If you receive an order of protection in court, in the mail, or in-person that contains false accusations, do not panic. You are able to respond to the order of protection and seek to have it dismissed. An order of protection is an order issued by the court that can prohibit a person from seeing,
Read MoreFor parents of young children going through a divorce, parentage or custody case, issues around parenting time and parental rights can be difficult and emotional. In determining the appropriate parenting time schedule and parenting responsibilities, a Judge in Illinois may order a professional mental evaluation of one or both parents, also known as a 604B
Read MoreWhether or not you were married, if you have a child with someone, you are entitled to financial assistance from the other parent to support your minor child. In Illinois, all parents have the obligation to provide for the reasonable and necessary physical, mental, emotional, and healthcare needs of their minor child. Unless the other
Read MoreLosing your job can be devastating and extremely stressful. If you have recently lost your job and are now unemployed, your current child support order will not automatically go away. You will still be required to make your monthly child support payments, and if you stop paying child support, the debt will accrue, commonly called
Read MoreA prenuptial agreement is a binding and enforceable contract entered into by two potential spouses in anticipation of their marriage. While no couple soon to be married wants to think about potentially getting divorced, it is very important to prepare for the worst-case scenario to ensure that you are protected. If you and your spouse
Read MoreWhen you or your spouse decide to pursue a divorce, Illinois state law requires all of your property to be divided and classified as either marital property or non-marital property. For many couples, the process of determining which property is marital or non-marital can be very confusing and in certain instances can determine your financial
Read MoreIf you want to file for a divorce, but you are worried your spouse will refuse to participate in the divorce case, you can still move forward. While you or your spouse can initiate the legal process to end your marriage, some amount of cooperation is required from both spouses to complete the divorce in a
Read MoreThere are many reasons why you may want to change the name of your child, including divorce, adoption, or after establishing paternity. In the State of Illinois, you will need court approval to legally change your minor child’s name. The process of correctly filling out the court forms, filing the forms with the Clerk, providing
Read MoreWhat is income for calculating child support? When you have an obligation to pay child support what is income for calculating the total amount you would owe? For the purposes of determining child support, “net income” is the “total of all income from all sources” minus the statutorily defined deductions. 750 ILCS 5/505(a)(3). The concept
Read MoreA big concern for many is what happens to a pension that you may have when your divorce is finalized. It is well established in Illinois that pension plans of various kinds, whether matured, vested or non-vested, contributory or noncontributory, may be treated as marital property. The classification and reimbursement principles in 750 ILCS 5/503(a)
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