Posted on February 22, 2023 in Asset Division

If any debt was taken at any point within the marriage, then that is considered shared between the parties. All marital debts and assets will need to be addressed during an Illinois divorce. Typically, any debt a party incurred before the two were married is considered non-marital property and will be the party's sole debt and responsibility. However, there are exceptions to this.

If the parties are unable to agree on how their debts should be divided, then the court will step in and decide how to divide debt. Illinois is an equitable distribution state, meaning that debts and assets will be split fairly during an Illinois divorce,

Divorcing Spouses are Encouraged to Pay Off Debt 

Many divorce lawyers encourage divorcing spouses to pay off jointly held debt. Creditors are not required to absolve someone of their debt just because they got divorced. It is possible for a spouse to be pursued for repayment of debts that the other spouse amassed months or years after the divorce. If you are getting divorced and you and your spouse share debts, you may want to consider selling assets such as the marital home to pay down these debts.

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 Posted on February 13, 2023 in Mediation

During a divorce, an ideal situation is that both parties can negotiate and settle on terms on their own. If both parties agree on how to divide assets, parenting time, and finances, they can save time, money, and stress. Divorce mediation can be an effective tool for parties to find a resolution that works for everyone.

During divorce mediation,  couples can use the help of a third-party mediator to facilitate communication, negotiate and resolve conflicts between them. The mediator helps the couple understand their own interests, explore options for settlement, create a mutual agreement, and prepare the necessary paperwork.

Divorce mediation is often faster and less expensive than traditional divorce proceedings. It also helps both parties avoid the stress and bitterness of a court battle.

How Does It Work? 

Divorce mediation allows for an unbiased voice when working through the parties’ negotiation. The mediator is knowledgeable regarding issues commonly involved in divorce and is trained in amicable dispute-resolution techniques. The spouses will discuss the various divorce issues and work on finding a solution they can both agree to. Mediation is often especially helpful for parents because it is less antagonistic than litigation. Resolving disagreements through mediation may help the parents remain on good terms throughout the divorce, which can greatly benefit their future co-parenting relationship.

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 Posted on February 09, 2023 in Divorce

 Divorce can be taxing and complicated. With all the different elements that go into getting a divorce, many people may feel overwhelmed at the thought of navigating through all these complexities. Divorce is not a fun process to go through, but if you can understand the basics of Illinois divorce law, you will be in a better position to steer your way through the twists and turns that can go into a divorce. Working with an experienced divorce lawyer can also significantly reduce your stress and provide you with the legal guidance you need.

Grounds For Divorce 

Illinois is a no-fault divorce state. This means that parties do not need to prove that there was a fault for the end of the marriage. Since the law changed in 2016, the only grounds for a divorce in Illinois are irreconcilable differences. There are however a few elements that parties must prove to get a no-fault divorce in Illinois: 

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 Posted on February 06, 2023 in Child Custody

Do grandparents have visitation rights in the state of Illinois? While it is recognized that extended family members play important roles in children's lives, their right to see their grandchildren are more complicated than one may think.

Visitation occurs when a person who is not a parent of the child spends time with the child. While visitation used to also encompass parents spending time with their child, now that is referred to as parenting time.

Granting Visitation Rights 

The parents of the child are the ones  in charge of how they raise their children and who their children spend time with. Parents have the right to keep their children away from grandparents. However, in Illinois, a grandparent can petition the court for visitation. Grandparents must meet the following requirements to qualify for grandparent visitation rights: 

• The child’s parents are divorced, or legally separated, and at least one parent has no objection to grandparent visitation

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 Posted on January 30, 2023 in Child Support

 Child support is a legal obligation that parents have to support their children financially. When unmarried parents have a child together or married parents get divorced, the court may require one of the parents to pay child support to the other. Money from child support can be used to cover housing expenses, educational costs such as private school tuition, extracurricular fees, groceries, and everyday expenses. Whether you are planning to divorce soon or you are an unmarried parent, it is important to know your rights and responsibilities regarding child support.

How Is The Amount Of Child Support Determined In Illinois?

The amount of child support that a parent is required to pay is determined by the state's guidelines. These guidelines take into account the income of both parents, the number of children, and other factors. Income is determined by looking at the net income of both parents, which includes salary, wages, bonuses, commissions, and other forms of income. The guidelines also take into account any other children from a previous relationship that the parents are responsible for supporting.

