor advertising to customers at these various stages of life. By focusing on major life events, retailers are more likely to impact brand loyalty and change consumer shopping patterns.

For instance, if a retailer thinks a customer is pregnant they could send ads for specific brands of diapers, baby clothes and toys. If customers act on those ads they may remain loyal to those brands throughout their child's life.

How do buying patterns shift after divorce? Interestingly, it increases the chance that individuals will select a different brand of beer. Perhaps more predictably, research also indicates that right after divorce consumers may suddenly purchase frozen food, linens, furniture and low fat foods.

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More Baby Boomer Women Seeking Divorces

 Posted on March 27,2012 in Divorce

Most people probably think it is unlikely that many couples would divorce after decades of marriage. In reality, this phenomenon of so-called "gray divorces" is a growing trend. Specifically, women over age 50 are more frequently initiating divorces.

According to data from the National Center for Family and Marriage, baby boomer couples now represent one out of every four divorces. This is up significantly since 1990, when baby boomers were only involved in one out of 10 divorces. Such divorces later in life are more likely to be initiated by women. According to a survey by AARP, in marriages among seniors women initiate 66 percent of the divorces.

There are probably a variety of factors behind these trends. Once spouses retire and their children have left the nest couples often spend more time at home together. This may cause differences to be magnified and tensions between the couple to grow. People are also living longer, and may not want to continue to devote time and effort to an unsatisfying relationship.

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Couples Frequently Choose January to Divorce

 Posted on January 09,2012 in Divorce

When people think of January they often think of cold weather, snow and New Year's Day. Apparently, however, January also brings thoughts of divorce to many couples. According to several studies, January is the most popular month for couples to choose to divorce, earning it the nickname "Divorce Month".

There are several theories as to why couples select the month of January to split. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season may put many divorces on hold during November and December. Those couples with children in particular may choose to stick it out through the end of the year for the sake of family gatherings and celebrations.

As the coldest month of the year, January is also a time when couples may be spending more time in the home together. Tensions that may have grown during the stressful holiday season may finally reach a breaking point in January. Spouses may also reflect upon the past year and decide it is a time for a fresh start as the new year begins.

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End-of-Year Checklist for Individuals Contemplating Divorce

 Posted on December 30,2011 in Divorce

Most couples who have recently decided to go their separate ways choose to wait until after the holiday season to file for divorce. Of course this is understandable, considering all the family obligations and events this time of year.

Once the New Year begins it is a time for turning the page and for fresh starts. Perhaps not surprisingly then, nationwide, more divorces are filed in January than any other month of the year. Even if you have chosen to wait until the beginning of next year to formally begin the divorce process, there are steps you can take as this year comes to a close to properly prepare.

One important step you can take is to collect year-end statements from your accounts. You will need to supply information regarding your bank accounts, brokerage accounts, credit cards and mortgages. As you receive month and year-end statements from these accounts keep them together in a safe place. If all your accounts are currently shared, you may also want to consider taking the step of opening new bank accounts and credit cards in your own name.

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Increase in Delinquent Child Support Seen in Chicago Suburbs

 Posted on December 29,2011 in Child Support

Statistics from the Daily Herald show that the number of delinquent child support cases handled by the state, and also the amount of child support funds owed to parents are increasing in the Chicago suburbs. The increase is reflective of the challenges people are facing in the economic downtown, which has made it more difficult for parents to make and collect child support payments.

The Daily Herald reports that the number of Illinois child support cases tracked by the state for late payments has risen faster in the Chicagoland area than the rest of the state. In DuPage County, the number of cases in arrears rose 48 percent from 2008 to 2010, with 9,000 cases being tracked for delinquent child support. In the same time period, the total amount of back child support owed in DuPage County alone increased by 36 percent, to more than $110 million. McHenry County also saw a significant increase of 66 percent, while Kane County saw a 24 percent rise.

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Including Both Parents on School Forms

 Posted on November 10,2011 in Child Custody

The return of fall signals back-to-school time for children across the country. A new school year brings a flurry of forms for parents of school-aged children to fill out, such as emergency contact information forms and permission slips for who has a right to pick a child up from school. When a child's parents are not married and share child custody, sometimes school forms cause problems down the road if one parent is not included.

