Chicago Legal Blog
Who cares for the kids if you and your partner pass away?
You and your partner work hard to ensure that your children have what they need. While you’re planning for their future, you have a plan to create that might not be all that pleasant. You need to determine who will raise the children if you pass away. For a same-sex...
Same-sex couples and child custody
Splitting up from your partner is a difficult situation to be in, but it becomes even more complex when there are children involved. The child custody process shouldn’t be that much different than it would be in opposite-sex divorces but there are some challenges that...
Marriage is just a legal contract
People talk about marriage often in glowing terms, focusing only on what happens between the two people in more of an emotional sense. They talk about dedication or how it is a commitment to one another. They talk about getting married because they fell in love and...
You might be surprised at what matters in custody cases
When you’re going through a divorce and trying to work through child custody matters, you might assume that you’ll be free to live your life as you want as long as you’re not doing anything illegal. This might not be the case. It is possible for the court to review...
Careful financial planning can take the strain off LGBT+ couples
Money issues are among the leading causes of divorce in the United States, and LGBT+ couples are not exempt from financial pressures damaging their relationship. There are many forms that money problems can take in a relationship. For example, maybe one spouse is a...
Can you be discriminated against for having a positive HIV test?
Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act was the first civil rights law to focus on disabilities in the United States. It directly prohibits discrimination against those who have disabilities who are applying to be part of programs that receive federal funding or...
Must you adopt prior to an LGBTQ divorce for parental rights?
Although Illinois acknowledged LGBTQ marriages a while before the federal government did so, the state still has a long way to go while clarifying standards during LGBTQ divorces, especially those with minor children. LGBTQ divorces are still a relatively new area of...
Is your marriage headed toward divorce?
There are very few cases in which a divorce happens without there being any signs that it’s coming. For many people, there is at least a hint that something is amiss, but some individuals might look over those with the hope that things will suddenly improve. There are...
How to make the most of co-parenting
Even though you’re sure to have questions and concerns about co-parenting, it’s something that you have to get on board with in the event of a divorce. If you shy away from the process or neglect to position yourself for success, it will harm your children in the long...
Finding common ground on major parenting choices as co-parents
Raising a child together is one of the most intense and intimate things two people can share. Unfortunately for those going through a divorce, they will have to share that hard work with someone with whom they may have a damaged relationship. Moving forward as...
