Going through a divorce can be incredibly difficult for all parties involved. However, a divorce takes a special toll on the children of a failing marriage. Custody battles can get nasty, but in the end the judge is supposed to make decisions that are the best interest of the children. More and more frequently, judges are finding that shared parenting time is what is best for the children involved.

If you are considering divorce, you may have concerns regarding whether or not you will have to pay alimony, also known as spousal support or maintenance. Spousal support is less common than it once was, but it is still ordered in some divorces.

Time magazine recently reported on the history of divorce in the United States. While it may be assumed that divorce is a modern concept that did not become popular until the 1960s and 1970s, the first uptick in the American divorce was approximately 200 years beforehand.

In Illinois, there is a statute that regulates a sperm donor’s liability for child support. Illinois law removes child support liability from any sperm donor as long as the insemination takes place with the assistance of a licensed physician. This is the only time donor agreements are specifically upheld in Illinois.

If you have followed any recent celebrity news, or even mainstream news, you have probably heard about the impending divorce of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie—two of the most famous people in the United States.

NOTE: As of July 2017, the law governing child support in Illinois has changed. Please see our Child Support page for more information.

If someone is alleging that you are the father to a child that you do not believe is yours, then it is important to take the necessary steps to prove parentage and make sure that you are not liable for child support or other responsibilities to the mother or child.

It is no secret that Illinois child welfare system, specifically the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS), has various problems that need to be fixed. The Chicago Tribune describes the state’s child welfare system as “troubled.” However, hope is on the horizon.

NOTE: As of July 2017, the law governing child support in Illinois has changed. Please see our Child Support page for more information.

Studies show that children who witness a domestic violence attack grow up feeling isolated and vulnerable. Witnessing an incident can mean more than just seeing an attack happen. It can also mean a child hearing threats or fighting noises of an abusive situation, or observing the aftermath such as blood, bruises, crying, torn clothing, and broken items around the house. All of these can have long term effects on the child of an abusive relationship.

If you in the process of a divorce or even just considering divorce, it is important that you have a basic understanding of divorce mediation because it may be a viable, or even your best, option.

Historically, in order to get a divorce, one of the parties would have to prove that there were “grounds” for the divorce. Accepted grounds included adultery, abandonment, and cruelty. In the 1970s states began to pass so called “no fault” divorce laws. No fault divorce laws allow couples to get divorced without one of them being blamed for bad behavior. At the beginning of this year, Illinois made changes to its divorce law to make it even easier for couples to take advantage of the no fault statute.

At the beginning of 2016, Illinois family law went through some major changes. These new laws included provisions regarding who the child lives with, now called parenting time, and laws dealing with who has the responsibility for making important decisions about the child’s life, termed “parental responsibility.” Now, as a consequence of the changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, an Illinois court has recognized a “psychological” parent and given her significant parenting time and parenting responsibilities.