“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein.
“The rules of court we have promulgated are not aspirational. They are not suggestions. They have the force of law, and the presumption must be that they will be obeyed and enforced as written.” Bright v. Dicke, 652 N.E.2d 275 (1995)
“[E]veryone is presumed to know the law and ignorance of the law excuses no one” Jones v. Board of Education of the City of Chicago, 2013 IL App (1st) 122437
“[A]ll citizens are charged with knowledge of the law.” People v. Lander, 215 Ill. 2d 577, 588, 831 N.E.2d 596, 603 (2005)
“Mere contentions, without argument or citation of authority, do not merit consideration…and are waived” First National Bank of LaGrange v. Lowrey, 375 Ill. App. 3d 181, 207, 872 N.E.2d 447, 473 (2007)
“If a party does not offer any argument or meaningful authority in support of an argument, the argument is forfeited. ” Abbinanti v. Presence Cent. & Suburban Hosps. Network, No. 2-21-0763, 8 (Ill. App. Ct. 2021)
“Without legal authority, respondent’s argument is unconvincing.” Thomas v. Thomas, 2024 IL App (4th) 240289-U
“It is a common maxim that ignorance of the law is no excuse.” Clark v. Lay, 2022 IL App (4th) 220101, ¶ 45 2
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An Illinois divorce judgment is meant to do more than simply announce that the parties are divorced. In most cases, a final judgment decides who receives which property, who is responsible for debts, whether maintenance will be paid, how child support will be calculated, and how parental responsibilities and parenting time will be allocated. Those
Medicare is a federal health insurance program that covers individuals, not families. It is typically available to people aged 65 or older, along with certain younger people who have disabilities. Unlike an employer-sponsored plan, which usually allows a spouse to be covered as a dependent on the other spouse’s policy, Medicare has no family coverage.
Health insurance can be one of the first concerns in an Illinois divorce. One spouse may be insured only through the other spouse’s employer. The children may be covered under that same plan. The coverage may continue while the divorce is pending, yet once the divorce is finalized, the dependent spouse’s coverage can quickly change.
People don’t always announce, “I want a divorce!” Sometimes, they just leave…and you never hear from them again. The other spouse’s life must go on and get in order so they will need a divorce from the spouse who abandoned them. So, what is abandonment in an Illinois divorce? When a spouse disappears or refuses to stay
Nobody is perfect…even teachers. Teachers have relationships. Teachers have arguments with people they are in relationships with. Teachers say things or do things which can cause the person they are in a relationship with to file a petition for order of protection. An order of protection has no criminal penalties in itself (unless that order
Illinois child support law is changing. Senate Bill 3524 amends Sections 505 and 510 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, which are the provisions that govern child support calculations and child support modifications. S.B. 3524, 104th Gen. Assemb., Reg. Sess. (Ill. 2026); 750 ILCS 5/505; 750 ILCS 5/510. The Illinois General Assembly’s
People move out of Illinois every day for better job opportunities. If they’re no longer with their child’s other parent, those job opportunities must be weighed against preparing a whole new parenting schedule if the move occurs. If you attempt to move and take the child with you, you’ll face a series of legal hurdles
When a parent travels with a child under the auspices of a “vacation” only to have announced that the parent and the children now live in another state. This scenario is sometimes characterized as parental abduction even when it begins as a seemingly innocent vacation. No matter which parents narrative of move vs. vacation, a
Stay-at-home parents can expect to receive the majority of the parenting time and, therefore, also receive child support. As the spouse that earns less money, stay-at-home parents can also expect to receive maintenance (formerly known as alimony) from the other spouse. This combination of child support and maintenance can easily exceed 50% of the payor’s
Illinois divorce lawyers often speak in code. No code carries more weight than the phrase “604.10 Evaluators” which describe court-appointed experts who provide professional opinions as to the custody of children in divorce litigation. Illinois divorce judges can have thousands of cases on their docket. Illinois divorce judges see dozens of cases each day. Illinois
Pensions are often one of the biggest assets in an Illinois divorce. Unlike cash or property, pensions cannot simply be split at the time of divorce. Instead, Illinois law provides several ways to divide a pension, most commonly through a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), but also through present value or reserved jurisdiction approaches. Choosing
Whether it’s the stress of the divorce or a long-simmering issue, drugs and alcohol are frequent issues in Illinois divorces. Many other issues in divorce are black and white issues; he hit you or he didn’t, she made the money or she didn’t, his schedule allows for time with the kids or it does not. Drugs
In Illinois, if your spouse empties a joint bank account before or during a divorce, you can’t rely on automatic protections but you can file a motion for temporary relief or to maintain the financial status quo. Courts can order the funds restored or award you temporary support. Act quickly and consult a Chicago divorce
The National Academy of Family Law Attorneys has selected Law Office of Russell D. Knight partner, Rebecca Day, for recognition as a “TOP 10” for 2026. From NAFLA’s website: “The National Academy of Family Law Attorneys is an organization devoted to recognizing the top family law attorneys in the nation. With over a million attorneys
Illinois divorce courts make decisions based on evidence. Evidence cannot be presented to an Illinois divorce judge if you don’t have a copy of that evidence. In an Illinois divorce, the evidence you do not already have is often held by the other spouse. In the midst of a divorce, a spouse is not likely
Therapists help people deal with difficult emotional situations. Perhaps no emotional situation is more difficult (or prevalent) than divorce. A therapist’s communications with their divorced or divorcing client are private unless those communications could shed light on some child custody determination. Child custody in Illinois is divided into parenting time and parental decisions. These are
Thinking about divorce is common. Every married person has thought about divorce. Most married people have researched divorce (and stumbled on sites like this). But when it comes to filing for divorce, people are hesitant. Even if a person is ready to file for divorce, when is the best time to file for divorce? At the Law Office
You own a business with a partner. Your partner, however, has another partner: their husband or wife. If that husband-and-wife partnership results in divorce, you can expect to be sucked into the divorce process…but you have a very powerful defense mechanism that can keep you and your business safe. This article explains how to get
When people lament their former spouses’ failings, a polite way to say it is “he/she was impossible.” Be careful…the former spouse just might agree and claim that further compliance with the final divorce decree is impossible. The “impossible” ex-spouse may argue that they are, therefore, excused from following the agreement and/or orders. At the Law
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