Posts By: MICHAEL C CRAVEN

STATE OF THE CIVIL UNION IN ILLINOIS

Civil Unions in Illinois The primary purpose of Illinois’ civil union law is to give same-sex couples the same rights and benefits allowed to heterosexual couples. Interestingly, Illinois’ law allows heterosexual couples the option of a civil union over marriage. Thus couples in marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships are all treated equally under Illinois law. This equality, however, does not necessarily extend outside the state, because of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (“...   Read more ...  

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Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Very exciting news: After years of practice and months of preparing for exams, I’ve been accepted as a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. The AAML was founded nearly fifty years ago to promote the highest degree of professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law in Chicago. The Academy Fellows are a select group of 1600 divorce attorneys across the nation recognized top family lawyers with a high level of knowledge,...   Read more ...  

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Civil Union Bill Takes Effect In Illinois

Civil Unions in Illinois The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act took effect yesterday, making Illinois the sixth state to allow same-sex and heterosexual couples to enter into civil unions. The response was overwhelming.   Couples lined up at the Cook County Clerk’s office late Tuesday evening to be among the first to tie the knot. By the close of the day, Cook County had issued over 200 civil union licenses! This morning, June 2, 2011, the city of Chicago held a ...   Read more ...  

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Joint Taxes Filed? Divorcing or Not…Are You Sure You Are “Innocent”?

Couples Filing Taxes Jointly Most Americans recently filed their income tax returns. Did you carefully look over the completed forms before you signed? If you plan to divorce this is especially important. When married couples file joint returns, the law holds both spouses liable for the taxes, interest and penalties – even when one spouse may not have been aware of the their spouse’s misreporting of income or expenses. In certain situations, the IRS provides an out for taxpayers. This i...   Read more ...  

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Celebrity Divorces: Reality or Reality TV?

Celebrity-Divorce Celebrity divorces usually involve two people that we have never met, yet as a society, we tend to be very intrigued by them. They very often deal with the same types of issues, such as custody battles, consulting a divorce lawyer, and prenuptial agreements. Even though we don’t personally know the celebrities on TV or in the magazines, there are a few different reasons that can explain why we care so much: Following celebrities and their divorces can be a good distractio...   Read more ...  

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Advice Regarding Child Support From Divorce Lawyers Chicago

Child Support in Divorce When dealing with divorce, if you have children, an agreement regarding child support needs to be made when discussing a settlement. A recent potential client I met with asked me a question about her particular situation. Although every case is different, and settlement terms must be dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each case, I realized that her question comes up frequently. If your case involves a similar issue, the following  Q & A might give you ...   Read more ...  

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