Posted on December 08, 2020 in Main

A discussion with your fiancé about the settlement of financial matters in the event of a divorce or death, through a premarital agreement, may not be romantic, but it can be a great idea. Some people choose to enter into premarital agreements in order to protect a wide range of property and assets. In other cases, if there are children from a previous relationship involved, the natural parent can request a premarital agreement to protect these children in case of the parent's death.

What is a Premarital Agreement?

Illinois law defines a premarital agreement as an agreement that is entered into by two people who expect to get married and is effective only if the couple marries. Many people refer to premarital agreements as prenuptial agreements, or prenups.

In a prenup, the couple can agree on how to deal with the following matters in case of divorce, or death:

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 Posted on November 23, 2020 in Kane

While every divorcee’s journey is unique, most find themselves operating in crisis mode. This is generally because divorce does more than just end a marriage. It also changes friendships, can damage relationships with an extended family that they have grown to love, and requires them to even divide time with any children they may share. In short, divorce impacts almost every aspect of a person’s life, so to find yourself in emotional turmoil is normal. It does not have to last forever, though. In fact, you can do more than just survive divorce—you can thrive and find the best version of yourself.

Let the People You Love Support You

Ultimately, some of your friendships and relationships may end along with your marriage. Yet, there will likely be others that flourish. Friends that you might not have been quite as close to before may prove to be sound allies because they know what it is like to be in your shoes. Your own family may offer to pick up the kids from school or take them to the doctors because they love you and want to help. Let them in and give them permission to support you. More importantly, give yourself permission to be vulnerable with those that care about you the most. This might prove to be difficult at first, especially if you feel you have failed and that others might judge you for it, but it does get easier the more you do it.

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 Posted on November 20, 2020 in Main

Never have the subjects of sexual harassment and sexual assault been more relevant as they have been in recent years. Advocates for better sexual harassment awareness and prevention say that unreported sexual misconduct has gone on long enough. Women and men in all types of professions can be burdened by unwanted sexual attention from co-workers, but studies show that individuals in certain professions are much more likely to experience sexual harassment or assault at work than others. Nursing, a profession dominated by women, is one of these professions.

Nurses Say Patient Harassment is Unavoidable

Most people would agree that being a nurse is a physically, emotionally, and psychologically demanding job. Nurses not only have to tend to patients’ medical needs, but also their social and emotional needs. Unfortunately, the close proximity of nurses to their patients combined with the emotional connection nurses sometimes form with patients can cause patients to cross the line. Many patients in hospitals or doctor’s offices are elderly, disabled, or cognitively impaired. Some patients who make sexual advances towards nurses do so because they are suffering from conditions like dementia. Other patients may believe that their inappropriate behavior is harmless or simply not care that the sexual advances make their nurse uncomfortable.

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 Posted on November 19, 2020 in Main

In the state of Illinois, child support is an element present in the vast majority of divorce cases involving children. Child support is meant to provide for the basic needs of minor children and is generally no longer enforceable when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever comes last. These days, children are often dependent on their parents for a few years after they graduate from high school, especially if they attend college. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act addresses this issue and provides guidelines for parents who will help pay for their child’s college education.

Covered College Expenses

The court can require one or both parents to be responsible for paying a share of their child’s educational expenses until the child turns 23, or 25 in some circumstances. The potential expenses include:

• Up to five college application

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 Posted on November 12, 2020 in Kane

Social media presents a unique danger when you are in the midst of a divorce or proceedings related to the allocation of parental responsibilities (child custody). In personal injury or criminal cases, clients may be encouraged to set their profiles to private so that the profiles cannot be seen by insurance companies or investigators.

When you are involved in a divorce or child-related action, however, making your social media private may not be enough of a protective measure because you likely are “friends” or connected with people who have an interest in your case—namely your family members and real-world friends. With this in mind, you should consider limiting your posting to social media, in addition to making your profiles private.

Social Medial Posts as Evidence

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 Posted on November 06, 2020 in Main

While we know that television often glamorizes certain fantasies, one would be excused for believing in the idea of finding love in the workplace. Take the hit sitcom The Office, for example. Who wouldn’t want to find the Pam to their Jim or vice versa?

