Posts By: MICHAEL C CRAVEN

Does Reality TV Affect Divorce in Chicago? It does in China!

Effects of Reality TV on Divorce Reality TV in America plays a significant role in shaping the public’s perception of romance, relationships, and divorce. Magazines are filled with stories of the latest rumors, break-ups, and affairs among reality stars. Those who read the magazines often develop their own opinions about marriage and divorce based on those stories.   But imagine a reality star’s actions actually influencing divorce laws. That’s a pretty convincing explanation...   Read more ...  

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Chicago Divorce Lawyers Looks at Changing Divorce Rate

Changes in the Divorce Rate Have you noticed a drop in the divorce rate?   If you feel like there are fewer people filing for divorce, you may be right. The latest Census has brought many new statistics and figures to the world of American families. Among of the most interesting fact (especially to a Chicago divorce lawyer) from the U.S. Census Bureau included a report that divorce rates have been dropping for most age groups since 1996 by an average of 5 percentage points.   The 1980...   Read more ...  

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Facebook Relationship Status: In A Civil Union With…

Facebook Relationship Status for Civil Unions In a momentous turn on Facebook as it relates to “relationship status” and  family law this year (though not quite as big as when Illinois’s Civil Union law took effect), Facebook now offers its users the option to set their relationship status to “In a civil union.”   Since its inception, the popular social networking site has allowed users to define their romantic relationships with other users in basic terms like “single,”...   Read more ...  

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STATE OF THE CIVIL UNION IN ILLINOIS

Civil Unions in Illinois The primary purpose of Illinois’ civil union law is to give same-sex couples the same rights and benefits allowed to heterosexual couples. Interestingly, Illinois’ law allows heterosexual couples the option of a civil union over marriage. Thus couples in marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships are all treated equally under Illinois law. This equality, however, does not necessarily extend outside the state, because of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (“...   Read more ...  

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Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Very exciting news: After years of practice and months of preparing for exams, I’ve been accepted as a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. The AAML was founded nearly fifty years ago to promote the highest degree of professionalism and excellence in the practice of family law in Chicago. The Academy Fellows are a select group of 1600 divorce attorneys across the nation recognized top family lawyers with a high level of knowledge,...   Read more ...  

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Civil Union Bill Takes Effect In Illinois

Civil Unions in Illinois The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act took effect yesterday, making Illinois the sixth state to allow same-sex and heterosexual couples to enter into civil unions. The response was overwhelming.   Couples lined up at the Cook County Clerk’s office late Tuesday evening to be among the first to tie the knot. By the close of the day, Cook County had issued over 200 civil union licenses! This morning, June 2, 2011, the city of Chicago held a ...   Read more ...  

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