Tax time is a wonderful time of year. You gather up all of your W-2’s and 1099s. Your box of receipts gets dumped out, and you start to sort through what can be deducted and what cannot be deducted. As you start to complete your tax return, you are thankful for the deductions your children…
Like a car engine, child support determination in Illinois is often a mechanical process, but not everyone understands how a car engine runs. Although I am the son of a mechanic, I know very little about cars. In the same way, not everyone understands how child support is calculated in Illinois. The purpose of this…
In today’s society, it is not unusual to find children living with grandparents, aunts, uncles or even friends. Sometime the children’s biological parents are in and out of the children’s lives, maybe even more out then in. These circumstances can be temporary, but they are often permanent or grow into permanent arrangements. In these situations, the natural…
The amount and/or percentage of a parent’s obligation for contribution to their children’s college expenses is a matter often left undetermined in a divorce settlement or judgment for dissolution of marriage. Unless the parties have agreed in advance to the allocation of the expenses, one of three situations is present: 1) the settlement agreement or…
Every new year brings new laws and amendments to old laws. One law that has gone through many changes over the years is the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA). Beginning January 1, 2014, the State Legislature has forged a new tool that is now available to protect the best interests of children and to encourage…
Most people have a picture of the court process in their minds that is a composite of all of the courtroom dramas watched on the big screen and the little screen, from “To Kill a Mockingbird” to “Boston Legal”. Most people understand that picture is a caricature but do not understand what the real court…
Q&A forums on legal issues, and especially divorce and family law questions, are popular on the Internet. One question seems to be asked more than most: what are grounds for a divorce. The issue of grounds is fundamental, but many people have the wrong idea of the significance of grounds in the divorce process. Many…
Marriage is the joining of two people together into one family unit, and that includes their property. Many married people consider their property in the following terms: what is yours is ours, what is mine is ours and what is ours is ours. No distinction between “marital property” and “non-marital property” is made: they view…
Going through a divorce is one of the most difficult things you will ever face in your life. You well-being and your children’s well-being will depend, in large measure, on your ability to gain some larger perspective, to take a long term view of things and to see the big picture. As intense as the…
Understandably, many (most) people hate dealing with the court system. In dealing with the issues of child support and maintenance, going to court can be a good thing. Especially regarding child support, the courts take on a very important role of protecting the children to ensure they are receiving the proper amount of support. Take for…