General

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 […]

New research from the scientists at University College London assessed 6,000 children of various ages and the impact of divorce. The outcome was determined that unhappy parents should not stay together for the sake of the children. Apparently, divorcing is less harmful if it takes place earlier in childhood. Specifically, children aged between three and […]

There is a barrage of media attention in the Jeff Bezos divorce after 25 years of marriage. Why? Besides the fact that he is the Amazon founder and CEO, considered to be the world’s richest man with a fortune in the billions? Yes. Instead, my attention is drawn to the fact […]

Are you considering a collaborative law specialist in the Chicago area for your divorce?

If so, you need to look no further as our own Tania K. Harvey can help you out! Reach out to her at 312-803-5838 or find her additional contact information on the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois website: https://collablawil.org/author/tania-harvey/

1. You can’t use the same lawyer as your spouse.
2. File for divorce in the county in Illinois that you and/or your spouse has lived in for at least 90 days.
3. The grounds for divorce are irreconcilable differences and while a party can attempt to delay proceedings, a party cannot stop the divorce from happening.
4. […]

#1
Think before you speak
#2
Be honest about where you are in your marriage (or divorce) and where you are going
#3
Educate yourself on your finances
#4
Build a support system to allow for more “me” time
#5
Feel the feelings (cry, scream, contemplate, meditate)
#6
Physical health is just as important as emotional health, so get moving
#7
Embrace change

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act brought about many changes for the 2019 tax return filing season that will impact your divorce. Reach out to the Chicago divorce lawyers at wardfamilylawchicago.com to ensure that you are on the right track for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2019 and review the following checklist […]