According to Illinois family law, a child’s legal parents are responsible for the minor’s financial security and welfare. Stepparents do not have a legal obligation to support stepchildren. The law is designed to serve the child—not the parents. As a result, remarriage does not impact child maintenance payments. Illinois courts follow guidelines established by the…
Child custody laws in Illinois are rarely general guidelines. Rather, child custody orders issued by the courts must be strictly followed. Violations of child custody orders can result in stiff punishments. Here’s how to respond when an ex fails to abide by custody orders. When a marriage ends, the divorcing parents will be given a…
If you have young children and are going through a divorce, the courts will determine child custody or parental responsibilities. People often refer to “custody” for both legal and physical custody, but they are two separate decisions. Know that it’s possible for children to spend half their time with you, but your ex still has…
Laws surrounding spousal support, also known as alimony or maintenance, have recently undergone major changes when it comes to taxation. According to current Illinois law, recipients of spousal support no longer need to claim it as income, and payors may no longer deduct alimony on tax forms. Alimony is awarded to one spouse during or…
The timeline for finalizing a divorce in Illinois varies significantly. Factors that determine how quickly a divorce is settled include whether or not the divorce is uncontested or contested. Divorces that fall into the latter category take substantially longer to settle. What is an uncontested divorce? An uncontested divorce occurs when both spouses agree on…