Tag Archives: non-custodial parent
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:
Continue reading Few Options Available in Cases of International Parental Kidnapping
Child Support Modification Process in Illinois
It is rare for the personal and financial situations of spouses to remain the same in the months and years following a divorce. The ex-spouses might remarry, one ex-spouse might take a new job, or one ex-spouse might decide to move to another part of the country. At the very least, any children born to the divorced couple will experience a change of situation as they grow from childhood to adolescence and from adolescence to adulthood. Because of the fluidity of the personal situations of divorced couples and their children, it only makes sense that the law allows child support obligations to be modified as these personal situations change. This ability to modify an existing child support order is not limitless, however.
Continue reading Child Support Modification Process in Illinois
How Do Visitation Rights Work?
Child custody and visitation arrangements can be complex in the best of circumstances, especially if you do not understand the new dynamics of your family structure. Whether you have agreed to this arrangement, or a court has ordered it, it is important to understand how visitation works.
Child Custody and Moving out of State
As a divorced parent, you have likely found that it is not always easy to make spur-of-the-moment decisions regarding your child. You need to work together with your child’s other parent to ensure that he or she has all of his or her needs met while maintaining relationships with each of you. This would not be a problem if our lives remained static; however, the reality is that you will need to compromise with your former spouse and abide by court rules for your child’s sake.
Visitation Rights in Illinois
Although the court strives to give every divorcing parent custodial time with his or her children, this is not always feasible. In cases where this cannot be achieved, the noncustodial parent is usually granted visitation rights with his or her children. Visitation rights are court-ordered visits between a parent and child that are meant to maintain the bond between the parent and the child.
Same-Sex Marriage in Illinois
American society is in a constant state of change – especially the field of family law. Just a decade ago, same-sex couples could only dream of getting married in most of the United States. Today, homosexual and heterosexual couples alike have the right to marry in 37 states.
Child Support: The Legal Process
If you have a child or children, you are required by law to support child until the child reaches the age of majority. The amount of child support you are required to pay must be reviewed and subsequently approved by a court of law. Once a judge approves the amount of child support obligation the non-custodial parent owes, the judge will put that amount into a judicial order. This judicial order is recorded and the determined amount must be paid. If a non-custodial parent fails to pay his or her child support obligation, he or she may be held in civil contempt, where he or she can be arrested until he or she “purges,” or pays, a specified amount of past due support.
Adoption of a Stepchild in Illinois
Ending a committed relationship is always difficult, but when the relationship involves children, the emotions can be overwhelming. For parents, a breakup or divorce can feel like their world is crashing down around them. The excitement and happiness of a new relationship can be equally strong, and many divorced parents eventually decide to marry again. As the new family becomes accustomed to each other and their roles, the couple may elect to pursue a “related adoption” to grant legal parental rights to the step-parent.
The Ins and Outs of Child Support in Illinois
Child support is a likely conclusion if you have a child and are not married to the child’s mother/father, or if you are in the process of getting a divorce. Getting the full amount of support you are owed can be difficult and complicated. However, with the right attorney, you and your child can get the correct amount of child support due.
Continue reading The Ins and Outs of Child Support in Illinois