Chicago Legal Blog
The role of the birth certificate in LGBT+ custody proceedings
Same-sex marriage is relatively new legal territory, and same-sex divorce is even newer. Members of the LGBT+ community may find that there is very little straightforward information available about custody for LGBT+ families. First of all, it's important to...
Retirement and estate planning differences matter for LGBTQ+ couples
As an LGBT+ couple, you want to look at how your differences might still work against you. The United States finally recognized the right for LGBT+ couples to marry several years ago, but there are still many people who have suffered from personal, financial and...
These are 2 possible impacts of your grey divorce
As you get older, your life changes. You may start to think about what you want to do in retirement or about starting a new career. If you and your spouse aren’t on the same page, then part of moving forward may be letting go of your relationship. If you have decided...
Same-sex couples can have unique estate planning considerations
Same-sex couples can get married legally just like heterosexual couples. While this is a wonderful change to previous laws, the world is still playing catch-up in many cases. As such, estate planning strategies that work well for heterosexual couples might not be as...
Divorcing an emotionally abusive spouse
Your spouse may not hit you or limit where you go and what you do, but this does not mean that they are not abusive. Domestic abuse can come in many different forms, and it can affect all genders. If you often feel frightened of how your spouse will react to something...
Can you have a low-conflict divorce?
One concern that people often have when facing divorce is the prospect of having a high-conflict case. They do not want to go through that, they don’t want to put their children through it, and they really hope they can keep conflict to a minimum while focusing on...
Workplace discrimination for LGBTQ people
If you are an LGBTQ person, you have likely suffered harassment and discrimination at some point. It may well have happened in your workplace. For many years, some employers have felt free to discriminate against LGBTQ employees because the law did not specifically...
Medical powers of attorney for unmarried LGBTQ couples
In the past few years, with the mass legalization of LGBTQ marriage, same-sex couples have begun tying the knot more often. One of the positive side-effects of this is that it can help them if one has a medical emergency. If only direct family members are allowed to...
Safe custody exchanges in times of tension
Child custody disputes seldom go smoothly -- and the tensions that rise during a pitched battle over custody can linger long after the court has made its ruling. That can leave everyone feeling overwhelmed by the hostility that comes out during custody and visitation...
How long does it take to finalize the adoption of an infant?
Adoption is often the simplest way for people in the LGBT+ community to expand their families. Although there are some couples in the LGBT+ community that have the opportunity to conceive and carry biological children related to both partners, many other LGBT couples...
