When children are born out of wedlock in Illinois, establishing paternity is required to ensure a father's rights and the rights of his children are protected. Illinois law assumes paternity in families where the parents are married, but it does not when the father and mother are not married. Without established paternity, a child's rights to a father's property and other benefits, and the father's parental rights and privileges, can be at risk. How to Establish Paternity in … [Read more...]

On rare occasions, couples who move forward with plans to divorce find that their marriages were never valid marriages in Illinois, placing them in the category of "putative marriage." A putative marriage creates a number of legal concerns in the divorce proceedings, because the marriage agreement was never valid to begin with and another legal spouse may exist. Those who find themselves in the role of putative spouse need to understand their rights and how to protect them as they move … [Read more...]

Medical conditions, both in the child and in on one of the parents, can have a direct impact on the decision about custody in an Illinois divorce. All of the issues handled in custody decisions, including visitation, custody, support, and property division, become more complex when weighing medical needs. Understanding these impacts is important when entering child custody decisions. Special Needs Children and Child Custody A child who has special needs may have additional expenses to care … [Read more...]

With sheltering in place being mandated across the country, divorced parents find it difficult to proceed with their parenting orders and custody agreements while maintaining compliance with the "stay at home" mandates. This situation is actually quite complicated, because moving a child from one house to the next does not follow current stay at home guidelines and can increase exposure to the virus. For parents to maintain their custody agreements while adhering to the mandates, certain steps … [Read more...]

When a divorcing parent has safety concerns around the other parent, the courts in Illinois often set up supervised visitation opportunities. Many situations can put a child's safety at risk, and parents have the right to request supervised visitation for the other parent if they feel a safety issue exists. Understanding what this entails and how it may protect children will help parents move forward with custody arrangements and make the best requests from the courts. What Is Supervised … [Read more...]