As a new year comes, so do the effective dates of many new statutes that Illinois has passed in 2017. Several of these laws involve family law matters. Pet Custody The first and most talked about change is the authority for courts to now determine “pet custody” in divorce cases. We have previously done a…
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Over the last several years, the issue of pets in family law situations has drawn an increase in attention. First, pets were allowed to be protected under an Order of Protection and possession be granted to one of the parties. Starting January 1, 2018, the ownership and responsibility of a pet can now be litigated…
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This is the season to be pro-business. First President Trump and Congress passed significant tax reforms that are intended to help businesses, especially small businesses. Whether or not this occurs will be seen. However, one area in which the Illinois Government has reached out to help Illinois businesses is to lower the filing fees associated…
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Kids everywhere wait in anxious anticipation for the holidays, in particular, Christmas, because it means endless cookies, get-togethers with family, and most of all – presents! For the children of the separated or newly divorced parents, however, it also means a certain amount of anxiety over who does what, when, where, and how. As with…
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Most people today have an IRA, and sometimes more than one. IRA’s and 401(k)’s and other qualified plan assets have become more popular, taking the place of more traditional pension plans. Whether an employer makes any contributions, or not, people are increasingly aware of their own need to put money aside for retirement into pre-tax…
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The law never sleeps. While I am not sure this is a quotation I can attribute to anyone, in particular, the sentiment is all too true. Recently the Illinois legislature made even more changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA) by the passage of Public Act 100-0520. These changes follow on the…
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While many blog articles of late have dealt with the new child support statute in Illinois, the modification to the maintenance statute that went into effect on January 1, 2015, is still a topic that generates a lot of discussions. This is especially true now as many cases decided under the old law are now…
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The week of October 22-28 is National Pro Bono Week. When people think of attorneys, they probably don’t think of pro bono work, but a pro bono ethic is built right into the fabric of the legal profession. The phrase, “pro bono” is actually short for, “pro bono publico” meaning “for the public good.” In…
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According to The National Center for Education Statistics, about 35% of children ages 3-21 have some kind of learning disability. About 20% have a speech or language impairment. More significantly, about 9% of this population has autism, 6% have an intellectual disability, another 6% have developmental delay, 5% have some kind of emotional disturbance, and…
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The benefits of doing a living trust and transferring your assets into the trust during life are many. A primary benefit is that your estate will circumvent the probate process when you pass, if you do things right, saving your loved ones many months of administrative burdens, delays, attorney’s fees and other costs. You also…
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