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What to Expect From Mediation in an Illinois Divorce
For couples who are considering a divorce but would like to avoid a sometimes-lengthy divorce court process, mediation may be the answer. Mediation may allow the couple to work out their divorce in a less confrontational and more collaborative setting. Through mediation, couples can negotiate all the terms of their divorce, including child custody, division of property and assets, division of debt, and spousal support. Even though the goal of mediation is often to avoid divorce court, it is still essential to have an attorney who can prepare you for the mediation process and help you advocate for your rights and interests.
Benefits of Mediation
The mediation process has several benefits for couples who can set aside their differences and work together to reach a settlement.
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Saves time and money – Working with your spouse through mediation can generally take less time than going through divorce court. Time can be saved in planning for negotiations and avoiding the wait to get on a court’s docket. Less time also means it is a less costly option.
What Impacts My Child Support Payments in Illinois?
In any divorce involving children, each parent’s financial support for the child’s needs will be a significant factor in the proceedings. To ensure fairness, Illinois uses the income shares method to determine a parent’s level of child support. It is based on a proportion of the parents’ combined net income. Our attorneys have experience in child support cases and can determine the appropriate levels that you and your spouse should be expected to contribute to your child’s daily and long-term needs.
Factors in Income Shares Method
The basis of the income shares method is the combined net income of both parents. In cases of unemployment or underemployment for one or both spouses, the court can estimate their potential income and use that amount as the basis for the rest of the calculations. To determine the level of basic support that the child or children need, the court will include the costs of food, clothing, education, transportation, medical costs, personal care needs, and other daily expenses. The basic support amount will then be correlated to a monthly cost based on the parent’s net income using a formula developed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Each parent will contribute to the monthly basic support expenses based on their proportion of the combined net income. The greater a parent’s share of the combined income, the greater level of support a parent is expected to contribute.
What is a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity Form in Illinois?
Establishing paternity creates the legal father-child relationship. Confirming paternity is the first step in ensuring that a child will receive the financial support that they need through child support. It is also the first step in establishing the legal rights and responsibilities of the father. For unmarried couples in Illinois, paternity can be established by signing a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) form. However, if this is not possible, paternity may be established through an Administrative Paternity Order or an Order of Paternity through the court system. If you are involved in a paternity case, as either the mother or the father, it is important to work with attorneys who can represent you and your case effectively.
How a VAP works
A VAP is a legal document that establishes the paternity of the child of unmarried parents. It is available to be filled out at the hospital after a child is born and can be completed at the same time as the birth certificate. If the parents prefer to take the form home to read and then complete it, it must be filled out and signed in the presence of a witness who is at least 18 years old. It can be filed at any time after the child is born.
Seven Common Reasons for a Post-Divorce Modification
As children get older, jobs are found and lost, and living situations change, the original agreements that you reached after your divorce may need to be changed too. The settlement that you and your spouse agreed to can be legally amended through mediation, negotiation, or litigation. Based on the reasons for the change, there may be changes to payments for child support or spousal support, or changes to child custody and visitation arrangements. We can work with you to determine whether pursuing a modification is the appropriate action and how best to pursue the action.
Common Reasons for Post-Decree Modification
What Are My Adoption Options in Illinois?
Adding another member to your family through adoption is a life-changing decision. Many considerations are factored into the adoption process to ensure a child is adopted into the right permanent home. Parents in Illinois looking to adopt can do so in various ways, including private adoptions, adopting through an agency, or adopting as a secondary family member. Suppose you are looking to adopt a child into your home. In that case, it is a good idea to hire a family attorney who can help prepare you for the legal investigation and navigate your family through the processes.
Becoming a Foster or Adoptive Parent
Parents can take two key avenues to bring a child into their home. The first way may be through foster care. Children who have been separated from their families or removed from their homes may be in state custody and placed into foster care. That child's welfare team will look to place a child with a temporary family who can promote that child's best interest while preparing to move the child into a permanent home through adoption. A foster parent is responsible for:
Divorcing with a Criminal Record — Will I Lose Child Custody?
