For most divorcing couples the marital home is the most valuable asset they have. If that house was purchased while the couple was married, the house is a marital asset and therefore divisible in a divorce. Even if the house was purchased before the marriage, if the house was put into both couples’ names or…
Child support in Illinois is calculated based on a complicated formula where both parents’ incomes are used to calculate the non-custodial parent’s obligation to the custodial parent. This amount of money is then ordered to be paid by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent. This calculated child support is usually deducted from the obligor’s…
When a marriage breaks apart, it’s a horrible and painful process. When adultery is the cause of the break up, it makes things even harder. Beyond the mere hurt of being rejected for someone else, the betrayal and lack of trust after adultery makes everything about a divorce harder. It is one thing to not…
You can definitely be put in jail for not paying child support in Chicago, Illinois…but it takes a while. Petition for Rule To Show Cause An order for child support is a court order like any other order from the court. If child support is not being paid pursuant to that order, then the order…
A divorcing couple is inherently in a state of disagreement. When the parties have children, the disputes between the couple can bleed into the parenting arrangements made for temporary parenting time. Many couples will already be in a parenting time status quo as a separation often preludes a divorce. In these cases, courts will often…
During Chicago winters, it’s incredibly easy to find a reason to stay indoors, especially with all the articles available in this series, but to avoid the colder season altogether would be to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Kids in Chicago already stay inside far too long and often. If you’re sharing parenting time…
Yes. At least once, if you’re both agreed, unless you’re the Respondent (the person who didn’t file) then you just need to sign. If you’re not agreed, sooner or later you’re probably going to have to give testimony in court…but it’s rarer than you would think. When do people appear in court? In Cook County,…
What if you want a divorce and your spouse wants a divorce too? Do you need to go through the entire divorce process? The formal service, the mediation, the exchange of documents and the trial can all be avoided if there is a full agreement of the parties. Joint Simplified Divorce If you both want…
This is the 18th edition of “Parenting Alone in Chicago.” A series of articles I publish that help provide ideas and details for single parents when they exercise their parenting time after a divorce or separation. Sometimes, when looking for a place for your younger children to play, it makes more sense, especially for parents…
A divorce happens in Illinois when a Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage is entered in the courts. Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage A judgment of dissolution of marriage always contains this clause: “The parties are awarded a Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage and the bonds of matrimony existing between Petitioner and Respondent are hereby dissolved.”…