It is usually beneficial to list both parents on most school forms, even if one parent does not have primary physical custody. In fact, most custody judgments require both parents to be listed on school forms. If a non-custodial parent is not listed as a person who can pick a child up from school, the non-custodial parent may not be allowed to get his or her child from school if an emergency arises or during times when he or she has parenting time with the child.

While it may merely be an oversight, the child involved is the one who really loses out, when both parents are not listed on the records as the child has less access to the other parent.

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Child Support Taken From Casino Winnings? Not Yet in Illinois

 Posted on November 02,2011 in Child Custody

In what some analysts call a rising trend, several states have recently passed laws requiring casinos to check for back child support owed by gamblers before giving them their winnings - minus any child support owed - at the casino cage. Illinois does not have such a law or program in place to recover past due child support payments, but some legislators say they are intent on passing such legislation next year.

Currently, five states divert gambling winnings from people who owe child support to the other parent of their children. According to the Chicago Tribune, the programs have collected almost $3 million in child support while avoiding placing significant burdens on casinos.

In Colorado, where a casino child-support confiscation law took effect in 2008, the system works like this: Casinos check the Social Security numbers of gamblers who win $1,200 or more at gambling machines or who beat odds of at least 300 to one and win more than $600 at table games, which are the points at which gamblers must report their winnings on federal tax forms.

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Increasing Numbers of Illinois Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

 Posted on October 17,2011 in Child Custody

Last month Illinois observed Grandparents Day, and the Illinois Department of Aging took the opportunity to raise awareness of programs and resources available to grandparents serving as the main caregivers for their grandchildren.

Currently over 200,000 kids in Illinois reside in grandparent-headed households, and that number is on the rise. More and more grandparents are being considered the "primary caregivers" of their grandchildren. The state considers a primary caregiver to be the person the child lives with and whom is responsible for meeting the child's basic needs.

The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is a state program that promotes awareness and provides resources and support services for older caregivers. The acting director of the Illinois Department on Aging explained the program's purpose, "It's an important decision to take on the role as primary caregivers for their grandchildren when the parents are unable to. These grandparents need to know there's somewhere to turn for help during this additional round of parenthood."

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Divorce Rates Highest in the South, Illinois Divorce Rate Below National Average

 Posted on October 12,2011 in Divorce

In a first-of-its-kind report released by the Census Bureau titled Marital Events of Americans: 2009, an analysis was conducted around marriage, divorce and widowhood in the United States. The data revealed some rather unexpected trends around marriage rates, divorce rates and geography.

Nationally, 19.1 weddings occurred per every 1,000 men and 17.6 per every 1,000 women. The divorce rate was 9.2 per 1,000 men and 9.7 per 1,000 women. Perhaps surprisingly to some, the South, which also has one of the highest rates of marriage in the United States, leads the country in divorces. The divorce rate in the South was 10.2 for men and 11.1 for women.

In contrast, there were both fewer marriages and fewer divorces in the Northeast. Researchers suggest that this may be because of the tendency of people in that region to marry later in life, which may decrease the chance of future marital conflict.

The Illinois divorce rate was equivalent between men and women with an average of 8.0 divorces per 1,000. This was found to be a statistically significant downward deviation from the national average. With regard to marriages, Illinois was also below the national average with 17.9 marriages per 1,000 men and 16.3 marriages per 1,000 women.

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Welcome to Our DuPage County Family Law Blog

 Posted on August 03,2011 in Uncategorized

Things change rapidly in the legal world. Every day, the Illinois state legislature and judges make hundreds of decisions that impact the way cases are prepared and presented for court. At the Andrew Cores Family Law Group, we know how important it is to stay current with legal issues. We follow the legal stories that will have an impact on the best strategies to use while protecting your rights in family law and divorce cases, business and corporate law, and estate planning and probate.

Keeping you informed about the legal process will help you make better decisions about your own family law, business or probate case. This Blog page is intended to serve as a forum for discussing case law and relevant court decisions. Periodically, this page will be updated with new information and topics for discussion, so please return often to see the most current post and comments.

Our firm has always emphasized personalized attention and responsiveness to client concerns. We are interested in your input, so please send us your comments. Thank you for visiting. To make an appointment with one of our experienced attorneys, please call 630-871-1002 or contact us online.

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