Recent Blog Posts

 Posted on February 12, 2016 in Main

When two people divorce, they may arrive at an acceptable settlement to allocate their property and other interests, including parenting time with children and an amount of support. However, this does not close the book on all marriage-related matters forever. It is possible in Illinois to make certain modifications to your divorce decree after a Judgment is entered, though not all issues may be reopened.

Spousal & Child Support

In Illinois, a modification to either spousal support or child support may be made if a “substantial change in circumstances” has taken place. Modifications usually occur when someone has either sustained a loss (for example, if the noncustodial parent is loses a job), or when someone has had their financial situation improve. However, it is important to remember that until a court rules on a motion for a modification, payments must continue as previously set. If a party ceased paying support, or began to pay less, it could result in a party filing a petition seeking contempt of court.

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 Posted on February 05, 2016 in Main

If you have adopted a foreign-born child, you may wish to go through a process called re-adoption after returning to Illinois. Though not required by law, re-adoption offers several benefits to both adoptive parents and the adopted child. Further, the process is usually a simple and happy occasion.

Reasons for Re-adopting

Perhaps the biggest reason for re-adopting is that the process ensures that any rights of the biological parents to the child are terminated. This will help protect against any potential issues, however rare they may be, that could arise in the future. Another benefit is that during the re-adoption process, the child's name can be legally changed. Frequently, adoptive parents desire to select their own name for their adopted child.

By re-adopting, documentation of the birth can be obtained simply by contacting the Illinois Vital Records. This is important because it avoids potential difficulty in obtaining the foreign adoption decree. Re-adoption allows for the creation of a Record of Foreign Birth, which is a legal and binding document that the adoptive parents receive upon the completion of the adoption. In order to acquire a Record of Foreign Birth, the adoptive parents must submit a Certified Illinois Certificate of Adoption and some other form of evidence of the child's date and place of birth, such as a certified copy of the original birth certificate.

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 Posted on January 28, 2016 in Main

Paternity can be established in a number of different ways under Illinois law. Establishing paternity is important because, once established, a court can allocate parental responsibilities (formerly known as custody), allocate parenting time, and order child support. The level of complexity in establishing paternity depends upon the particular circumstances of the individuals involved.

Paternity Determinations

Under Illinois law, paternity is established through any of the following means:

1. Marriage to or civil union with a child's biological mother at the time of birth or within 300 days prior to the child being born;
2. Marriage to the biological mother after birth and the father is listed on the child's birth certificate;
3. Court order of parentage or Department of Healthcare and Family Services (DHFS) administrative order of parentage; or

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 Posted on January 15, 2016 in Main

At the beginning of the year, changes went into effect in Illinois related to the process for obtaining a divorce. The fault grounds for a divorce have been eliminated. Instead, divorces will be granted when irreconcilable differences exist in the marriage.

Elimination of Fault

Previously, divorce in Illinois could be based on some sort of fault by one of the parties. This included acts such as adultery or physical and/or mental cruelty. As 2016 begins, Illinois will no longer deal with these fault grounds for divorce. Instead, under Illinois law, couples can get divorced when it is shown that they have irreconcilable differences causing an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. This means that prior efforts at reconciliation have been unsuccessful and future attempts are not practicable.

Irreconcilable differences exist when there is an inability of the couple to agree on basic, fundamental issues and there is no possibility of them ever agreeing. Issues that may lead to a finding of irreconcilable differences include, but are not limited to:

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 Posted on January 08, 2016 in Main

Individuals who are planning on marrying may be interested in forming a premarital agreement. This type of agreement defines the rights and responsibilities of each party during a relationship, as well as what happen in the event the relationship ends. Premarital agreements are also referred to as prenuptial agreements.

Forming an Agreement

Pursuant to Illinois law, a premarital agreement is an agreement made between individuals who intend to marry each other. The agreement becomes effective once the marriage actually occurs. In order to be enforceable, the agreement must be in writing, signed by both parties, and entered into voluntarily.

