Posts By: MICHAEL C CRAVEN

How Do I Enforce Agreements Made in an Old Divorce Decree?

Illinois courts might be able to help you enforce your decree. Failure to comply with a divorce decree could land someone in jail. Of course, that is not always the case and there would probably be other options available before you could pursue criminal punishment. Please keep in mind while reading this article that nothing herein should be taken as legal advice.   Generally speaking, you have a few options to convince your ex to adhere to the terms of your divorce agreement. Your best cou...   Read more ...  

Grandparents Taking a Major Role in Child Custody

The family structure of two parents in their first marriage living together with their children no longer describes the majority of American households. As a result, I notice many grandparents are taking significant roles in caring for and making decisions on behalf of their grandchildren — but if a conflict arises, where do they legally stand? The answer depends on the case, but there are some general ideas, which define the conversation regarding grandparent custody in Illinois.   Pleas...   Read more ...  

Safeguard Your Financial Future After Your Divorce

During a divorce, your financial future could depend on how you divide assets between you and your spouse. Keep in mind, this is not legal advice. However, dividing assets could affect your upcoming taxes and further effect your retirement accounts as they mature. You might even find your divorce could influence future generations. Here is a brief discussion of three phases of your financial future and the strategies you might take to secure them.   Preparing for the Upcoming Tax Year One o...   Read more ...  

Can Alimony Be Garnished From a Personal Injury Settlement?

Income, for some people, is easy to define. Some people have jobs which involve regular, monthly payments. However, there are types of earnings a court may not consider as income, at least not for the purposes of child support and alimony.   The question of whether spousal maintenance payments could be garnished from personal injury settlements is a complex question. Therefore, please do not regard any of this as legal advice. Understanding how your own finances might relate to the Illinois...   Read more ...  

Divorce and College Tuition

Seeing your children go to college is an emotional time. It’s difficult for everyone to let go. For the teenager, they feel pressure as they prepare for the next chapter in their lives. For parents, regardless of your marital status, it’s seeing your children be independent for the first time and feeling the stress of ever-increasing price of college tuition.   For divorced couples, the question regarding who pays for college tuition is important. Some states, such as Illinois, have sta...   Read more ...  

Vacations with Kids Can Be Fun, but Divorced Clients Need Advice

  Published in the Tuesday May 14, 2019 edition of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin   It is no secret: Ending a marriage is difficult.   Personally, one tool I employ is to tap into empathy and patience to help my clients deal with the problems they have in their divorces. This approach is often helpful when working out how to structure the good times — and summer vacations are certainly a good example.   Remember that this is probably also the first time your client must d...   Read more ...  

1 23 24 25 26 27 61