Columbia Divorce & Family Law Blog by Stange Law Firm, PC
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Additional Resources
Joint custody arrangements should focus on child’s best interests
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, September 6, 2019. Going through a divorce in Illinois can be stressful, especially if there are children involved. Parents who are attempting to co-parent using a joint custody setup should keep in mind that the point of the exercise is to work together for the good of the children. When in doubt, it’s a good idea to try to see the situation from the perspective of the child to the extent possible. Adjusting to life with only one parent at a time can be difficult. Logistics should
Allegations often fly in child custody disputes
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, August 23, 2019. Family law judges in Illinois and around the country are sometimes tasked with making very difficult decisions, particularly when the welfare of a young child is involved. It is not unknown for parents embroiled in bitter custody disputes to hurl incendiary allegations at one another, and the decisions that judges make are often based on which parent they believe. According to some experts, judges are often guided in these situations by popular but unproven theories, pseudo experts and their own biases. It is not
What to do to keep the house after a divorce
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Property Division on Tuesday, August 6, 2019. People in Illinois who are considering keeping the family home in a divorce must first reach an agreement with their spouse about the value of the house and how much equity each person has in it. With this information, the spouse who wants to keep the home knows how much to pay the other spouse for it. Some couples arrange for one person to keep more of the assets while the other keeps the home to make up this difference. This could mean that
Overdue child support and applying for a mortgage
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Support on Friday, July 26, 2019. Illinois parents who have to pay child support should know that this obligation is considered a debt when they try to qualify for a home loan. If they are delinquent in paying child support or have a child support arrearage, it can be considered a negative credit event and impair their chances of being approved for a mortgage. However, it is not entirely impossible for people who owe overdue child support payments to qualify for a mortgage. Individuals who want to obtain a mortgage
Modifying child support in Illinois
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Property Division on Friday, July 12, 2019. The rules dealing with child support in Illinois were revised in 2017. Judges in the state now look at the incomes of both parents after determining how much money is needed to take care of the child’s basic needs. Prior to the 2017 law, only the income of the obligor was considered when child support decisions were made. However, obligors with child support orders that were issued prior to the new law’s passage must still establish that either their circumstances or the needs of
What parents can do to get custody of their children
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, June 26, 2019. Parents in Illinois and throughout the country typically want to be involved in their children’s lives. However, it may not always be in a child’s best interest to interact on a regular basis with mom or dad. If a parent is denied custody, there may be things that parents can do to obtain custody in the future. For instance, a judge may allow custody after completing a parenting class or going to rehab. Even if there is no guarantee that custody will be granted
SNAP issues new guidance for parents
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Support on Friday, June 14, 2019. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, provides resources to about 40 million people in Illinois and across the country. It is not uncommon for children with only one parent to receive SNAP benefits. In fact, a child who only has one parent is 37% more likely to live in poverty compared to those who have both parents at home. This is partially because noncustodial parents do not comply with their financial obligations to their children. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has asked state
Military divorce rate continues to trend downward
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Military Divorce on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Divorce rates among active-duty U.S. military members living in Illinois and elsewhere declined slightly in 2018, according to data from the U.S. Department of Defense. The dip continues a downward trend that began 10 years ago. Researchers calculate the annual military divorce rate by comparing the number of active-duty troops who are married at the beginning of a fiscal year with the number who completed divorces by the end the year. Defense Department statistics show that 3% of service members who were married at
How someone other than a parent can get custody
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. When someone other than a child’s parent gets custody of that child, it is referred to as third-party custody. This generally only takes place when the biological parents either don’t want their children or are unable to take care of them. Those in Illinois and elsewhere who want to obtain custody of a child must first show that they have standing to do so. For instance, a court may find that the person whom the child lives with could become a child’s legal parent.
What courts take into account to calculate support after divorce
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Support on Friday, May 3, 2019. Illinois judges will take several factors into account when determining how much a person must pay in child and spousal support after a divorce. While individual courts may differ in the specifics, they all generally follow the same guidelines. Calculating income for the purposes of alimony and child support can be somewhat complex. A court might include everything from wages and performance bonuses to deferred compensation and investment dividends. Judges may also look beyond the income reported on tax returns for other means of
Determining custody of children with unwed parents
On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, April 17, 2019. There has been an increase in children born to unmarried individuals. This increase is seen across the country, including in Illinois. In the United States, it is estimated that 40 percent of children are born to unmarried parents. This is an 18 percent increase from 2007. The legal system in the United States is based on the idea that a baby’s parents are married to each other. One could ask what happens if the biological father does not want to be included in the
