30% of American adults don’t drink at all. Another 30% have less than one drink a week. The top 10% of drinking Americans drink an average of 73.85 drinks a week. The second decile of drinkers (20% to 10%) drink 15.3 drinks a week which can be a lot but probably does not affect their…
This is number four in my series of things to do with children while you’re parenting alone. Whether you are divorced, separated or just alone for the day with the kids, I hope these posts can be a guide of things to do with your kids in a city that isn’t set up for kids,…
This article will be the first in a series of articles I’ll write about advice on how to parent in Chicago alone. Whether you’re divorced, separated or just have the kids alone for a weekend, constructive activities are an important way to turn your time with your children into quality time. You want to enjoy…
In Illinois, throughout the divorce or parentage process the parties are required to exchange and submit parenting plans. A parenting plan is “a written agreement that allocates significant decision-making responsibilities, parenting time, or both.” 750 ILCS 5/600(f) The parties come to an agreement on the parenting plan or the court orders a parenting plan that…
Often a parent will exercise his parenting time without actually being with the child. The worst cases of this phenomenon are when a parent just drops the children off with his or her mother. Other cases are as simple as a parent going to the grocery store and leaving the child by his or herself…
Orders of protection can be obtained either through the criminal courts or through the civil courts. A criminal order of protection is obtained through the underlying crime (usually assault or battery). The state’s attorney should provide you with the help you need in getting a criminal order of protection in conjunction with the prosecution of…
For years Illinois had a “grandparents’ rights” statute in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution Act. Then in 2002, Wickham vs. Byrne, 769 N.E.2d 1 (2002) was decided in the Illinois Supreme Court holding that the grandparents’ rights portion of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution Act was unconstitutional. Then in 2016, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution…
In Illinois, the only law regarding telephone or electronic contact with children is the requirement that “provisions for communications, including electronic communications, with the child during the other parent’s parenting time,” 750 ILCS 602.10(e)(11), be included in the Parenting plan. There is, however, a longstanding tradition that whichever parent is not with the children that day…
New relationships of your ex can always be full of concern. You find yourself dealing with a third-party who has not been vetted and someone who your ex has selected. While many significant others are harmless, in some instances, they can have a criminal past. This becomes especially concerning if they are classified as a…
This situation is extremely common for Chicago’s firemen, police, and hospital workers. Typically, some kind of letter is required from your employer outlining the conditions of your employment including the scheduling arrangement. If your schedule is truly in constant flux, most parenting agreements include a notice provision to accommodate parenting time for the parent with…
