Many believe that Illinois divorce and paternity judges refuse or fail to award sufficient time for fathers or noncustodial parents to be with their children.Those who believe that fathers are shorted visitation time with their children cite a long-standing tradition in Illinois of giving noncustodial parents, particularly fathers, not enough time with their children to maintain the bond necessary for their proper development. There are those who believe that a father's consistency in visitation is essential for a child to grow up having a positive male role model. Those fathers that are …

The legal age to get married in Illinois is 18. Applicants who are 16 or 17 years old may apply for a marriage license with consent from parents or guardians, but the court can waive the parental consent requirements in special cases.A 16 or 17 year old applicant can be married in Illinois if any of these four conditions are met:

Physicist Andres Gomberoff believes that science can help resolve child custody arrangement questions. Gomberoff, who has two ex-wives and a current girlfriend, was searching for a way to optimize time with children while still allowing for alone time.

In Illinois, the amount of child support ordered by the court is calculated using a formula that is based upon net income of the person who pays. Net income begins with finding gross income from all sources and then deducting the amount of federal and state income taxes "properly calculated" among other deductions (750 ILCS 5/ 505). In setting guideline child support, Illinois divorce judges apply a fixed percentage of net income depending upon the number of children to be supported. For example, the guideline amount for one child is 20%, for two children, 28%, for three children, 32% and so …

According to The Washington Times, "Staggering statistics from the United States Office on Violence against Women (OVW) claim a woman is assaulted or beaten every nine seconds. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women in the United States. Three women perish at the hands of abusers daily." Nonetheless, bringing false charges of domestic violence has become increasingly popular as the weapon of choice between spouses or partners about to undergo a divorce or paternity case.Spouses or partners frequently set up the other side in order to claim that they were victims of …

Many dream of having a marriage that lasts for 50 years or more when they get married. Unfortunately, life rarely works out the way we imagine, and at times a relationship reaches the point where it becomes necessary to file for divorce.

For the most part, parents are responsible for supporting a child until the point of emancipation. In general, emancipation happens at age 18 when people are considered legal adults, although cases involving disabled children will often extend support requirements beyond this age. Sometimes, support requirements for a child’s college education can be included in a divorce settlement.

Imagine receiving a phone call from your soon-to-be ex spouse threatening that he or she will put that explicit sex tape the two of you made one drunken evening on the Internet, unless you agree to roll over and play dead in the divorce case, give up your claim for maintenance, property, or you name it.This could happen, and in fact happens every day. It is now called "unconsented pornography" or "revenge porn." Revenge porn is sexually explicit pictures, video, or other media that is publicly shared online without the consent of the pictured individual.That pictured individual is now …

"I just found out that my spouse was never legally divorced from his first wife, is my marriage valid? What should I do? What steps should I take to protect myself now?"You cannot be legally married to more than one person in Illinois. The second marriage is not valid. So you are not legally married to her husband if he's married to someone else and remains that way.But all is not lost. If your husband divorces his first wife, even now, you can become automatically married to him without the necessity of going through a second ceremony so long as you have been cohabiting with him. That is, …

In the past two decades, it has become more common for women to work outside the home. In some cases, these women are rising in the ranks and bringing home the bacon, meaning that there are more female breadwinners than ever before. British researchers determined that in certain cases, having a female breadwinner can actually lead to more stable families overall rather than divorce.

Free speech versus privacy rights? It sounds like shouting match between two talking heads on Bill O'Riley's television show, doesn't it?Surprisingly, however, revenge websites and "revenge porn" is just one of the newest conflict areas where people post sexually explicit pictures of their soon-to-be exes, boyfriends, girlfriends and just friends on the Internet (see my last blog on this topic).Now websites that encourage revenge " postings" not necessarily "porn" have taken root, these revenge websites have been used as a form of extortion. Your soon-to-be ex spouse, ex boyfriend or …

A new U.S. study with 174 married couples followed pairs through a “movie and talk” study for three years, finding that newly married couples who watch romantic comedies and talk about the on-screen relationships are more likely to stay together. Those who didn’t discuss the components of relationships in the movie, on the other hand, were more likely to get divorced.

New research argues that the higher the number of conservative Protestants in the area, the higher the divorce rate is, even for those who are not protestant. Researchers from the University of Texas and the University of Iowa went county by count through divorce rates to arrive at their conclusion, suggesting that even religions or locales that strongly support family values can be affected by divorce.To conduct the study, the researchers controlled for the impact of poverty, which has a strong influence in the Bible belt and has previously been linked to higher divorce rates. Even when the …

"Can a child wish upon a star and that wish be granted as to his choice of parent?"Many parents often ask this or similar questions such as, "In an Illinois divorce, can my child really choose which of us will have custody? Can my child choose where he"ll live?"Your child may be able to wish upon a star and have his dreams come true but not necessarily in a divorce or paternity case as to his choice of parent in Illinois.

While it might be easy to make light of this issue, many people have a large emotional investment in their dogs. Other pets as well are frequently the most important relationship in a divorcing person's life. If that is so, why is "custody" of a dog or cat not considered in the Illinois divorce laws?Historically, divorce courts have been considered dogs and cats property more like possessions. Custody of a treasured dog or cat has simply not been considered on an emotional level. Yet dogs and cats frequently provide their owners with emotional stability, comfort and companionship.Animal …

Did you know that the State of Illinois is a party to your marriage?Yes, it's true that there are three parties to a marriage in Illinois. The two partners getting married and the State.Marriage is a civil contract with three interested parties: the husband, the wife, and the State. See Jambrone v. David, 16 Ill. 2d 32, 35, 156 N.E.2d 569, 571 (1959); Hewitt v. Hewitt 77 Ill. 2d 49, 63, 394 N.E.2d 1204, 1210 (1979). In order to legally marry in Illinois, the husband and wife must fulfill the requirements and formalities set out in the Dissolution Act.