You always want to maintain a strong relationship with your child. As a result, determining a parenting arrangement can be a particularly stressful aspect of divorce. Significant decision making (formerly called custody) and parenting time (formerly called visitation)...
The Family Law Firm That Puts You First
Year: 2021
Do I have a right to visit my grandchild when a parent has denied me access?
Every state treats grandparent visitation differently. In Illinois, grandparents do not have an automatic right to visit their grandchildren when their grandchild’s parents are divorced or separated. In fact, the bar for a grandparent to seek and get visitation is...
What happens to stocks in divorce?
Many people spend significant time, money, and effort building a solid stock portfolio. Divorce can significantly impact such investments. It is important to know how the court may handle your investment portfolio, stock options and restricted stock. Timing is...
Legal child custody and your children’s health
When Chicago parents split up, they must work out an allocation of parental responsibilities. Actually, they have to deal with two forms of custody: physical and legal. Physical custody, or parenting time as it's known in Illinois, is what most of us think about when...
Division of retirement plans in a divorce
A few months ago, we wrote about some of the issues older couples face when divorcing. One of the items addressed was the division of retirement accounts. Today, we’re back with specifics about how you can determine the value of different retirement plans that are...
A much-deserved distinction for one of our family law attorneys
The DePaul Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center recruits successful and prominent members of the Chicago family law community to serve on its Advisory Board. Members serve two-year terms and provide support through feedback and advice about the family law...
How common is it for spouses to have separate bank accounts?
In 2018, Bank of America conducted a survey and found that an increasing number of spouses were keeping separate bank accounts after marriage instead of pooling funds into joint accounts. The research showed that maintaining separate bank accounts was most common...
Is my spouse hiding assets during our divorce?
You cannot get a fair share of the assets in your divorce if you are not aware of everything you and your spouse own. Although you are required to disclose all of your income and assets during divorce proceedings, some people still try to conceal them. If your spouse...
Divorce rates are dropping, but “gray divorce” is rising: Why?
Whether you call it a “diamond divorce,” a “silver splitter” or “gray divorce,” one thing is certain: Your odds of getting a divorce when you’re 50 years of age or older is actually now higher than ever. As a whole, the overall divorce rate has been declining in the...
The Basics of Child Custody Evaluations in Illinois
In any family law matter, child-related issues can quickly become contentious. Ideally, parents will work together to create a parenting plan that works best for their family. However, in many cases, parents are not able to resolve differences about parenting matters...