Posted on September 01, 2025 in Family Law

Soccer, travel hockey, elite dance, competitive gymnastics, debate, robotics…the list of extracurricular activities is virtually endless, especially once children start junior high and high school. For parents, getting the children to all these activities can seem like a second job. When your child’s calendar is packed with practices, weekend tournaments, and out-of-state trips, a basic parenting plan is unlikely to hold up under the pressure.

Illinois law provides the tools to build something more comprehensive. Once the court allocates decision-making (including about extracurricular activities) and sets parenting time, the parents are expected to submit a written parenting plan. This plan should address pick-ups and drop-offs, health care, time with each parent, holidays, birthdays, and summer vacations.

It should also address the right of first refusal for last-minute emergencies, and cost-sharing plans for extracurricular activities. Many parents submit a "basic" parenting plan when their children are young, then find that it is inadequate to their pre-teen and teenager’s blossoming schedules. If you need assistance with your Illinois parenting plan, speak to an experienced St. Charles, IL family law attorney.

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 Posted on August 31, 2025 in Sexual Harassment

A new study co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign experts who study workplace sexual harassment has definitively shown something many of us already suspected. Men and women often respond differently when they witness workplace sexual harassment. The way co-workers respond to a victim’s sexual harassment in the workplace can significantly impact the victim’s willingness to report and even the victim’s healing process and well-being.

Supportive co-workers can give victims of workplace sexual harassment the "push" they may need to report sexual harassment, when they fear retaliation or not being believed. If you are a victim of workplace sexual harassment, reporting the harassment is vital. You should never have to work in a hostile work environment where sexual harassment is accepted. An experienced Wheaton, IL sexual harassment attorney will ensure your rights and your future are protected.

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 Posted on August 31, 2025 in Family Law

Parents whose salaries are the same from month to month are likely to have little difficulty determining child support amounts during a divorce. The state of Illinois provides a child support estimator, which allows parents to input their parenting times, income, health insurance, spousal support, and extraordinary expenses and get an approximate child support amount.

However, some parents may be self-employed or engage in "gig" work, which can make their monthly income fluctuate substantially. Even parents who have a steady "main" job may engage in gig work on the side to make extra money. In fact, more than 36 percent (57 million) of Americans have a gig work arrangement either as their primary or secondary job. Another 16.5 million Americans are self-employed.

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 Posted on August 22, 2025 in Family Law

Illinois Senate Bill 57, signed into law in 2016, changed the terms "custody" and "visitation" to "allocation of parental responsibilities" and "parenting time." Allocation of parental responsibilities focuses on the best interests of the child. If one parent has a criminal record, then his or her parental responsibilities or parenting time may be affected. However, most criminal convictions will not jeopardize the rights of the parent.

The courts will consider the type of offense, when it occurred, and whether it affects the parent’s ability to provide a safe and stable environment for the child. Criminal offenses that involve violence (including domestic abuse), as well as crimes involving illegal drugs, can weigh against a parent. Older, relatively mild offenses will carry less weight, particularly if the parent can show full rehabilitation.

For example, a bar fight from 15 years ago that ended in assault charges may have little effect on parenting time and parental responsibility allocation, particularly if that parent’s record has been clean since that time. Suppose you are worried that a criminal conviction on your record will adversely affect parental responsibility allocation or parenting time. It can be extremely beneficial to speak to a knowledgeable St. Charles, Illinois family law attorney.

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 Posted on August 21, 2025 in Family Law

Every divorce is unique, and allocation of parenting responsibilities and parenting time is also different, based on each family’s specific circumstances. In Illinois, grandparents do not have an automatic right to spend time with their grandchildren after a divorce. While parenting time decisions and the allocation of parental responsibilities usually involve parents, in some instances, grandparents can petition the court for the right to see their grandchildren.  

Occasionally, a court may consider ordering either regular visitation or supervised visitation for grandparents. In Illinois, 750 ILCS 5/602.9 governs "visitation by certain non-parents." Courts will consider the individual circumstances of any request for visitation by grandparents. If you are a grandparent seeking visitation or a parent who is opposed to such visitation, consulting a skilled Wheaton, Illinois family law attorney can be beneficial.

