Posts By: MICHAEL C CRAVEN

How Can the Court Help Me Get the Child Support I Need?

A child support agreement/order exists to ensure that a child continues to have the financial support he or she needs after his or her parents divorce. The money paid from one parent to the other through child support can be used for any expenses related to raising a child, from direct needs like clothing and food as well as indirect expenses such as a share of the household for rent or mortgage payments and utilities. When a parent does not receive the child support he or she is owed, he or she...   Read more ...  

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Can I Move with my Child?

Life rarely keeps us in one place forever. Job opportunities, familial obligations, and sometimes, simply the opportunity for a higher quality of life draw us to new cities, states, and even new countries. For a married couple or an individual without children, moving to fulfill these opportunities and changes is done without a second thought. But if you are a parent with a parenting time agreement in place, relocating is not so simple. Your child is entitled to a consistent relationship with bo...   Read more ...  

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What are the Benefits of Divorcing Through Mediation?

Your divorce does not have to be a contentious courtroom battle. You do have options, and those options include various types of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). One type of ADR that divorcing couples are often drawn to use is mediation, which is a more low-key, collaborative way to complete the divorce process. There are a lot of benefits to choosing mediation to complete your divorce. Because of these benefits, couples who choose mediation often report higher levels of satisfaction with t...   Read more ...  

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Changes to Illinois Divorce Laws: All Divorces are Now No-Fault Divorces

On January 1, 2016, the amendments to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act passed in 2015 went into effect. Among these amendments were changes to the waiting period for divorcing couples, the language used to discuss child custody and related issues, and the elimination of fault-based divorces. This means that all divorces sought in Illinois in 2016 and after are “no-fault” divorces, which means that neither party is blamed for the end of their marriage.   How can this...   Read more ...  

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Learning How to Co-Parent Effectively After a Divorce

When a couple with children divorces, generally, the court imposes a parenting time agreement to ensure that the couple’s children continue to maintain substantive relationships with both parents. Maintaining healthy relationships with both parents after a divorce is important to children’s development and self-esteem. As a parent with a parenting agreement in place, it is up to you to work with your former partner to ensure that your child has this experience, rather than developing...   Read more ...  

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Four Things you Should Not Do While your Divorce is Pending

When you are going through a divorce, you have multiple responsibilities. These responsibilities include submitting the required paperwork to the court and your attorney about your finances, working with the court and your former partner to work out an effective, appropriate parenting plan, and following the court’s orders with regard to your appearance in court, paying your former partner spousal maintenance, if applicable, and its orders regarding child support and parenting time.  ...   Read more ...  

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