Cook County Family Law Blog

While the state of Illinois legalized same-sex marriage only months before the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2015, you may have been among the many who rejoiced and celebrated when the federal government acknowledged your right to marry the person you love, no matter which state you live in.

The court's ruling gives you every right and privilege that opposite-sex couples have enjoyed for centuries, including the right to make medical decisions for your spouse, take advantage of tax benefits for married couples, and adopt and raise children as a family. The new law also gives you the right to divorce. Unfortunately, because of the long wait for legalized same-sex marriage, your divorce may have unique complications.

As a parent who has been ordered to pay child support, you may be interested in when you can end it as well. It's not that you don't want to provide for your child, but the reality is that once you don't have a required payment, you'll still continue to provide for your child in other ways. Having a constant withdrawal from your accounts is stressful, and it's understandable.

Child support does have an end date. In Illinois, child support usually ends when a child is emancipated which is generally upon reaching 18 years of age.  If the child is still in high school on their 18th birthday, then child support will end upon graduation from high school so long as the child has not reached the age of 19.  

As technology advances, it's becoming easier to stay in touch than ever before. This can be a huge benefit for parents who have to share custody of their children. Instead of relying on letters or simple phone calls, they can now participate actively in their children's lives through video calls and video games. They can interact through digital media, like with quick text messages of voice messages.

Some people worry that the option of having virtual visitation makes it more likely that parents will infringe on the other parent's visitation time. That's not true. Why? Virtual visitation times are set up in the same way as general visitation schedules.

Collaborative law is a way to resolve disputes in a calm and focused setting, instead of in a courtroom. This process is a way to discuss and problem-solve, not a process to "fight" with one another expecting a victor.

Each party must retain a separate specially trained Collaborate attorney for the Collaborative law process, helping to ensure that your best interests are being taken care of. Other Collaborative professionals are involved in a Collaborative divorce as needed, such as a financial neutral, a divorce coach, and a child specialist.  The job at hand is to settle the dispute or problem without going to court. If you do end up filing with the court, then the process ends and neither attorney can continue to work with you moving forward. This is an incentive for all to work hard to help create a settlement that works for the entire family.