General

Obtaining full and complete financial disclosure by both sides is a key component to the family law practice. It allows both sides to acknowledge a full understanding and receipt of information and documentation relative to income, assets and liabilities. There are many ways to obtain this information; while some parties exchange financials voluntarily, […]

The team of family law attorneys at Ward Family Law, LLC are presented with the same inquiries of many prospective clients, which is whether or not their divorce is actually an uncontested divorce or if they are just cooperative, friendly and amicable but still have some issues to resolve in their divorce process.

An uncontested divorce […]

Chicago Divorce Lawyers: Top 7 Hidden Costs in Divorce

When people are contemplating divorce, they are often considering the cost, including retainer fees for law firms, filing fees for the court, expert fees and how they want to divide their marital assets and debts. What they often forget are the hidden costs that arise when […]

Attorneys’ Fees: The Best Divorce Advice Comes From Chicago Divorce Lawyer

Where do you think you will get the best attorney fee advice when contemplating or going through a divorce? The simple answer is the Chicago divorce lawyers of Ward Family Law, who have decades of matrimonial and family law experience with top ratings on […]

Chicago Divorce Lawyers Tackle the Steps to Keep Your House in a Divorce

For many families, the main asset in their divorce is their house. Oftentimes, the house is also the main liability. While some parties simply agree to sell the house and allocate the net proceeds, others want to know their options and […]

Top Tips for Selecting the Best Chicago Divorce Lawyer
(1) Ask Co-Workers, Friends and Family Members
(2) Determine what process you want to use (ie. mediation, collaborative)
(3) Create a list of questions and compile relevant documents
(4) Articulate your goals and objectives
(5) Always have an initial consultation
(6) Closely review any engagement letters
(7) Do your homework (ie. Yelp, Avvo, local bar associations)

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is the first major change to the American tax system in 30 years: Child Tax Credit? Dependency exemptions? Dependent Care Credit? Head of Household? 529 Plans? Kiddie Tax? What does this mean for families in the realm of Chicago divorce?

*Changes to the Child Tax Credit (CTC)
If you took […]

On May 7, 2019 Justice O’Brien (with Justice Schmidt and McDade concurring) reversed a trial court decision pertaining to SSDI benefit payments. In the judgment for dissolution of marriage, the parties shared custody of their minor child. The Court was required to consider the SSDI benefit payment received by the child as income to […]

There are two recent cases that are to be noted in the Chicago divorce arena as it relates to maintenance, which is also known as alimony and spousal support.

On April 17, 2019 Justice O’Brien (with Lytton concurring and Schmidt dissenting) denied ex-husband’s petition to modify or terminate maintenance and granted ex-wife’s motion to modify maintenance. […]

Collaborative law, also known as collaborative practice, divorce or family law, is a legal process enabling couples who have decided to separate or end their marriage to work with their lawyers and, on occasion, other family law related professionals in order to avoid the uncertain outcome of court and to achieve a settlement that best […]