Highland Park Family Law Blog
Care in organizing finances and assets is critical in divorce
When people are getting divorced in Illinois, their finances can take a nosedive if they have not adequately planned and are taking steps to minimize the impact of their relationship change on their long-term financial stability. Because money is an integral part of...
Are you eligible for joint simplified divorce?
People in Illinois may confuse a joint simplified divorce with an uncontested divorce, but they are actually not the same thing. If you qualify for a joint simplified divorce, it can expedite the process, but it may not be as simple for you as the name might suggest....
5 factors that determine the best interests of a child
Child custody is often a stressful part of any divorce proceeding. After all, not only must you wrap up your marriage, but you also must address what happens to the kids. If you are splitting from your spouse in Illinois, you should probably familiarize yourself with...
“JUDGMENT ENTERED” Am I really done?
With all the intrigue of post Judgment Enforcement, Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO), Modification, Allocation Of Parental Responsibility And Scheduling Of Alternate Parenting Time, there is still one issue that is generally ignored, death. It is essential...
Protect your retirement in a divorce
Getting a divorce at any age in Illinois may put both persons’ retirement plans at risk. Older couples where there was one primary breadwinner face the greatest risk. However, even younger couples may find that making the wrong financial decisions during a divorce may...
When is child support modification possible?
If you are making or receiving child support payments after getting a divorce in Illinois, there may come a time when you need to request a modification of the order. Changes in your income or your child's financial needs are common reasons that cause a court to...
Judges may rule these are good reasons for alimony modification
Many people find that the amount of maintenance they are paying their ex-spouse that seemed reasonable during the divorce has now become a significant financial burden, or that it no longer seems fair. You may wonder, if you went back to court for a modification,...
How is marital property divided in Illinois?
In some states, any property obtained after becoming married is considered “community property”, regardless of which person in the marriage bought it. Illinois, however, is not a state that recognizes community property. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you can...
How can tax returns reveal hidden assets?
Illinois divorces can be complicated affairs, which makes it easy to overlook some details that might end up harming you down the road, such as whether a spouse is hiding assets from you. One place to check for evidence of hidden assets is tax returns from past years....
How would 50/50 parenting time work?
Child custody or parenting time is always a tough topic to tackle for courts. The court aims to keep the best interests of the children in mind when making such decisions, which often ends up being to the detriment of one of the parents. Lawmakers in Illinois are...