Of course, dating in the workplace has become much more complicated in recent years, especially in light of the #MeToo movement. More complicated, however, does not mean totally off limits. Even in 2020, it may be possible to ask a co-worker out on a date, but it is important to do so with great care and respect for your co-worker as a person.

Know the Rules

The first thing to keep in mind when it comes to dating a co-worker is that there might be rules against it, especially if one of you is in management and the other is not. In some workplaces, fraternization is formally prohibited. In others, it is merely frowned upon. In certain work environments, however—particularly those with many non-work interactions or after-hours events, workplace romances may be tolerated or outright supported.

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 Posted on October 26, 2020 in Kane

Some groups in the United States have experienced a drop in divorce rates. However, that is not true for older Americans. According to the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people divorcing after the age of 50—commonly known as gray divorce—has just about doubled since 1990. Gray divorce has become increasingly more common for a few different reasons. For example, divorce has lost much of the stigma it carried years ago, and people are living longer and are not willing to stay in unfulfilling marriages.

Gray divorces often include a variety of unique financial considerations and legal issues that may not have the same importance for younger divorcing couples. Some people may worry that they will not have enough money to retire when they originally planned to. Other people may be concerned with what happens to the assets that they have accumulated throughout their years of marriage. Understanding these issues and how to deal with them is the key to a successful gray divorce.

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 Posted on October 23, 2020 in Main

Today, it is not unusual to see stories about sexual harassment or sexual misconduct on the front page of newspapers—or, perhaps more accurately, internet news feeds. This has not always been the case. For many years, sexual harassment was largely a taboo topic. Countless victims suffered in silence while the perpetrators and their employers were never held responsible for their actions.

While the modern-day discussion of sexual harassment was prompted, to a large extent, by the allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein and the resulting #MeToo movement, many historians suggest that specific allegations made almost 30 years ago were instrumental in creating awareness of sexual harassment for the first time in the United States.

Sex Talk on Television

In 1991, a former U.S. Department of Education staffer testified before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee regarding how she had been treated by her former boss. The woman’s name was Anita Hill, and her boss was a Supreme Court nominee and federal judge Clarence Thomas. Ms. Hill worked as attorney-adviser to Thomas when he was the Assistant Secretary of the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights beginning in 1981. Thomas was named chairman of the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 1982, and Hill went with him as an assistant. She would leave that job in 1983.

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 Posted on October 16, 2020 in Main

When divorce proceedings begin, it can throw everything else in your life into a state of uncertainty. Life continues while the legal issues are getting worked out, with bills to pay and obligations to meet. Because of this, sometimes an Illinois court will order temporary relief to one spouse in order to get through the period of the proceedings, including temporary parental responsibilities, child support, or spousal support. 

Parental Responsibilities and Child Support 

Most temporary relief orders asked for in Illinois courts have to do with the arrangements for any children of a divorcing couple. It is common for one parent to seek a temporary order of parenting time simply to ensure the children are permitted to remain in their current situation. Forcing children to move abruptly, only to possibly return them to the previous situation, is generally held to not be in their best interests. Alternatively, parental responsibilities can be contested for more malicious reasons. For example, in some divorce cases, particularly those that are contentious, it is not unheard of for one parent to attempt to get possession of the children solely to cause a disruption in the lives of the children and the former spouse.

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 Posted on October 12, 2020 in Kane

One of the least discussed topics before couples marry is usually finances. One of the most discussed topics when a couple decides to end their marriage, however, is usually finances. It is critical to discuss finances before marriage, and a prenuptial agreement opens the door for this very important discussion.

What Is a Prenuptial Agreement?

A prenuptial agreement is a legal document that serves as private agreement between two people who intend to marry. In a prenuptial agreement, the parties define how the couple’s assets and property will be divided in the event of divorce or death. A prenuptial agreement may be narrow or broad in its scope, depending on the individual needs of the couple. The issue of spousal support may be included in the agreement, but there are no specific requirements. Without a prenuptial agreement, the couple will be required to reach an agreement later on, or their assets will be divided by the Illinois state laws governing divorce if the couple elects to terminate their marriage.

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