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In contested divorces that involve families with minor children, a Child Representative (Child Rep), an Attorney for the Child (AC) or a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) may be assigned at the court’s discretion to act on behalf of those children. Child Reps, ACs and GALs are licensed attorneys. Although the court assigns the representatives to the child, the parents are typically responsible for the child advocate’s fees.   Under Illinois law, there are several variations between the re...   Read more ...  

Today I am excited to answer a question that I am asked a lot in my practice. As a father of two children who recently graduated college, I understand the importance of planning for college. It’s necessary for divorcing couples to know what the law expects of them when it comes to providing for higher education.   If you have any other questions you’d like me to address in a Q&A, feel free to submit them and I will do my best to answer in future blog posts. However, please remember...   Read more ...  

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 ...  

  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 ...  

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 ...  

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 ...