Posts By: MICHAEL C CRAVEN

Who is Responsible for Your Child’s College Expenses?

Raising a child is expensive. From diapers in the beginning to sports gear in high school, the bills never really go away. The latest data suggests raising a child who is born in 2013 into a middle-income family will cost more than $245,000 between birth and the child’s 18th birthday, The Wall Street Journal reported. However, this data does not take college into consideration. For divorced or non-married parents, your child may be eager to go to college, which raises some questions. Do you ha...   Read more ...  

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Illinois Child Support Calculations Set to Change Next Year

Starting July 1, 2017, Illinois courts will follow new guidelines in determining child support. The new rules will take the income of both parents into consideration, joining 38 other states that use the “Income Shares” model. Legislators introduced the bill in February 2015, and Gov. Bruce Rauner signed it into law in August of this year. Prior to this adjustment, Illinois had not altered its child support policies since the 1980s, according to Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Tinley Park), who spo...   Read more ...  

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Will I be Able to Receive Spousal Support?

If you are headed into a divorce and are worried about your finances, you should speak with Chicago divorce lawyer Michael C. Craven about seeking alimony. Spousal maintenance is not automatic in all divorces, but it is common in situations where there is a significant income disparity or one spouse delayed his or her education or career for the marriage. Historically, wives who spent years as primary caregivers and were later unable to earn similar amounts to their husbands received spousal sup...   Read more ...  

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Unmarried Couples Cannot Enforce Property Rights When They Split

Many couples, including same-sex partners, choose not to marry. It is understandable that couples feel a piece of paper is not necessary to validate their relationships. However, without a legal marriage or civil partnership, couples in Illinois do not have the same property rights as spouses. The Illinois Supreme Court in Blumenthal V. Brewer addressed the property rights of a couple who were partners for years but never formally married. The court stated the individuals did not have a right to...   Read more ...  

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What Should I Know About Social Media During a Divorce?

In today’s world, we are all connected over the Internet. We text more than we call, we email more than we send letters, and we post about our lives on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. As innocuous as these communications and public posts may seem, they can become relevant during a divorce. Because so much of a person’s life is now online, these communications have become common evidence in court. People considering or going through a divorce need to understand how social me...   Read more ...  

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When Can I End Spousal Maintenance Early?

Many divorces leave people with a variety of financial obligations including dividing property, splitting retirement benefits, assigning life insurance proceeds, spousal maintenance, and child support. Maintenance, better known as alimony, is a relatively common financial responsibility, particularly for longer marriages or when there is a disparity between the two party’s incomes or earning potential. Unfortunately, individual’s situations change and it can become difficult or impossible to...   Read more ...  

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