Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

In the United States, the number of unmarried parents is on the rise. As single parenting becomes more commonplace in modern society, the stigma that it used to carry has begun to fade, and more unmarried parents are asserting their rights. This increase in the rate of single parenting makes the issue of paternity all the more important.

Paternity is the state of being a father; in Illinois, this is also known as having a father-child relationship. For some children, paternity is never legally established. Even if the child of the father is known, his name may never be listed on the birth certificate, there may never be a court determination of paternity, and the father may never play a role in the child's life. Legal paternity is the finding of a father-child relationship by a court.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

Going through a divorce is usually emotionally difficult for all parties involved. There are many different reasons why people choose to file for divorce, but it is generally never an easy decision to make. Some couples may mutually recognize that their relationship is crumbling, that communication is strained, and that each would be better on their own. In other cases, one spouse may file for divorce without any knowledge or anticipation by the other spouse. Regardless of why a divorce is filed, there is almost always a good reason why that decision was made.

When determining whether or how to proceed with dissolution of your marriage, it is helpful to enlist the help of a trained legal professional who can help you decide what the best process is for you and your family. A family law attorney can also help explain the best grounds to proceed on in a divorce. Grounds for divorce are the legal bases courts use to allow a divorce to proceed, and there are several different approaches and grounds possible.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

No couple enters marriage with the expectation of getting a divorce; however, life has a way of offering the unexpected. Although determining the exact national divorce rate is difficult, a large number of marriages will come to an end. One particular hot button issue is how to divide the property owned by both spouses.

The Agreement

Spouses who agree about how the marital property should be divided may enter into what's known as a “Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA).” The MSA must be in writing. It is wise to use an attorney to draft the MSA, especially in instances involving complex financial issues. If a couple cannot agree, a court will decide how the marital property is to be divided.

Marital or Non-Marital Property?

The court will classify all property owned by the spouses as either marital or non-marital property. Spouses will usually keep their non-marital property, while the court will equitably divide the marital property.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

Going through a divorce is one of life's most difficult challenges. In addition to the emotional pain and anxiety divorcing spouses' experience, they must also confront the challenges associated with dividing marital assets(property acquired during the marriage). Often the biggest piece of marital property is the family home, which could have been purchased after the marriage or right beforehand, in “contemplation” of the marriage. Not only does the family home often represent the largest single asset, but divorcing spouses often also have an emotional connection to the property. Thus, determining what will happen to the home after a divorce can be a major source of contention for the spouses involved.

In dividing any property in a divorce, Illinois courts use a system known as “equitable distribution,” which means property will be divided in a manner the Court determines is fair (which is not always 50/50 between the parties). However a Court decides to divide property, it becomes particularly tricky when dealing with a piece of property, which can be “divided” in one of two ways. The house can be put up for sale and the profit or liability split between the parties, or one spouse can stay in the home and give a corresponding offset in value to the other spouse.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

It is generally expected that the parent who has residential, primary or sole custody of the children in a divorce will receive child support from the other parent. However, what is not often realized or applied is that the parent who has custody of the children may have to pay the other parent child support. Recently, the Illinois Supreme Court decided a case in which the Court held that nothing in Illinois' law on child support restricts a court from ordering a custodial parent to pay child support to a non-custodial parent.

Recent Case in Illinois

The case, In re Marriage of Iris Turk, highlights the Illinois legislature's paramount goal of protecting the child's best interest in child custody and support cases. In Turk, the mother had originally been awarded custody of the children, and the father ordered to pay unallocated maintenance and child support. After the parents kept going back to court for modifications on the original order, the father ended up being awarded temporary custody. The court eventually awarded the father custody and the mother weekly visits with the children. On holidays, spring breaks, and summer vacations, the parents were to have equal time with the children. Nevertheless, the Court also ordered the father to continue paying child support to the mother for the upkeep of the children.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

In a divorce proceeding, a court can sometimes award one spouse maintenance. This is a monetary award usually paid monthly by one divorcing spouse, which is supposed to help support the other divorcing spouse. Spousal support can be awarded to either spouse, and is based on the facts of a case and a judge's consideration of certain factors provided by the law. Divorcing parties can also come together and agree to the amount of support to be paid based on negotiations, or on a prior document such as a prenuptial agreement. Spousal maintenance is not awarded based on which spouse was at fault for the demise of the marriage.

Modification May Be Necessary

Sometimes, the spouse ordered to pay support may find that for one reason or another, they are not able to keep up with the maintenance payments. According to Illinois law, 750 ILCS 5/502(f), whether or not a spousal maintenance order is modifiable depends on whether or not the order was stated to be non-modifiable. For example, if the award was as a result of an agreement between the spouses, they could have agreed to have spousal maintenance in place for a specific period of time, and made the award non-modifiable.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

During a divorce in which children are involved, one of the main issues may be determining visitation. Whether the parents have joint custody or one parent has sole custody, visitation may still be an issue. Visitation in Illinois is considered more for the benefit of the child, and a parent who is not awarded primary custody is entitled to reasonable visitation, unless a court determines that visitation is not in the best interest of the child. However, Illinois law requires that before a judge may restrict or limit visitation, a hearing must be held to determine whether awarding a parent visitation would seriously endanger the child's physical, mental, moral or emotional health.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

Having children is one of life's major decisions. Whether a couple decides to have a child before or after marriage, there are issues that can arise if the couple decides to later separate. These issues usually revolve around visitation, child custody and child support. Generally, these issues are handled the same as a couple going through divorce. However, there may be some complications in resolving these issues when it comes to unwed parents, depending on the couple's relationship.

Establishing Paternity

The first step to dealing with custody and visitation of children born to an unwed couple is to determine paternity of the child. There are three ways in which paternity can be established in Illinois. Some of these ways may include a DNA test. Paternity can be established by:

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

Until recently, the calculation of spousal support in Illinois was based on a judge's discretion after the consideration of several factors found in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (the law). There was previously no set formula to calculate how much money the court had to award, if any, in spousal support. The factors assisted judges in determining spousal support by taking into account, for example, the income and property available to each spouse, future income, standard of living during marriage, and the length of the marriage.

The new revisions to the law, which take effect in January 2015, provide a formula for determining the amount of support based on a percentage of the spouses' income. These changes mainly apply to couples with a combined gross income of less than $250,000 and without a multiple family situation. There is also a formula for determining the length of time spousal support will be paid. While the factors the judges previously relied on to determine the amount of support to award, are still relevant, they are no longer the sole basis for the award of a certain amount in support. The factors will be used to mainly determine if spousal support or maintenance is appropriate in a certain case. However, because use of the formula is not mandatory, a judge may still use the factors to determine the amount of support. If a judge decides to not use the set formula, and rely mainly on the factors, he or she has to give a detailed reasoning for doing so.

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 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Main

When child support is ordered in Illinois, the order for support must be complied with until modified or the child support obligation terminates. However, not every parent who is ordered to pay child support complies. As a result, the parent will owe back child support, known as child support arrearages. Under Illinois law, mandatory interest is charged on unpaid child support arrearages. Due to the mandatory interest, when a parent is unable to keep up with the payments, it is important to seek a modification of the original child support order. A petition seeking a modification allows a judge the discretion to recalculate the amount of support the parent is obligated to pay retroactive to the date of filing the motion. However, if a support paying parent does not seek a modification, the child support payments are still owed and the balances will draw interest.

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