Posted on February 23, 2013 in Divorce

While marriage tends to reduce the alcohol intake of men, women seem to be the complete opposite, according to a study. The study found that married women appear to be heavier drinkers than single women, widows or divorcees. On the other hand, happily married men do not drink as much as their bachelor friends or divorced men. The researchers believe the reason is that women can reduce their husbands’ alcohol consumption whereas heavy drinking men pass their drinking habits to their wives. Married people generally do not drink as much as non-married people. Women also tend to drink less than men and are not as likely to have an alcohol problem. In another study, which was led by Corinne Reczek, an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati, researchers found that getting married or divorced affected drinking habits, but men and women were very different in this respect. The biggest difference in alcohol intake was between happily married men and recently divorced men, who often start drinking more alcohol during their divorce. However, women were different. Divorced women generally did not drink as much as those still married. “Our qualitative results suggest this occurs because men introduce and prompt women’s drinking, and because divorced women lose the influence of men’s alcohol use upon dissolution,” the researchers said. Marriage does not guarantee happiness and sometimes filing for divorce is the best option for you. If you find yourself in the midst of a divorce, you should discuss your options with an experienced family law lawyer who will defend your rights and protect your interests. Contact a knowledgeable divorce attorney in Kane County at your earliest convenience.

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 Posted on February 18, 2013 in Divorce

NOTE: A new law defining how child support is calculated in Illinois goes into effect in July 2017. For more information, please visit our Child Support page.

The DePaulia, the student newspaper for DePaul University, has highlighted the fact that it been over two years since the Illinois Child Support Advisory Committee recommended that Illinois perform a major overhaul of the Illinois child support calculation model. Despite this clear recommendation, however, the General Assembly has failed to take any steps toward child support reform thus far. 38 other states have reformed their child support calculation guidelines or models since the 1980s. Illinois currently uses what is known as the “percentage of obligatory net income” model. Under Illinois law, the parent who is ordered to pay child support must pay a flat percentage of his or her income, based on the number of children the parties have together. A major criticism of this model is that it fails to take into account the custodial parent’s income, or the amount of visitation that the noncustodial parent exercises. In contrast, the income shares model, which is used in many other states, considers both parents’ incomes, as well as the amount of time that the noncustodial parent spends with the child. Experts advocate the use of the income shares model as a more fair and rational way of allocating financial responsibility for a child between the parents. Critics of the long delays in the child support guideline reform process point to the ongoing dispute as to whether the proposed reform should be based on parents’ gross incomes or net incomes. Another question lies in what percentage of time a noncustodial parent must spend with a child in order to impact his or her child support obligation. More importantly, at least one child support reform advocate notes that while politicians, lawyers, and judges are heavily involved in the drafting process, parents – who arguably most affected by such reform – are largely absent from the process. While child support reform may become applicable to parents at some point in the future, divorcing parents now must follow the current Illinois laws with respect to the calculation of child support. Whether you will be paying or receiving child support in the near future, it is best to consult with an experienced Crystal Lake divorce lawyer in order to get a clear idea of the amount of support that will be involved in your case.

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 Posted on February 15, 2013 in Divorce

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 Posted on February 12, 2013 in Divorce

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 Posted on February 05, 2013 in Divorce

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 Posted on January 31, 2013 in Divorce

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 Posted on January 28, 2013 in Divorce

After marriage, many couples have a desire to have children. Some wait a few years, some with much excitement start a family right away. However, there are couples who are not able to have biological children and go through adoption. Whether domestic or international adoption is the route couples choose, a bundle of joy comes their way after a long time of waiting and forking over a lot of money to cover all sorts of costs. But, what happens when the couple decides to dissolve their marriage? What happens to the child or children, who after already going through a tough process of adoption, now has to go through divorce with the only set of parents they know?

Parents’ behavior models healthy coping skills and surrounds the children with love. By showing their skills on handling anger, sadness and tough times, children will be able to see perseverance and the ability to express feelings in a healthy way. As parents are able to express themselves, they must be able to allow the children to express themselves and receive honest, age-appropriate feedback without any anger. Talking through it all will help the children understand clearly the divorce is not their fault and they have nothing to do with the decision.

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 Posted on January 24, 2013 in Divorce

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 Posted on January 21, 2013 in Divorce

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 Posted on January 18, 2013 in Divorce

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