Collecting stamps, coins, fine wines, or other collectibles is not just a fun hobby, it can also be extremely lucrative. If you are a collector, you know just how valuable collections can be. Collections are treated the same as any other assets during a divorce. This means that both spouses may have a right to an equitable share of the collection’s value. Valuing and dividing collections and other high-value assets during a divorce can be quite involved. For help, reach out to a divorce lawyer experienced in complex property division issues.

Who Has Ownership Rights of a Collection?

Many collectors spend years or even decades accumulating items. Often, the value of a collection is greater than the value of the objects individually. Not only do collections have monetary value, they also have significant sentimental value to the individual who worked hard to amass them.

Examples of collections that will need to be addressed during divorce include:

If you do a quick Google search for “sexual harassment,” you may notice that the results often assume that the perpetrator of the harassment is a man and the victim is a woman. While it is true that sexual harassment victims are more likely to be women, men can also be sexually harassed. Sexual harassment can happen to anyone of any gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, or profession. Likewise, sexual harassment perpetrators may be men or women of any demographic.

Unfortunately, the stereotype of a male authority figure harassing a female subordinate has limited our view of sexual harassment in the workplace. Sometimes, this can make it harder for atypical harassment and discrimination victims to come forward and report the harassment. This is especially true of same-sex sexual harassment victims.

Sexual Harassment When The Victim and Perpetrator Are the Same Genders

When a woman is sexually harassed by another woman or a man is sexually harassed by another man, the victim is often hesitant to make a report. They may second guess themselves or wonder if they are overreacting to the situation. Some same-sex harassment victims may also be LGBT individuals who are still “in the closet” or simply want to keep their sexuality private. They worry that reporting the harassment will “out” them to co-workers.

 Being sexually harassed is an incredibly demeaning, embarrassing experience to go through. Whether an individual was the victim of quid pro quo harassment or hostile work environment harassment, the situation likely caused them many sleepless nights. Although it is every worker’s right to be free from discrimination and harassment at work, filing a sexual harassment complaint takes a great deal of courage. Unfortunately, some workers report harassment only to find themselves facing punishment or retaliation from an employer.

If you reported sexual harassment and your employer and/or the person you reported is retaliating against you, you should know that this behavior is unlawful. Retaliation violates state and federal law, and you do not have to tolerate it.

Examples of Retaliation After a Sexual Harassment Report

Imagine the following scenario: A woman has put up with her co-workers’ rude, derogatory, and offensive remarks about her body for long enough. She decides to assert her rights and file a sexual harassment complaint with her employer’s human resources department and end the harassment once and for all. She returns to work the next day only to learn that her work hours have been cut in half.

Digital currencies have become an increasingly important component of investors’ portfolios. It is estimated that just under four percent of people own cryptocurrency, meaning there are more than 300 million people invested in digital currency across the globe. Cryptocurrency, NFTs, and other non-traditional assets are much harder to value and divide during divorce than other types of assets. Not only is cryptocurrency subject to volatile fluctuations in value over short periods of time, but these assets are also easy to hide from a partner during divorce.

Crypto May Be Used to Hide Assets

Digital currencies are not held in a bank, making them easy to conceal during divorce. Spouses who want to avoid sharing digital assets during their divorce may simply fail to disclose the assets on their financial disclosure form. Often, the best way to find hidden assets is to look for clues in financial documents like tax returns or loan applications. Forensic accounting and asset tracing may be needed to find cryptocurrency and other investments in a divorce.

Illinois law gives divorcing spouses the right to an equitable share of marital property. Cryptocurrency acquired during the marriage is marital property subject to division in divorce. If you suspect that your spouse is not disclosing all of his or her property during divorce, contact a skilled lawyer for help.

Parents are not perfect. Many parents have made mistakes in their past that they regret, but this does not necessarily make them any less qualified to care for their children. On the other hand, some parents have shown a pattern of criminal behavior that does make it more likely for child abuse or neglect to take place.

Many divorcing and unmarried parents have questions about how a parent’s criminal history can impact child parenting matters. Does having a criminal history automatically prevent a parent from getting parenting time? What if a parent has concerns about their child’s safety with the other parent? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to questions like these. Courts make child-related decisions on a case-by-case basis. However, it is very possible that a parent’s criminal history may impact the court’s decision regarding parental responsibilities and parenting time.

The Child’s Best Interests is Paramount

Illinois courts always prioritize the child during any child-related matter. If there is evidence to suggest that a parent may represent a danger to the child, the court may order restricted parenting time. Restrictions may include: