On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Unmarried Couples on Wednesday, August 21, 2013. More and more individuals are choosing to live together without the benefit/burden of marriage. They may own a home together, share a bank account and raise children together without being legally married. This lifestyle provides some benefits to individuals in Chicago and other areas. However, making the choice to live together without marriage can pose unique legal problems, such as issues with child custody and property division. The Centers for Disease Control reports that three quarters ofContinue reading
Tag Archives: child custody
DIY divorce plagued with problems
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Monday, August 19, 2013. People who attempt to save money by getting a divorce without a lawyer may be in for a rude awakening. Once a person files for a divorce pro se, the judge is unable to provide legal advice regarding the divorce. Additionally, Chicago spouses may be at a disadvantage if they do not have an attorney but their spouse does. Sites are popping up on the Internet that allow users to input information that allows them to prepareContinue reading
Dividing your assets at divorce with prenuptial agreements
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Monday, August 12, 2013. Prenuptial agreements are an important part of the proceedings when there is a high asset divorce. Illinois residents who are preparing for marriage or divorce may be interested to know some things to look out for when preparing a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement or attempting to negotiate property division at the dissolution of a marriage. A prenuptial agreement that is very old and without any postnuptial modifications or clarifications is liable to be challenged by theContinue reading
Fox legal analyst gives advice on prenuptial agreements
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Friday, July 26, 2013. As of 2011, Chicago’s divorce rate stood at 7.4 percent for men and 10.2 percent for women. As a result, some residents interested in getting married in the near future — or perhaps those who have been married and are now considering divorce — may be interested in learning more about prenuptial agreements and how they influence family law matters in Illinois. A recent segment on “Fox & Friends” may provide them with valuable insight. While discussing theContinue reading
Working moms and custody cases
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Thursday, June 13, 2013. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 70.5 percent of moms work outside the home. Additionally, 30 percent of working women make more money each year than their husbands. This change in gender roles has also resulted in a change in some cases regarding child custody, causing dramatic reversals in determining which Illinois parent should get primary custody and spousal support. Historically, most mothers, whether they were working or not, usually received the kids duringContinue reading
A pre-marital agreement will protect assets if a divorce occurs
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Tuesday, June 11, 2013. When it comes to marriage in Illinois, many couples fail to discuss entering into a pre-marital agreement. In many instances, people believe that a prenuptial agreement is not needed as discussing such an agreement signals an uncertainty about the upcoming nuptials. No couple wants to discuss the possibility of a divorce before even walking down the aisle. Regardless of whether or not a couple feels that a prenuptial agreement applies to them, the fact remains that nearly halfContinue reading
Woman charged with felony child neglect
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Saturday, June 1, 2013. An Illinois woman will face neglect charges after one of her small children was found crossing a busy road while the other was alone in a car. Witnesses saw a three-year-old girl crossing the street, and she appeared to be coming from a restaurant. A motorist reportedly stopped and walked the girl across the street and attempted to determine why she was on the street alone. The situation eventually culminated in Child Protective Services takingContinue reading
Unmarried couples not recognized by courts
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Unmarried Couples on Monday, May 20, 2013. Illinois residents might be interested to hear that unmarried couples are not recognized by courts when they split up, or, essentially, ‘get a divorce” like married couples do. Studies show that nearly half of the adults in the U.S. in their 30s and 40s have lived together with their significant others even though they weren’t married. However, when it comes to finances, the law does not recognize relationships that aren’t documented on paper, which canContinue reading
Protecting financial assets when couples live together
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Unmarried Couples on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Statistics show that almost half of U.S. adults between the ages of 30 and 49 have lived together without the benefit of marriage. Marriage offers a number of benefits that living together does not. A break up is rarely easy, but when couples who are older separate, the problems are compounded, especially if they have additional assets. In some cases, the law doesn’t afford legal protections to unmarried people, especially in financial matters and inContinue reading
Adopted child to be returned to birth father
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Friday, February 8, 2013. Historically, fathers throughout the nation, including in the state of Illinois, have had difficulties securing the same rights as mothers when it comes to child custody matters. While in many instances this has manifested in mothers obtaining both physical and legal custody, with fathers obtaining visitation rights, in more extreme cases fathers may not even be granted those. This was the case for a man whose now 2-year-old daughter was put up for adoption whenContinue reading