Divorcing your spouse presents many complex situations such as division of assets, determining financial responsibilities, and, when children are involved, agreeing upon child custody arrangements. Dealing with children during a divorce is difficult for all family members. Typically, parents and the court try to remain neutral and make arrangements that are in the children's best interests when determining custody. However, there are circumstances where parents are not awarded the custody or parenting time they would like with their children. Extenuating circumstances from the parent's past may present a hurdle when fighting for child custody.
Having a Criminal Record While Fighting For Custody
When judges determine custody during a divorce, they will consider many different factors. As mentioned, the court wants to create the best environment for the children. The judge will take into account:
What Do I Include in an Illinois Prenuptial Agreement?
When considering marriage, it is essential to discuss all of the legal aspects of this new chapter in your life with your partner. While many marriages are blissful, there are times when couples decide to separate or divorce. In the case of a separation or divorce, having a prenuptial agreement will help the process move along peacefully, efficiently, and quickly compared to a divorce proceeding without a prenup. If you are preparing for marriage with your partner, begin by speaking with a skilled family attorney who can create a prenuptial agreement that is best for your relationship.
Why Prenuptial Agreements are Useful
Why draft a document in the case of a divorce if you are sure you are marrying your soulmate? Many people avoid prenups for this reason. However, they could wind up regretting it later in life. Couples may decide to divorce for many reasons, not simply because of mistreatment or lack of love. Often, couples will separate or divorce due to relocation, financial incompatibility, or even disagreements in parenting styles. Even if you are sure your future spouse is the one, it may be helpful to dictate how your assets would be divided if your relationship ended. Having a plan may even help reduce any friction that would cause bad blood between you and your partner during a roadblock in your marriage.
Are Debts Shared in a Plainfield, IL Divorce?
Throughout a marriage, couples wind up sharing many important assets. Joint assets in marriage can range from physical things such as cars and homes to retirement plans and accumulated debt. Dividing up marital property can be tricky, especially when it comes to each spouses’ financial health. An experienced divorce attorney may be able to help divide the debt between the spouses in a way that ensures both spouses maintain a secure financial position.
Understanding Shared Debt
Both partners are responsible for the debt accumulated during the marriage unless it is explicitly specified that only one spouse was responsible for a certain payment through a prenuptial agreement or other agreement. If the debt owed was created prior to the marriage, then that payment is typically the sole responsibility of that individual. However, there are special situations that deviate from these general rules.
What to Do If You Can’t Afford Your Child Support Payments Anymore
When parents decide to proceed with a divorce, many changes to the family occur. From dividing assets to child support, a divorce decree is set to ensure that both spouses continue their financial obligations to the family. Child support orders are set based on the financial health of both parents during the time of the marriage dissolution. However, finances, jobs, and spending habits change over the course of a person’s life. If a change in your financial situation has left you unable to afford your child support payments, you may be eligible to alter your child support order.
Step 1: Find a Skilled Family Attorney
Changing a child support order can be a difficult process. A divorce decree is a legally binding document, so a person cannot just hold off on making payments that align with a court order. When a person becomes unable to afford their child support, it is important to first reach out to a family attorney who can walk a parent through the process of petitioning for a change. A lawyer can help navigate the legal process of modifying child support in a timely and legally correct manner.
Reasons People May Fail the Home Study During an Adoption
The process of adopting a child can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a family’s life. The potential for adding to your family is both exciting and stressful, especially considering the many difficulties of navigating the adoption process. Due to the significance of adopting a child, the state and adoption agencies may require prospective adoptive families to undergo studies and tests to ensure that the adoptive child is the best fit for that family, including a home study on the family members. Here are some of the most common reasons a family may not pass the home study during an adoption.
A Parent Has a Criminal History
During the home study, adoption agencies are looking for parents who will be the best role models for their kids. Although a criminal history, including felony or misdemeanor convictions, is not always representative of who a person is, an adoption agency may feel that a parent with a criminal background is not the best fit for a child. As long as a parent is truthful regarding their background, most minor charges will not prevent them from adopting. However, adoption is usually prohibited for people with convictions for sex crimes involving a child or child abuse charges.
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