Posted on May 01,2020 in Main

The term sexual harassment often garners a strong response, but it is often misunderstood. According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other federal and state legislation, it is unlawful for employees to be discriminated against on the basis of their gender. Sexual harassment is one type of sex-based discrimination millions of men and women face every year. Sadly, many victims stay silent about harassment simply because they do not understand their rights.

There are a number of common misconceptions that exist regarding sexual harassment including:

Myth 1: Only Women Can Be Victims of Sexual Harassment

Although women experience sexual harassment on a more frequent basis, men can also be sexually harassed. In fact, about one out of every five sexual harassment complaints reported to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) are filed by men. Men may suffer sexual harassment from both female and male harassers. Many men are hesitant about reporting the harassment because they fear they will not be believed, or they do not realize that the law protects both genders from this unacceptable mistreatment.

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 Posted on April 22,2020 in Main

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 50 percent of all American families are remarried or re-coupled, and over 1,000 new stepfamilies are formed every day. Being a stepparent can be a challenging role to fill. The stepparent is an adult authority figure in a child’s life but he or she may not have all of the same responsibilities as a biological parent. The path of a stepparent will undoubtedly be filled with obstacles; however, a happy, healthy stepparent-stepchild relationship is possible. If you are a stepparent hoping to have a strong relationship with your new stepchild, read on to learn tips experts say can help.

Develop Healthy Boundaries

It is important to realize that stepparents typically do not fulfill the same role in a child’s life as the biological parent does. The younger stepchildren were when their biological parent married the stepparent, the more likely the children are to view the stepparent the same as their biological parent. When stepparents enter an older child or teenager’s life, it can be harder for the stepparent to figure out where he or she fits in. Experts say that one of the best ways to avoid conflict and develop a close relationship with your stepchild is to develop healthy boundaries. Do not attempt to take the place of the child’s biological parent or immediately become the main disciplinarian in the child’s life. With time, you may choose to take on more of an authoritative role in the family, but doing so too soon can backfire.

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 Posted on April 21,2020 in Kane

Adopting a child is one of the most worthwhile legal pursuits a person can undergo. Unfortunately, the Illinois adoption process can, at times, be complicated and tedious. One step in the adoption process that many adoptive families worry about is the home study. The purpose of an adoption home study is to ensure that the adoptive home is a safe, loving environment for the child to live in. Many adoptive parents are intimidated at the thought of someone coming to evaluate them and their home. They may worry that they will be deemed “not good enough” and denied the adoption. One of the best ways to prepare for your home study and gain peace of mind is to thoroughly educate yourself about what the adoption home study process entails.  

Common Elements of a Home Study

The steps that you must take in order to be granted an adoption will depend on whether you are pursuing an international adoption, private adoption, agency adoption, relative adoption, or adoption through the foster care system. Although the adoption process varies significantly, most home studies involve the same basic steps. The agent, social worker, or other individual conducting the home study is seeking to understand two main things:

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 Posted on April 14,2020 in Main

In 1964, congress passed the Civil Rights Act which prohibits employment discrimination based on sex, religion, national origin, or race. In 1980, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) specified that sexual harassment is considered a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Civil Rights Act. Although workplace sexual harassment has been against the law for 30 years, many believe that the issue has never been taken as seriously as is has in recent years. Spurred by the social media #MeToo movement and a number of other events, more and more women and men are coming forward and reporting sexual harassment. Now, one of the biggest companies in the world is facing a major lawsuit regarding alleged systemic sexual harassment.

Workers Claim McDonald’s Does Not Take Enough Action to Address Sexual Harassment

Recently, McDonald’s staff in Florida announced that they were filing a $500 million sexual harassment lawsuit against the fast food chain. The two women named in the lawsuit have filed the suit on behalf of the 5,000 women who work at the Florida restaurants. They claim that many staff are subject to sexual and derogatory comments, jokes, and even physical assaults.

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 Posted on April 09,2020 in Kane

“The best interests of the child” is one of the most common phrases in the realm of family law. A child’s well-being, of course, should remain among the top priorities in proceedings for divorce, allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time, non-parent visitation, and adoption. The challenge, however, is that determining what exactly constitutes a child’s best interests is open to interpretation. As such, each parent may fully believe that they are acting in their child’s best interests yet hold vastly different objectives regarding the outcome of the case.

Helping the Process

When you and your child’s other parent cannot agree on a parenting plan or other arrangements regarding your child, the court is likely to offer several options. To start with, you may be required to participate in court-ordered mediation designed to help you and the other parent reach an agreement with the help of a third-party mediator. Mediation, however, is only possible in situations where both parties are willing and able to work constructively with one another.

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 Posted on April 07,2020 in Main

Across the world, peoples’ lives have been turned upside down by fears over the coronavirus. Events have been cancelled, restaurants are not allowing customers to dine in, and schools are closed. Although these changes are difficult for everyone, children may have an especially hard time coping. Children’s anxieties about what’s going on in the world may be especially intensified if they are also coping with their parents’ divorce or other family law-related disputes. Fortunately, there are many steps that parents can take to reassure their children and help them deal with their fears and anxieties.

