Mother and son reunited after 35-year separation

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Tuesday, November 26, 2013. After being separated for approximately 35 years, a mother and son will be reunited thanks, in part, to the kindness of a stranger. The separation began when the child’s father, who was estranged from the mother, picked the child up at his home in Illinois for what appeared to be a routine visit. According to the mother, the father left the United States with the child and took him to Mexico, ignoring her repeated pleasContinue reading

False allegations of child abuse

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Thursday, November 21, 2013. Two recent incidents of false allegations of child abuse have received a fair amount of publicity in Illinois and around the country. Parents in Texas have lost child custody after doctors or other individuals reported signs of abuse, only to later discover that the children were affected by a rare medical condition that was responsible for these injuries. After being indicted by a grand jury for second degree felony injury to a child, a father looked forContinue reading

Social Security benefits and divorce

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Monday, November 18, 2013. Residents of Illinois who are divorced often have questions as to the effect that the dissolution of their marriage will have on their right to receive Social Security benefits. In actuality, a person who has gone through a divorce may be able to collect retirement benefits based upon the work record of his or her ex-spouse, assuming certain conditions are satisfied. At the outset, divorced spouses must be unmarried and at least 62 years old, must haveContinue reading

Don’t let a prenup be invalidated

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Wednesday, November 13, 2013. Illinois residents with significant wealth or real estate that they wish to protect may ask their betrothed to sign a prenuptial agreement before marriage. A prenuptial agreement can ensure that in the case of a divorce, assets enumerated in the agreement remain in the hands of the person who owned them prior to the marriage. In addition, a premarital agreement can predetermine issues related to spousal support. As such, a premarital agreement can reduce the likelihood ofContinue reading

More grandparents living with grandkids

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Family Law on Monday, November 11, 2013. A new study shows that the face of caregivers is changing. This may be in part to a higher divorce rate among Illinois couples and other couples throughout the country. More children are living with their grandparents, compared to previous decades. The revelation was made through a study that researched the changes in American society. With the increase in divorce and remarriage, grandparents have been fulfilling childcare roles. According to the study, 13 percent of the populationContinue reading

What high asset couples should consider in a prenuptial agreement

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Friday, November 8, 2013. Chicago-area fans may wish newly engaged Kim Kardashian and Kanye West well on their marriage. At the same time, they may wish the couple to have a prenuptial agreement to protect their interests, especially when it comes to Kardashian’s track record: Her last marriage ended after 72 days. A prenuptial agreement makes good sense for the celebrity couple since both have substantial assets they will bring to the marriage. Kardashian is worth an estimated $40 millionContinue reading

Illinois parents frustrated by lack of child support

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Support on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. Divorced custodial parents throughout Illinois are expressing their frustration withthe state’s child support system. They allege that the system is unable to effectively help them collect child support that they desperately need. On a national level, child support collections were increasing until the start of the economic downturn in 2008. Many parents now must often return to court multiple times in order to obtain the support that had already been ordered. However, some cases are particularly difficultContinue reading