The Law Offices of Robert F. Kramer, Ltd. Illinois Legal Blog

When entering into the process of divorce, the sheer volume of considerations can sometimes be overwhelming. The uncertainty of the future can seem even more daunting when life as you know it is changing so drastically. All the variables may not be within your...

Grandparent Visitation:  What are the Rights and Limitations to Grandparent Visitation? In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that fit parents are presumed to act in their children’s best interests, and as such, parental decisions regarding the role of grandparents...

TEMPORARY RELIEF IN DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS Often times, unmet needs are a precipitating factor in the filing of Petitions for Dissolution of Marriage.  Parties may have separated, and unequal access to income, property and resources may become a burden to the more...

Custody of Pets in Divorce – New for 2018 Pets, known as “companion animals” in the law, have been traditionally considered nothing more than personal property, the same as household goods or vehicles.  But, few people have the strong emotional bond with a piece of...

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...