Keep Regular Routines

Not going to school or extracurricular activities may seem like a vacation at first, but many children quickly grow tired of staying at home isolated from their friends and schoolmates. Children may also have significant fears about the virus itself. They may worry for their own safety as well as the safety of their parents or grandparents. One way to help children feel more secure is to keep your routines as normal and predictable as possible. Keeping a consistent bedtime, morning routine, household chore schedule, and other routines will help the children establish a sense of normalcy.

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 Posted on March 25,2020 in Main

If you are a single parent, you know just how hard it can be to manage child-rearing expenses on your own. In Illinois, both parents are responsible for the costs associated with raising a child – even if those parents who are divorced or never married. Child support is typically paid by the parent with less parenting time to the parent with more parenting time in order to share child-related costs between parents. Unfortunately, some parents do not take their child support obligation seriously. They skip payments, do not pay in full, or they use excuse after excuse to avoid financial responsibility. If your child’s other parent is neglecting his or her child support obligation, a family law attorney can help.

Only Court-Ordered Child Support Payments are Enforceable

Some parents assume that they do not need to get a formal child support order from the court. They may think that establishing child support through the court is a waste of time and that they can simply agree on a child support arrangement casually. Unfortunately, the court has no authority to enforce “handshake” agreements for child support. This is why it is crucial for single parents to file an official petition for child support with the court. If you are a mother who is seeking child support from a father who is not listed on the child’s birth certificate, you may need to establish legal paternity before you are eligible for child support.

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 Posted on March 19,2020 in Kane

Marriages end for countless reasons. Sometimes, a married couple decides to divorce because one of the spouses has had an affair. Studies show that about 20 percent of men and 13 percent of women admit to cheating on their spouse during their marriage. If you are in this situation, you may wonder whether infidelity will influence your divorce proceedings. The answer will likely depend on your particular set of circumstances.

The Elimination of Fault-Based Divorce in Illinois

When a couple gets a divorce, the petitioner, or person requesting the divorce, must list the “grounds” or reasons for the divorce. In the past, Illinois allowed spouses to list fault-based grounds such as adultery, abandonment, or physical or mental cruelty as the reason for the divorce. However, all fault-based grounds have since been eliminated. Anyone seeking a divorce in Illinois must only prove that “irreconcilable differences” have caused the breakdown of the marriage and that efforts at reconciliation are not in the couple’s best interests. This means that a spouse’s adultery will not be listed as the reason for the divorce. However, this does not mean that adultery will not impact any divorce proceedings.

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 Posted on March 12,2020 in Main

Over the last few years, sexual harassment and other types of sexual misconduct have become extremely hot-button issues, and for good reason. However, there is often a great deal of confusion regarding what the various terms used to describe the types of misconduct actually mean—at least when it comes to the law. For example, it is not uncommon to hear someone complain about being sexually harassed on the street or in a bar, but “sexual harassment” is not a criminal offense in Illinois. There may be other criminal offenses that encompass harassing behavior of a sexual nature, but none is called “sexual harassment.”

Sexual harassment, according to its legal definition, is a type of sex-based employment discrimination, and it includes several kinds of behavior. A manager who requests sexual favors in return for a promotion or workplace perks may be guilty of sexual harassment. Similarly, a group of workers who foster an environment of sexually-charged comments and jokes could also be committing acts of sexual harassment. If you have experienced sexual harassment at work, you have the right to take action, and such action could eventually take the form of a lawsuit. But, should you sue just your employer? Or, should you name individual managers or supervisors and attempt to hold them personally liable as well?

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 Posted on March 05,2020 in Kane

There is absolutely no question that domestic violence continues to be a major problem in today’s society. In fact, there are a number of studies that suggest that the issue may be even more serious than previously acknowledged, including many under-reported cases involving male domestic abuse victims. The physical, psychological, and emotional damage caused by violence against an intimate partner or family member can rise to tragic levels, often requiring years of recovery if and when a victim can escape an abusive situation. It is for exactly these reasons that intentionally false allegations of domestic violence are so disturbing, and such allegations can substantially affect the outcome of family-related legal concerns.

Impact to the Falsely Accused

Under Illinois law, an emergency order of protection can be issued by a judge based solely on the testimony of a victim. In a situation where there is actual violence or the threat of violence, this is entirely necessary. However, when a parent or spouse brings false allegations of violence before the court, an emergency order of protection can affect a completely innocent person. Depending upon the details included in the claim, the order can potentially prevent the accused from remaining in his or her home, seeing his or her children, or even going about the normal business of daily living. An emergency order of protection can remain in effect for up to 21 days, or until a re-hearing on the matter can be scheduled, whichever comes first.

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