Robert Levenson, UC Berkeley psychologist, became interested in studying marriage and divorce during the 1980’s, when he launched his longitudinal study with 156 couples in California. Levenson recruited couples from newspaper ads, public transit stations, senior centers, and churches, touching base with the couples every five years to learn about the challenges and triumphs the couples faced in their marriage.

The federal government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into programs that are designed to promote healthy marriages, but a new study has found this spending hasn’t impacted marriage or divorce trends the way they were intended.

Spousal maintenance, also referred to as spousal support or alimony, refers to the transfer of money or assets from one spouse to another after a divorce. Spousal support exists in order to prevent a divorced spouse from suffering from a decrease in his or her standard of living due to a divorce.

The “mother-in-law” has historically been the brunt of many comedic one liners. How many mothers-in-law does it take to screw in a light bulb? None – she always gets the son-in-law to do it! How many mothers-in-law does it take to ruin a marriage? - Just one, mine!

Child abuse is a heinous and often hidden crime that is difficult to detect and, even when detected, it can be difficult to punish the perpetrators. Once child abuse is suspected, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (“DCFS”) has in place an extensive plan to investigate the allegations and concrete measures to take to further protect the child from harm.

On May 22nd 2013, Illinois unanimously passed the Right of First Refusal (“ROFR”) law in both of its Houses of Congress. It was officially implemented as part of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act Section 602.3, and went into effect on January 14th, 2014.

Few legal matters are more sensitive and personal than a divorce. The breakdown of a marriage and the decision to separate is often made after months or years of reflection and personal struggle. Yet, it is important to remember that divorce is a public act. Just as a marriage itself is a public affirmation of a relationship (with attended benefits and obligations under the law), the dissolution of that union requires going to court and having official action taken. As a result, most of the divorce details--at least all items filed with the court--will likely become public record.

Following a divorce or separation by parents, a court in Illinois may grant sole physical custody to one party. This parent is usually referred to as the “custodial”parent, and the non-custodial parent will usually still have visitation rights. In most cases children will spend far more time with a custodial parent, and that parent will have more obligations to provide proper care.

If you are going through a divorce, there is more to consider than the physical separation from your spouse. Especially if you have been married a long time, the division of property can be the most complicated and difficult step of the proceeding. According to the Illinois General Assembly and the state’s Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, Illinois is an equitable distribution state. This means that all property acquired during the marriage will be considered for equitable distribution, regardless of whose name is on the deed. The only possessions that will not be considered for …

When going through a divorce, one of the most important things you can do to ensure that the process goes smoothly is to hire the right divorce attorney. At the Davi Law Group, we provide personalized attention to all our clients so that they can begin to move on with their lives. When going through a divorce there are several things to keep in mind in order to stay on top of the proceeding—choosing the right divorce attorney is paramount. “It is difficult to know where to turn when you are faced with divorce,” the Huffington Post reports. There are several things to keep in mind when …

It is not unusual for couples to turn to adoption instead of having their own biological children. There are many different reasons couples, or single individuals, may choose to take the adoption route. That being said, it is critical that these people make themselves as familiar as possible with the Illinois adoption process before jumping into it head-first. When getting started with the adoption process, the first step is to locate and contact an adoption agency. Once you have selected one, you must apply for adoption and will be asked to complete the licensing process. This process…

For whatever the reason, a few decades ago, you and your spouse turned to the adoption process to firmly plant your family tree. You lovingly declared a life-long commitment to raising your adoptive child and guided them to adulthood. Of course, you made a few mistakes along the way, who hasn’t, but never once did you waiver from your original commitment. So why is your adult child now announcing that they now want to uproot your family tree by branching out to include biological family members?