Posts By: MICHAEL C CRAVEN

Power of Attorney Health Care Agent

Choosing a Health Care Power of Attorney Agent In my recent blog post about the changes to the Health Care Power of Attorney Act, I emphasized the importance, especially for those going through a divorce, of having a Health Care Power of Attorney (HCPOA) in an estate plan. An HCPOA allows a person to designate another person, called the health care agent, to make health care decisions for that person in the event that he or she can no longer make the decisions due to injury, illness or incapaci...   Read more ...  

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Spousal Education Gaps and Divorce

Education and Divorce Recently, a report was published in the August issue of the American Sociological Review about an extensive study regarding divorce trends among spouses with differing levels of education. The report prompted me to think back upon the evolution of my cases during my years as a Chicago divorce lawyer. The study, which used data of marriages formed in the nation from 1950-2004, found that marriages where the wife has more education than her husband are no longer more prone ...   Read more ...  

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The Baby Boomer Divorce Trend

Baby Boomer Divorces I recently read an article that the divorce rate was on a slight decline from the generally accepted 50 percent rate. Although it is difficult to obtain completely accurate divorce statistics, as a divorce lawyer, I was interested to search deeper into the topic. While I struggled to find credible sources to confirm the precise national divorce rate, I found a commonality among all studies regarding divorce trends: baby boomers have the highest, and still growing, divorce r...   Read more ...  

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The Media Glamorizes Celebrity Divorce

Media’s Glamorization of Divorce In the past weeks, each time I’ve searched ‘divorce’ online, endless articles about Jay-Z and Beyonce’s apparently broken relationship come up. The articles speculate every aspect of their divorce, from warning signs of their rocky relationship, rumored infidelity, how their divorce will affect their concert tour, what will happen to their daughter and more. Even though there has never been an official separation or divorce announcement, fans across t...   Read more ...  

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Health Care Power of Attorney Make-Over

Health Care Power of Attorney As a Chicago divorce attorney with a background in estate planning, I am aware of the benefits of estate planning before, during and after divorce.  A Health Care Power of Attorney (HCPOA) is an important part of an estate plan. Illinois’ General Assembly unanimously passed Senate Bill 3228 and it was sent to the Governor for his signature June 27.  The bill amends the HCPOA Act. Once signed by Governor Quinn, the new law will become effective January 1, 2015. ...   Read more ...  

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Celebrity Style Separation: “Conscious Uncoupling”

Conscious Uncoupling Gwenyth Paltrow and Chris Martin have been receiving an unusually large amount of attention surrounding their announcement to separate. This attention isn’t stemming from the public’s shock about the decision, but rather about how they have decided to separate – by ‘consciously uncoupling’. While reactions have ranged from confusion to criticism, as a Chicago divorce lawyer, the previously little-known concept is intriguing.   What is conscious uncoupling? &n...   Read more ...  

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