Posts By: MICHAEL C CRAVEN

2019 Changes to Illinois Family Law

As a divorce lawyer for the past three decades, I have seen a lot of ways in which divorce affects a family. There are obviously the emotional ways, the financial ways, and finally the way the law plays into these dynamics.   It is my job to stay on top of the law so that I can help my clients navigate their ways through these changes.   The past two years have brought major modifications to Illinois family law. You can read here and here some ways these changes have affected families ...   Read more ...  

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How State Law Changes Affect Your Clients

  Published in the January 24, 2019 edition of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin   As of Jan. 1, there are more than 250 new laws in Illinois. They cover everything from gun control to animal welfare to health care and education. They truly run the gamut.   Many of these laws can have a daily effect on people’s lives. As someone that likes to provide value to my current and former clients, informing them on how these new laws could affect them may provide the knowledge needed to g...   Read more ...  

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Paying for College when Parents are Divorced

Paying-For-Children’s-College-Expenses-When-Parents-Are-Divorced As the father of two children who have recently graduated college, I know first-hand how difficult the entire college admissions process is on the family. It is stressful for both parents and children.   However, speaking as a divorce attorney, I also know that when parents no longer live together, it compounds the stress levels. When discussing higher education with my clients, I frequently am asked, “How much should do ...   Read more ...  

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Calculating Net Income for Child Support in Illinois

When you are a parent who has to pay child support, you probably have a lot of questions about how your obligation is calculated. How much do you have to pay and why?   I realize that this can be one of the most stressful parts of a divorce. Not only are you grappling with the end of a very important relationship, but now you need to understand the financial impact on your family.   While understanding net income can be very complicated, I have been through this exercise thousands of t...   Read more ...  

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Pretrial Hearings in Illinois Divorce Cases

Is a Pretrial Hearing Right for Your Case? Divorce outcomes are often determined by a judge, however throughout my years as a divorce attorney, there have been many times that pretrial hearings have been used as a less formal way to resolve cases before a final divorce trial. Pretrial hearings are a valuable step within many divorce cases. They help familiarize the court with the pertinent issues of a case. They can assist in settling a divorce case before the case goes to trial.   What Is...   Read more ...  

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What is a Prove-Up Hearing?

Prove-up Hearing in Chicago Divorce How a Prove-Up Affects Your Divorce  Divorces can go many different directions. Obviously, some divorces are going to be very contentious, akin to how the media likes to portray them. However, in my many years as a divorce attorney I have witnessed far more divorces ending amicably with a settlement than acrimonious ones.   What is a Prove-Up Hearing? A prove-up is a specific type of hearing during which the parties to a divorce proceeding “prove-up,â...   Read more ...  

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