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Civil Unions in Illinois In a historic moment, yesterday, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, signed the civil union bill which allows same-sex couples many of the same rights as married couples.  While Illinois is the sixth state to recognize civil unions and domestic partnerships for same-sex partners, it still does not allow gay marriages, as do five other states, including neighboring Iowa, and Washington DC.   The law takes effect on June 1, 2011.  Some of the key protections relat...   Read more ...  

Sadly, Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards, died on December 7th. Her will was released and there has been much reported about the fact that she made no mention of her estranged husband in her will . Although the bulk of her wealth will pass through her trust which remains private and may have provisions for John Edwards, the passing of Elizabeth Edwards raises important points anyone considering divorce or in the process of divorce should be aware of. Will...   Read more ...  

New Life for a New Year A roman philosopher once wrote that “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” These words ring very true this week as we begin the New Year. Some people will make New Year’s resolutions to quit smoking or take up a new hobby, while others will become determined to lose those last 10 pounds. For anyone going through a divorce, this is a great time to make a fresh start.   For most people, the new year can be their clean slat...   Read more ...  

Holiday Season During Divorce The holidays are officially here; shopping for presents, overindulging on sweets, and spending time with family. The stress placed upon us during the holiday season between traveling, entertaining guests, and juggling schedules is enough to cause increased tension between family members. Now imagine having to endure the pain of a divorce while trying to spread holiday cheer to your loved ones.   This summer I had the chance to sit down with Dr. Cassandra Fried...   Read more ...  

Civil Unions in Illinois As I’m sure you have heard, last week Illinois voted to allow civil unions for same-sex couples.  This allows same-sex couples to partake in many of the rights that married couples currently enjoy while leaving them just shy of actually being able to be married.  These rights include making end-of-life decisions, handling probate matters, sharing nursing home rooms, and more.   Some of the ways the civil union differs from marriage is the couple does not receiv...   Read more ...  

The Future of Marriage Prince William is getting married, and as was bound to happen, marriage as an institution is getting a lot more press.   Time Magazine had a cover story on the state of marriage in the 21st century.  They reported a lot of interesting statistics that I would like to share with you in case you missed the article. As a Chicago divorce lawyer, the statistics intrigued me.   In 1960, nearly 70% of American adults were married.  Now, only half are.   In 1960, ...   Read more ...