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 Posted on January 23, 2023 in Divorce

Two motivated, ambitious, and hardworking partners are often found in high net worth relationships. These couples can amass sizable fortunes both before and throughout the years of their marriage if they combine prudent spending and great investing habits. And although this might be advantageous in many ways, a high net-worth couple's financial portfolio may cause more issues than it solves if they decide to get a divorce.

Here are some obstacles to be aware of if you are thinking about divorcing and are concerned about how it could affect your financial situation.

High Net-Worth Divorces Take Longer

Due to the careful, thorough treatment required by a vast asset portfolio, high net-worth divorces typically take longer to conclude. As a general rule, any property bought during a marriage with marital monies is marital. However, couples must first evaluate how much of any particular item is personal and how much is marital. Even private assets, nevertheless, might become mixed up with marital assets, occasionally necessitating the need for intricate asset tracking and appraisal.

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 Posted on January 18, 2023 in Alimony/Spousal Support

An amount of money defined as spousal maintenance, spousal support, or alimony is paid by one spouse to the other after a legal separation or divorce. In the state of Illinois, a court may order spousal maintenance or the decision to provide spousal support may be agreed upon by the parties. The duration of a marriage, the respective wages of each spouse, and the contribution of each spouse to the marriage are all important considerations in coming to a conclusion on the issue.

Negotiated Agreements for Spousal Support

Spousal maintenance conditions can be negotiated by each party in a marriage agreement or throughout the divorce process, much like other divorce-related issues. The court will normally respect a postnuptial or prenuptial agreement that the couple had previously reached for maintenance during a divorce.

If no prior agreements between the previously married parties has been made, the spousal support’s duration and amount may be negotiated by the parties throughout the process of divorce.

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 Posted on January 13, 2023 in Divorce

Starting the divorce process might feel like an insurmountable challenge. Everyone engaged in a divorce suffers greatly emotionally, but navigating the process's legal steps and administrative details may also be stressful. Starting might be the hardest part, as it is with many things in life. The Andrew Cores Family Law Group has years of experience to assist you in taking that initial step and starting your new life.

Determine Your Own Divorce Situation

There are numerous factors to take into account while starting the divorce procedure, but the marriage itself must be evaluated first to decide where to start.

Many factors will determine how to approach ending the marriage. Think about it:

• Is the divorce in dispute? For a divorce to be uncontested, both parties must consent to end the marriage and agree on the relevant divorce issues, such as property division and allocation of parental responsibilities. If the spouses disagree on one or more of these issues, it will impact how the couples' property, financial, and custody disputes are resolved.

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 Posted on January 10, 2023 in Asset Division

Going through a divorce can be a difficult and emotional time, and one of the major areas of concern is often the division of assets. If you or your spouse owns a business, the valuation of that business can be a complex and contentious issue. Here are some key things to consider when it comes to business valuation during a divorce in DuPage County, Illinois.

Why Is Business Valuation Important In A Divorce?

When a couple gets divorced, their assets must be divided between them. This includes any businesses that either spouse owns. In order to determine how to divide the business, it must first be valued. The valuation of the business will help determine what each spouse's share of the business is worth, and therefore how it should be divided.

What Factors Are Considered In Business Valuation?

There are several factors that are taken into consideration when valuing a business for divorce purposes. Some of the most common include:

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 Posted on January 05, 2023 in Child Custody

Grandparents frequently have a significant impact on the lives of their grandchildren. This may be particularly true in cases where one or both parents of a child are absent from the child’s life because of criminal activity, drug use, neglect or abuse, or even passing away. A grandparent's presence and influence may be a crucial support system for a youngster who needs direction and love in trying circumstances like these.

If this situation seems familiar to you, you might find solace in knowing that grandparents’ rights in Illinois may, under certain circumstances, include visitation rights. If a grandparent is granted visitation rights by a court, such rights are enforceable in the same way that parental visitation rights would be.

When Can a Grandparent Get Visitation of a Grandchild in DuPage County, Illinois? 

Although grandparents frequently provide wise parenting advice gleaned from years of experience, dissenting views from a child's parents or a close bond with a child are not enough for a grandparent to be granted visitation on their own. One of the following conditions must be met before a court will consider a case requesting grandparent visitation:

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