Year: 2017

Parenting Through Divorce:  Holiday Parenting Time in Illinois The holiday season can be a difficult time for those who are recently divorced as well as for those who are going through a divorce.  For those with children, many times extended families end up feeling...

Important Considerations for Re-Marriage: Many couples get married, and many couples get divorced.  Some of those couples end up meeting new people and getting re-married.  While certainly less common, some couples even get re-married to each other after getting...

Divorce:  Property Division When parties go through a divorce, the first major thing the Court will decide are issues relating to the parenting of the child or children.  If the parties do not have any children, or once the parenting issues are decided, the Court will...

Discovery in Divorce Proceedings In Illinois, discovery is common in most divorce cases.  It usually occurs after a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is filed, but before any serious settlement discussions commence.  While most courts require the parties to...

Can I stop a divorce once it is filed? It is fairly simple to stop a divorce at any point prior to the entry of a final Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage.  If the party who filed the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage no longer wishes to proceed with the divorce,...

What is a legal retainer and how does it work? A legal retainer is a lump sum payment made by a client to an attorney at the commencement of legal representation.  It facilitates the satisfaction of costs (court costs, clerk filing fees, process server fees, etc) and...

What is an Order of Protection? An Order of Protection is a court order which restricts someone who has abused a family or household member. An Order of Protection may: prohibit an abuser from continuing threats and abuse; order an abuser out of a shared home or...

What is an uncontested divorce? An uncontested divorce is one in which both parties are in agreement with each and every request in the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.  The Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is the initial filing with the Court that commences...

What is Domestic Violence? Any person who commits an act of abuse against another family member or household member has broken Illinois domestic violence law. How are family or household members defined?  Under Illinois law, family or household members are defined as:...

Mediation in Divorce and Family Cases In most Illinois counties, if the parents cannot agree on the issues of parental responsibilities or decision making, custody, or parenting time (or other non-financial issues), the Court will Order the parties to attend mediation...