Posts By: MICHAEL C CRAVEN

Joint Tax Filing for Illinois Civil Unions

Same-sex couples and filing taxes As more and more states are joining the civil union bandwagon, including Delaware and Hawaii, we’re beginning to see some of the perks of the new domestic partnership status here in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Revenue has recently confirmed that couples in civil unions will be able to jointly file their taxes in 2012. Although the state’s Civil Union bill took effect last June, it has remained unclear whether couples in civil unions would be able ...   Read more ...  

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Can’t Afford Child Support OR a Lawyer?

In a recently issued opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “deadbeat” parents facing jail time for failure to pay child support aren’t automatically entitled to an attorney.  In the case, Turner v. Rogers, the father claimed he couldn’t afford either his child support payments or an attorney to defend himself in the case against him. Despite his claims, Mr. Turner was sentenced to a year in jail for “civil contempt”. This was an interesting, but common, situation.  Th...   Read more ...  

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Same Sex Divorce in Illinois

Same-sex divorce The historic day that Illinois’ civil union bill took effect this past June; a slightly less well-known bit of history took place. A same sex Illinois couple, previously married in Quebec, filed for Illinois’ same sex divorce. With the passage of the law, same sex couples were afforded not only the right to enter into civil unions, but also the right to legally dissolve their relationships. Perhaps it’s not as glamorous a right as some that same sex couples no...   Read more ...  

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A Good Divorce Attorney Makes a Big Difference

This blog is a reprint from http://bit.ly/t9Xpv1 by Jackie Pilossoph.   Several years ago, when I first decided to consult a divorce attorney, I was referred to a woman by a friend. I went to see her for a consultation in her posh downtown office, and when I first laid eyes on her, I was intimidated beyond. She looked more like a supermodel and she had on this dress that was literally up to her mid-thigh. I tried really hard not to judge or draw any conclusions before getting to know her. ...   Read more ...  

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Cohabitation and Children

Cohabitation and divorce In August, the National Marriage Foundation released a contentious study suggesting that cohabiting couples pose a grave threat to the welfare of children. The practice of an unmarried adult couple living together without ever legally formalizing the relationship is far from new, but has become increasingly common. However, this study argues cohabitation is prone to instability, resulting in more break-ups than marriage. Many disagree with the central thesis of the stud...   Read more ...  

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After Divorce: The Secret to Second Marriage Success

Second Marriage Success After going through a divorce, many people pick up the pieces of their broken marriage and take on a second spouse. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, second marriages that end in divorce last around the same amount of time as first marriages — about eight years.   Second marriages have a reputation for being shorter and more fragile than first marriages. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case based on a report from the Census Bureau calle...   Read more ...  

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