Category: Family Law

When a couple heads towards divorce and one party was the stay-at-home parent or homemaker, the courts take into consideration the non-monetary contributions to the home when considering things like alimony, distribution of property, and determining earning capacity. In Illinois, protections are in place to ensure the stay-at-home spouse is able to return to the workforce and succeed after the divorce is final.

Child support obligations do not generally cease when the paying parent becomes disabled, but disability can affect payment amounts as well as when and how they are received. The expected duration of the disability, whether the paying parent has private, employer-sponsored, or social security disability benefits, and whether back payments are owed can all impact future child support. 

Going through a divorce with custody issues is hard enough, however, the level of contention increases exponentially when one parent is a narcissist. In this situation, the other parent needs to remain strong and prepared for almost anything the narcissist might try to manipulate during the custody case.

In cases where a child could come to immediate harm or risks removal from the state, parents can seek emergency hearings to obtain parental responsibility. While these cases often come with large amounts of stress, the process for seeking emergency hearings is relatively simple.

When parents are embroiled in child custody battles in Illinois, failing to be involved in the child's daily activities, not addressing drug, alcohol, or other parental fitness issues, or disparaging the other parent can cause them to lose a custody case. Both parents have equal rights to pursue custody of their children and avoiding these types of conduct can help ensure that parents win custody of their children.

While an extramarital affair alone won't cause a parent to be ineligible for sharing parental responsibilities, it could make it more difficult to convince the court that the parent is stable and responsible.

While the allocation of parental responsibilities is finalized with an Allocation Judgement entered in a divorce or parentage case, this enforceable court order is modifiable under certain circumstances. However, there is a specific process that must be followed.

Divorce can be an extremely difficult experience for children. As moms and dads adapt to single parenting methods and new ways of communicating, children are often left feeling confused, hurt, and lost in the shuffle. Fortunately, there are things divorcing parents can do to help protect their children from many of the effects of divorce.