If you have filed for divorce or are considering terminating your marriage, you may be overwhelmed at the idea of dividing all of your property. Illinois is an equitable distribution of property state, meaning that all marital property and assets are divided based on what is deemed fair and equitable. Marital or community property involves everything that you amassed throughout your marriage. While it may seem like a lot, there are even more items that you may have overlooked when picking out marital property.
Will you have to pay manimony when you divorce?
If you are an Illinois woman contemplating divorce, you may have heard that alimony is not what it used to be. Traditionally, husbands paid alimony to their ex-wives because the income disparity between them was so great. Today, however, many women earn as much as, if not more than, their husbands. If you are one of them, you should know that it is not uncommon for divorce judges to award alimony to both men and women. That is why these payments now go by the name of spousal support instead of alimony.
When can you request a post-divorce modification or appeal?
As someone who is getting a divorce in Illinois, it's important to know what you can or can't change after your divorce has been made final. Fortunately, there are still some adjustments you may be able to make no matter what stage in the divorce process you're at.
Family law basics
Families are the building block of society, so a category of law pertaining to that foundation makes sense, but what does family law cover? Some Illinois kids might hope they can get out of daily chores by invoking an ordinance against child labor, but family law is about so much more.
What should you know to petition for grandparents' rights?
If you are a grandparent in Illinois and you have filed a petition for visitation rights with your grandchildren, there are some things you should be aware of as you make your request.
The advantages of foster parent adoption
Illinois families who want to expand through adoption may first want to become foster parents in the state. Many find a significant number of benefits come from foster parent adoption.
How can I establish paternity of my child?
If you are an Illinois father who was not married to or in a civil union with your child’s mother at the time of birth, you will be distressed to know that you are not your child’s legal father. The only way to remedy this situation is to establish paternity.
What does Illinois’ new divorce law have to say about pets?
If you are an Illinois resident who loves your dog or cat almost as much as you love your children, you will be glad to know that should your marriage ultimately end in divorce, which of you gets custody of your pet(s) can, in fact, be made just as much of an issue as who gets custody of your kids if you and your spouse fail to agree on these issues. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, a new law went into effect in Illinois on January 1 that allows a family law judge to take the well-being of your pets into consideration just like he or she will take the best interests of your children into consideration.
Understanding asset dissipation
Sometimes a divorce between Illinois residents can be a very acrimonious affair. In some cases, you may suspect a spouse is harming or perhaps even destroying assets that you jointly own in your marriage. According to the Huffington Post, some spouses engage in a particular form of asset destruction known as dissipation.
How does equitable distribution work?
One of the major questions divorcing couples in Illinois face is how a judge will divide up the assets owned by the two spouses. Without a prenuptial agreement in place, a judge will have to determine how to distribute the assets in a legal proceeding. Illinois, like a vast majority of the United States, follows a set of rules known as equitable distribution to guide how assets are divided in divorce cases.
