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  Published in the April 11, 2018 edition of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin   Welcome to my regular column, Discourse on Divorce. In this edition, I look at divorces that involve a spouse who has undergone a significant personality change and how attorneys can handle divorces under these circumstances.   As part of my practice, it is not unusual to have a scenario in which a spouse decides to file for divorce, even after many years of marriage, stating that their significant othe...   Read more ...  

The legal obligations of a divorced parent to pay for his or her child’s higher education changes from state-to-state. In Illinois, there was some clarity added to the issue with the passage of a new law on Jan. 1, 2016. Public Act 99-90 clarifies the timeframe under which divorced parents are required to contribute to their children’s college expenses. Public Act 99-90 is codified as 750 ILCS 5/513. Under the Public Act 99-90, parents may be required to contribute to educational expenses in...   Read more ...  

In January, the new federal tax laws went into effect. These laws include changes that will impact how the tax code treats a divorce settlement.   As it relates to divorce settlements, the most significant change to the tax code involves maintenance (alimony) payments. Since 1942, spouses paying alimony have been able to write-off those payments as a tax deduction and the spouses receiving the payments have had to report the alimony as income. However, the new tax code changes how alimony i...   Read more ...  

There are many areas to consider when going through divorce proceedings, but one of the most important – and often most complicated – is dealing with the various financial implications involved in a divorce. Every couple’s assets are different, which is why it is important to consult an attorney when going through a divorce. However, there are some common financial areas that are addressed in most divorces. Unlike states such as California, Illinois is not a community property state when i...   Read more ...  

When couples with children finalize a divorce, one of the biggest components of the divorce settlement is the parenting plan, which includes an agreement on the parenting time schedule for each parent. This schedule, which must be reviewed and approved by the court, spells out exactly when each parent is to have primary care responsibilities for the children. Over time, it’s not unusual for a parent to need to make a change to a parenting time schedule.   So, how does one go about making ...   Read more ...  

  Published in the February 9, 2018 edition of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin   It’s a tale as old as time: An older generation complains about the work ethic and working style of a younger generation.   That divide has never been more prevalent than the separation between the millennial generation and those that preceded it. When looking to recruit millennials as employees or woo them as clients, it is best to look past the typical stereotypes and use the differences between t...   Read more ...