On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Friday, June 28, 2013. Chicago couples who are seriously considering the dissolution of their marriage may be interested to learn that, in some cases, a fair settlement may not always make everyone happy. According to one woman, she discovered that agreeing to pay her ex-husband maintenance during their divorce negotiations actually set the groundwork for an amicable relationship after the split. According to the woman, her husband was unemployed at the time of the divorce. He asked that she pay him maintenanceContinue reading
Monthly Archives: June 2013
3 Illinois parents indicted on charges of nonsupport
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Support on Monday, June 24, 2013. In an effort to encourage Illinois parents to pay their child support, the state has indicted three parents under the Non-Support Punishment Act. If convicted, the three Winnebago County individuals could each face up to three years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines and restitution on the felony charges. The nonpaying parents owe between $5,595 and $28,169 in overdue child support. All three parents were arrested and will face a judge to answerContinue reading
Defining property ownership in divorce
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Monday, June 17, 2013. Understanding the difference between marital and non-marital property is crucial to determining the best individual course of action in a divorce. As an equitable distribution state, Illinois courts distribute all marital property equitably, or fairly, although not necessarily equally. Most property acquired during the marriage is considered marital property, regardless of who owns it or how title is issued. Therefore even if only one spouse is named as the owner, both spouses have an ownership right inContinue 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
Prenuptial agreements protect in the event of divorce
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Wednesday, June 5, 2013. Discussing prenups with a future spouse can be particularly difficult. A prenup is a contract that divides assets in the event of a divorce, and most couples simply do not want to converse with their loved one about what would happen if their marriage ended before they have even walked down the aisle. However, prenups are put in place to protect both spouses and specify how any and all assets will be divided down the road, mitigatingContinue reading
Ways to simplify a divorce proceeding
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Monday, June 3, 2013. Divorce can be a complicated process. Some Illinois residents may be interested to learn of a few ways that spouses contemplating divorce may be able to help make the process simpler. The first step is to set anger or hard feelings aside during the divorce proceedings. These cases tend to be emotional, but using anger or other negative emotions when negotiating may only make the process more stressful. When a dispute arises, some experts recommend reviewing the reasonContinue 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