More fathers are raising kids on their own

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Friday, February 28, 2014. Many Illinois residents are taking note of a major shift in child custody laws that has led to an increase in the number of children living primarily with their fathers. Over the past 50 years, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of fathers who have pursued and been granted custody of their children. A recent Pew Research Center study of historical census and other data reveals that the percentage of households headed by singleContinue reading

Child support payments made easier in Illinois

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Support on Wednesday, February 26, 2014. Chicago parents who must pay court-ordered child support may now have an easier way to get the payments in on time. Child support is not like other bills, and failure to pay can have serious legal implications and negatively affect the child’s necessities of life. A new app may help to keep track of the child’s expenses and the payments owed by the non-custodial parent. The support of a child is complex, and medical costsContinue reading

Moving from Illinois can complicate child support

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Support on Monday, February 24, 2014. A person going through a divorce who plans on moving from the Chicago area afterward may run into complications when minor children are involved. Child support payments must be made regardless of the location of the parents or child. A divorced father recently testified in a Kansas City courtroom that he purposely moved out of the country to Thailand in order to evade making child support payments to the mother of his son. The manContinue reading

Credit ratings and divorce

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Tuesday, February 18, 2014. Most Illinois readers understand that a good credit rating is an important financial tool and look for ways to improve it. Married couples probably wouldn’t consider divorce a good way to go about raising their scores; however, a survey taken by Credit.com indicates that, in some cases, ending a marriage might have a positive impact on a credit score. The survey consisted of 526 divorced individuals with varied levels of income, age and education. Nearly 30 percent ofContinue reading

Moving a child out-of-state after a divorce

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Friday, February 14, 2014. When an Illinois couple divorces, they might not think about the future of their children if the custodial parent has a job or school offer, remarries or needs the support of family. While sometimes those life changes occur within the state, in other cases, they require the custodial parent to pack up and move, including the child. A judge will make the final decision on child custody matters, but laws vary according to state. SomeContinue reading

Cellphone data could prove cohabitation

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Friday, February 7, 2014. Illinois residents may be interested in how to prove that their former spouse is cohabiting with a new partner. In most divorces, the payment of alimony is dependent on the receiving spouse remaining single. Therefore, spouses who receive alimony are reluctant to disclose a cohabiting relationship because it could bring an end to the spousal support. Paying spouses, on the other hand, would often prefer for a cohabiting relationship to be disclosed as early as possible.Continue reading

Illinois man arrested for abducting his daughter at gunpoint

On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, February 5, 2014. State police put out an AMBER alert for a 3-year-old girl after the father allegedly kidnapped the child from her home in Lansing the evening of Jan 23. According to police statements, the man wielded a handgun and forcefully entered his ex-girlfriend’s residence on 175th Street. He took the child and left the scene in a black SUV. Reports didn’t specify whether the parents had a child custody arrangement in place. Law enforcement responded at approximately 8:15 p.m.Continue reading