Tag Archives: DuPage County family law attorney

Questions to Ask While Interviewing a Divorce Lawyer

Choosing the right divorce attorney can be difficult. Depending on where you live, you may have dozens of attorneys available to you, but which firm do you choose to work with? Most of the decision comes down to your specific divorce case, your budget, and your personal feelings.

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Life after Divorce: Strategies for Putting Your Divorce behind You

The start of each year is a great time to set new goals and let go of any past negativity. While moving past unresolved feelings towards your divorce can be difficult, your new, post divorce life can only begin to improve when you let go of any unnecessary negativity and move on. Millions of other people have divorced and recovered, and now, you should too. While thinking about putting your divorce behind you this year, here are a few strategies to consider:

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When Does a Court Award Attorney Fees to the Prevailing Party in a Family Law Case?

An award of attorney fees may seem like a unicorn to some: a mythological event that some swear they have heard of from others but not seen themselves. This can be disheartening news to some divorce or family law litigants who have little money but are hoping that, if they prevail in their case, the court will order the other party to reimburse them for the legal fees they expended.

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Relocation: New Rules When a Custodial Parent Wants to Move

The Illinois legislature’s recent overhaul of the state’s child custody and divorce laws are far-reaching: even the state’s removal laws – what a custodial parent must do if he or she wishes to move with the child – are getting a makeover. Under the new laws, which went into effect on January 1, 2016, the term “removal” has been replaced with “relocation,” arguably in recognition that a move can be disruptive to the noncustodial parent’s visitation rights regardless of whether the move is in-state or out-of-state.

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The Changing Face of Legal Custody in Illinois

By now many Illinoisans are aware that, come January 1, 2016, family law in Illinois is getting a substantial makeover. “Legal custody” is one familiar legal principle that is being overhauled as part of the legislature’s expansive effort to have Illinois’s family and domestic relations law reflect twenty-first century realities. It remains to be seen, however, if the changes to how a court determines legal custody will benefit Illinois families or whether it will further complicate already-challenging custody determinations.

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Can Holiday Gifts Be Counted Toward My Child Support Obligation?

Over the next several weeks, parents throughout Illinois will spend hundreds of dollars (if not more) on holiday gifts for their children – including divorced parents. For some nonresidential parents (that is, parents with whom their children do not reside full-time), the holidays can be an especially trying time, financially speaking. While not wanting to disappoint their children by failing to purchase gifts, many of these nonresidential parents may find it difficult to make lavish purchases for their children because of the nonresidential parent’s child support obligations. Are there circumstances in which amounts spent on gifts or other items for your child can be counted toward your child support amount?

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When Your Child Wants a Change in Custody

Suppose that you have been divorced for several years. You and your ex-spouse have managed to avoid any major controversies or conflicts, including any serious disagreements surrounding custody and parenting time of your child. That all changes one day when your child tells you that he or she would like to live with you instead of his or her other parent. There may be any number of reasons why your child has made this request, such as:

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Grandparent Rights in Illinois

It is no longer uncommon for grandparents to have physical custody and provide care for their grandchildren when the parents are undergoing difficult times. Most grandparents have significant and loving relationships with their grandchildren, and grandchildren develop similar relationships with their grandparents. As such, it may come as a shock when the parents indicate they wish to relinquish their parental rights and put their children up for adoption. What (if anything) can a grandparent do to maintain physical custody of their grandchildren if the parents wish for their children to be adopted?

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Few Options Available in Cases of International Parental Kidnapping

Although most would hail our mobile and global society and our ability to embrace cultures different from our own as a positive development, there can be some drawbacks. Just ask the mother of three Chicago-area children. The children’s father (the mother’s ex-husband) is facing federal parental kidnapping charges after taking the couple’s three children overseas without the mother’s knowledge or consent. When your ex-partner absconds with your children and takes them to an unknown location, it does not matter whether the children are across town or across the globe: the feelings of terror and helplessness are the same. If you believe your children’s mother or father (and your ex-partner) has taken your children to an unknown location, you may feel helpless. However, there are certain actions you can take when an international parental kidnapping has happened:

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Child Custody: Relinquishing a Newborn and Terminating Parental Rights

Choosing to relinquish custody of an infant is not an easy decision. But the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act makes that decision a little easier – at least regarding potential legal consequences. The act provides a mechanism for relinquishing a newborn to a safe environment without incurring civil or criminal liability. Moreover, the act allows the relinquishing parents to remain anonymous.

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