While most agreements require consideration to be exchanged between the contracting parties, premarital agreements do not require consideration in order to be enforceable. Individuals can agree (or contract) to the following in their premarital agreement:

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 Posted on December 28, 2015 in Main

Adoption brings together a child in need of parents and individuals who are willing to meet that need. As a result, adoptions are very beneficial for both children and parents. However, due to the different nature of adoption, there are unique issues related to the child's birth certificate.

Requesting a Copy of a Birth Certificate

Under Illinois law, an adult adoptee (considered a person 21 years of age or older) can request a non-certified copy of his or her original birth certificate. Further, this law allows the biological parents of a child placed for adoption to specify whether they would like to be available in the event the child wishes to contact them. Biological parents can also make their identifying information available.

In order to request an original birth certificate, the individual must fill out a Request for a Non-Certified Copy of Original Birth Certificate. This form must be submitted with a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID and a check or money order for $15 to the Illinois Department of Public Health (Department).

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 Posted on December 18, 2015 in Main

Under certain circumstances, an individual may wish to request that a court declare his or her marriage invalid. Invalidity of a marriage, which was formerly known as annulment, is a distinct process from divorce. In order to have a marriage declared invalid, the marriage must have occurred under specific circumstances as described by law.

Invalid Marriages

Under Illinois law, a marriage may be found invalid if it was entered into under one of the following conditions:

1. One party did not have the ability to consent at the time of the marriage, which can occur because of a mental incapacity, or through the use of alcohol, drugs, or other substances, or because the party entered the marriage against his or her will (for example, because of the use of force);
2. One party does not have the ability to engage in sexual intercourse due to a physical condition and, therefore, cannot consummate the marriage;

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 Posted on December 11, 2015 in Main

In addition to child custody and visitation modifications, several significant changes to family law in Illinois will take effect January 1, 2016. These changes impact parents with children of all ages, as well as the process for obtaining a divorce.

Changes to Illinois Law

Beginning in January, under Illinois law, irreconcilable differences will be the only basis for divorce. As a result, it will no longer be necessary to argue and prove fault (such as mental cruelty, adultery and/or abandonment) to complete the divorce process. Also, if the parties have lived separate and apart for six months prior to the entry of the judgment to dissolve the marriage, there is a presumption that irreconcilable differences exist. Importantly, this presumption cannot be rebutted. The six-month period is a change from the previous two-year requirement.

After a divorce has been completed that involves children, custodial parents in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties will be allowed to relocate up to 25 miles from their current residence without court permission. Parents in all other counties will be allowed to move up to 50 miles from their current residence without the permission of the court. Additionally, parents can move up to 25 miles across state lines without court permission.

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 Posted on December 04, 2015 in Main

When a couple decides to get divorced, it can be particularly hard on any children involved. This is true even when a divorce is amicable and parents put the interests of their children first. Most times, children are kept together when it comes to child custody determinations. However, under certain circumstances, there may be reasons why it is desirable to have siblings split between the parents.

Splitting Siblings

Courts usually believe that it is in the best interests of children to keep siblings together and that the loss of living with one parent is already difficult enough. Therefore, the preservation of the sibling relationship is important. However, there are situations in which splitting up siblings may be acceptable and include the following scenarios:

1. Siblings are not able to get along, to the point that they are abusive or combative towards each other;

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 Posted on November 27, 2015 in Main

If you are interested in adopting a child from outside of the United States, it is important for you to be aware of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Convention). The Hague Convention made some significant changes to the requirements in international adoptions. While these changes increased the protections for those involved in adoptions, it also increased the time international adoptions take to complete. The following examines the requirements placed on adoption service providers under the Hague Convention.

Hague Adoption Convention

The Hague Convention is an international agreement intended to establish safeguards to ensure that intercountry adoptions occur in the best interest of the child being adopted and to prevent the abduction, sale, or trafficking of children. In the U.S., the Hague Convention became effective in 2008. The Hague Convention is applicable to all adoptions between the U.S. and other countries that have also adopted the Hague Convention. Most of the countries that individuals from the U.S. adopt children from are Hague Convention countries. A full list of the member nations of the Hague Convention can be found online.

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