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Palatine Family Law Blog

Suburban Chicago parents arrested for unpaid child support

This Valentine's Day, nearly a dozen men were arrested by DuPage County, Illinois, law enforcement agents for allegedly failing to stay current on their child support obligations.

Single parents in Illinois and everywhere have been affected by the current economic climate. Custodial parents are increasingly dependent on child support payments to make ends meet for their children. Given that the 11 parents arrested on Valentine's Day owed a combined $238,000 in unpaid child support, non-custodial parents are likely also experiencing economic hardship during the recession.

Kim Kardashian seeks mediator in private divorce

Socialite and reality television personality Kim Kardashian is seeking a private divorce from her newlywed husband Kris Humphries. A spokesman for Kardashian cited her desire to avoid a public trial in order to prevent any serious complications from arising during the divorce. Since California - like Illinois - is a state that allows for "no-fault" divorces, Kardashian is hoping to smoothly move on with her life after divorce by handling the proceedings through a private mediator. This choice could eliminate some of the issues that potentially prevent quick divorce finalization.

Important factors in Kardashian's favor are the fact that she does not have any children with her husband, and her claim that she and her husband have complete separation of assets. This means that many of the issues that commonly hinder divorce proceedings (such as asset division, determination of alimony, and visitation rights) will not come into play if she gets her way.

Alimony laws raise questions across the country

Around the U.S. there is a push to reform alimony laws. Many people feel that the laws are out of date and unfair to the former spouses required to make alimony payments. This is a movement that affects all divorced couples past and present where spousal payment is required. Illinois couples considering divorce may want to pay attention.

The argument for alimony reform is varied, but generally centers on the basic need or ability of one party to pay the other. Many states do not allow for reassessment of alimony even if the party receiving the payment does not financially require the money or if the party required to pay can actually do so.

Will a lack of official paperwork derail a custody argument?

Residents of Illinois surely realize that formally adopting a child requires a lot of time and paperwork on the part of the prospective parents. And while real life, in the guise of raising other children and looking for employment, might get in the way of the time and effort required, the fact remains that it still must be done. A child custody case in Cook County, Illinois, about a 3-year-old boy is hinging on the issue of that lack of that paperwork and whether it can be overlooked.

The convoluted case is a byproduct of a couple's divorce. When the couple married, the woman had already adopted one child on her own and was in the process of adopting a second child. After they got married, the couple adopted a third child together.

New government website aims to track down deadbeat parents

Illinois parents who are at the end of their rope trying to collect child support from their ex-spouses or partners now have another resource at their disposal. The federal Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Health and Human Services last week said it has created a web site of fugitive deadbeat parents that is accessible to the public.

With the new website, the public can see if they recognize anyone listed on the website based on the photographs and other information that will be posted there. Visitors to the site can then provide information to the OIG online or via a telephone hotline.

Calculations to figure Illinois parents' child support may change

The Illinois state government is considering what would be a big change in how child support is calculated. The current model dates back to the 1980s and is seen by many as outdated. By contrast, the new method is more transparent and likely to be seen by each side of a child support case as being fair.

Currently, 38 states use the formula that is under consideration, known as "income shares." In a nutshell, the proposed formula uses tables that show the average costs for child-rearing for nuclear families of various income levels. Then the formula takes each parent's income into account, and calculates what each parent's share would be based on their earnings.

Divorce linked to depression, weight gain, early risk of death

Divorce is difficult for everyone, not just in Illinois but everywhere in the nation. Could it be hazardous to your health as well? A recent review conducted at the University of Arizona of more than 30 studies says it's possible. According to researchers, risks associated with getting divorce are in line with other known public health risks such as heavy drinking, obesity and smoking.

This is not to say that a divorce will guarantee an early grave. In fact, three-fourths of divorced people go on to remarry, and many who are divorced will have lives that are satisfying to them. However, researchers suggest that about 10 percent of divorced people have a difficult time with the adjustment, leading to unhappiness, weight gain and depression.

Marriage rates are low, but what's the real reason for it?

According to a recent study, two out of every three couples who live together say they are afraid of divorce and the ramifications of a failed marriage, such as financial, legal or emotional distress. These fears are preventing people from getting married, to the tune of a record low number in the United States, not just in Illinois.

Why do so many people feel afraid of getting married? There are several possible reasons. A common one is if the parents of one or both partners were divorced when the person was a child. Watching a marriage deteriorate--and enduring the potentially painful custody battle--could easily sour someone on wanting to get married themselves. Additionally, if there was abuse or infidelity in the parents' marriage, that could further sour people on the idea.

Ex-Chicago hoops star in legal hot water over child support

Former Chicago prep basketball star Antoine Walker, a longtime NBA player, was in Cook County Court this week to answer allegations that he has not paid his nearly $4,200 per month child support payments to the mother of his 13-year-old daughter. Walker also allegedly owes the girl's school more than $27,000 in tuition.

As if this weren't a big enough issue, the judge in the case ruled that he couldn't act on the matter because the longtime pro basketball player has a bankruptcy case pending already. Walker has had a host of financial problems in recent years, despite the fact that he earned well over $100 million during his NBA career. He filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in 2010, at which time he reported having $12.7 million in liabilities and just $4.2 million in assets. Those assets include $2,900 in a savings account, $19,000 in furniture and clothes and his $6,000 NBA championship ring.

Woman to seek custody of child she abandoned after giving birth

An unusual child custody case is brewing involving an Illinois prison inmate and the baby she secretly delivered and left under bushes outside her apartment complex in Wheaton, Illinois. The woman, a refugee from Myanmar, was sentenced to a three-year prison term for leaving the newborn, who had to be hospitalized for 12 days for ailments regarding his difficult birth. But an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigator testified that the mother told her she wanted the boy back--just hours after she abandoned him.

The boy was placed in foster care when he was released from the hospital. His court-appointed guardian requested earlier this year that the mother's parental rights be severed, based on her lack of care for the child at his birth. The mother testified that she had planned to go back and retrieve the boy, but was too tired and scared after what she had done. She was ultimately arrested by police before she could get the child.

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