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 Posted on August 20, 2025 in Sexual Harassment

While there are no definitive statistics on the exact number of companies without HR departments, a significant portion of small businesses and startups – as well as some larger corporations – operate without a dedicated HR department. One study found that one-fourth of Fortune 100 companies did not have an HR department. When there is no formal HR department, addressing sexual harassment claims can be a little more challenging.

With no formal path for reporting sexual harassment in the workplace and no HR policies to guide them, employees may be unsure of where to turn or fear retaliation from supervisors or company owners. Under federal law and the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA), employees in small businesses have the same right to a harassment-free workplace, and employers are legally bound to respond appropriately when complaints arise.

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 Posted on July 31, 2025 in Divorce

Divorce is hard enough when both spouses are involved, even when that "involvement" includes arguments about splitting marital assets, child issues, and alimony. But what happens when a spouse cannot be found? Perhaps your spouse walked away from your marriage years ago. You have recently decided to make the split legal and file for divorce. Unfortunately, you are unable to locate your spouse.

Can you still obtain a divorce in Illinois when your spouse cannot be found? Fortunately, there is a legal path to divorce, even when one spouse cannot be located, although it does require extra steps. Your best course of action is to speak to a knowledgeable St. Charles, IL family law attorney, who can clearly lay out your options for what is known as a default divorce.

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 Posted on July 31, 2025 in Family Law

During a high-conflict custody dispute (known as allocation of parental responsibilities in Illinois), you may be tempted to place a GPS tracker in your child’s backpack or phone for peace of mind. While using GPS technology to keep tabs on your child’s location can make you feel more secure when he or she is with your ex-spouse, there may be legal concerns to consider.

In fact, using a GPS tracking device without the other parent’s knowledge could potentially impact your family court case adversely, or even lead to criminal charges. Before taking steps to track your child’s location, gathering accurate information is crucial. This is a subject that definitely should be discussed with your Wheaton, IL family law attorney before taking such a serious step.

Why Do Some Parents Turn to GPS Trackers During Parenting Time with the Other Parent?

There are several motivations that could prompt a parent to place a GPS tracker in their child’s backpack or on the child’s phone. In today’s uncertain and often unsafe world, safety concerns would certainly be at the top of the list.

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 Posted on July 31, 2025 in Sexual Harassment

There are times when quitting a job is less a choice and more the result of working conditions that no reasonable person could be expected to endure. In Illinois, when an employee resigns due to severe workplace sexual harassment, he or she may have a claim for constructive discharge.

Constructive discharge means the law treats a resignation as if the person were fired. While not every uncomfortable or inappropriate workplace qualifies, if you left your job because of sexual harassment, it is important to speak to a skilled Wheaton, IL sexual harassment lawyer.

What is Constructive Discharge?

Essentially, when an employer creates working conditions so intolerable that an employee is virtually compelled to resign, the courts may consider that resignation a termination for the purposes of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims. The employee must demonstrate that the working conditions were so unbearable that they could not reasonably be expected to continue.

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 Posted on July 22, 2025 in Divorce

An Indiana couple split a collection of beehives during their divorce, while in 1999, a Nevada couple was locked in a contentious battle over a Beanie Baby collection. A Massachusetts couple fought over a "pet" catfish, named Pinky, and another couple included a clause in their divorce that obligated the husband to share half of any future Nobel Prize winnings with his ex-wife.

A Cambodian couple actually sawed their home in half when ending their 18-year marriage. Celebrities have even stranger stories of unusual marital asset divisions. Dennis Hopper’s estranged wife demanded items such as asparagus tongs and rosebushes during the divorce, while actor David Hasselhoff negotiated the exclusive use of his nickname "Hoff," along with the associated catchphrase "Don’t Hassle the Hoff."

As you might imagine, the emotional aspect of a divorce can lead couples to prioritize seemingly trivial items, even over more valuable assets. Couples may also include unusual clauses in their divorce settlements for no other reason than spite. For the "average" couple, the division of unusual assets usually includes frequent flyer miles, cryptocurrency, pets, season tickets, collectibles, intellectual property, hardcopy photos, and digital music collections.

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