Posts Categorized: Family Law

One Year Later: Our Life Working From Home During COVID-19

  Published in the Tuesday, February 2, 2021 edition of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin   By Michael C. Craven and Marla Levie Craven   Michael C. Craven is a family law partner at Harrison & Held LLP. He is a member and officer of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and has long been fascinated by the world of legal marketing. Marla Levie Craven is the wife of family law attorney Michael Craven. She spent decades as the owner of a marketing consulting company. Many of...   Read more ...  

Getting Divorced During COVID In Chicago – What You Need To Know

If couples are considering a divorce during COVID-19, how do they move forward with the divorce process? When COVID-19 first appeared, it affected what we were doing and how we were doing it because it was a brand-new frontier – nobody had protocols early in the pandemic. The first few months into the pandemic, courts closed. There were a series of court orders, lasting about 30-day orders, depending on which court system you were at, that shut-down the system temporarily. We continually t...   Read more ...  

Settlements, Financial Matters, and Remarriage

In an Illinois divorce case, it is common for a judge to award spousal support to a lower-earning spouse or party that faces challenges in becoming self-sustaining. The details of alimony vary and are very case-specific, so the duration could be several years after the divorce was finalized. As such, it is probable that adjustments may be necessary due to lifestyle changes of either the payer or recipient. Regardless of whether your arrangement was determined through a settlement agreement or a ...   Read more ...  

2019 Changes to Illinois Family Law

As a divorce lawyer for the past three decades, I have seen a lot of ways in which divorce affects a family. There are obviously the emotional ways, the financial ways, and finally the way the law plays into these dynamics.   It is my job to stay on top of the law so that I can help my clients navigate their ways through these changes.   The past two years have brought major modifications to Illinois family law. You can read here and here some ways these changes have affected families ...   Read more ...  

Do Both Parties Have to Agree to Divorce in Illinois?

If you are planning to file for divorce in Illinois, but you know your spouse does not want to move forward with the divorce, you may be wondering how Illinois divorce law handles such cases. In other words, you might want to know: Do both parties have to agree to divorce in Illinois?   While a divorce case may be able to move more quickly and smoothly when both parties agree to the divorce and all terms of the dissolution of marriage, you should know both spouses do not have to agree to di...   Read more ...  

I Want a Divorce but My Spouse is Hiding Assets

At the outset, you should keep one key point in mind about divorce in Illinois. The Illinois statute on the dissolution of marriage is no-fault, which means nothing can stop you if you want a divorce. There are some basic procedural requirements, however. When filing the petition for divorce, at least one of the spouses must be a resident of Illinois or be stationed in the state for at least 90 days via military service. The petition must also state that irreconcilable differences have caused th...   Read more ...  

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