Palatine Family Law Blog

Former Chicago Bulls great and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan tied the knot with long time girlfriend Yvette Prieto last weekend. While headlines focused on the guest list (which included sports luminaries Tiger Woods and Patrick Ewing), legal analysts were curious about the prenuptial agreement the parties ostensibly signed before saying their vows.

The Jordan-Prieto marriage is no ordinary celebrity marriage. Jordan's first marriage (which lasted 18 years) ended in a hotly contested divorce which reportedly cost him $180 million. This is where the old adage "experience is the best teacher" certainly comes into play.

Prenuptial agreements are written contracts between soon-to-be married couples that dictate how their assets will be divided in the event of a divorce. They can identify what is to be separate and marital property, and set clear rules on how property acquired during marriage will be divided. This can be especially important where separate property is commingled with marital property during the course of the marriage.

A perfect example is when a couple incorporates their separate property to purchase something that can be considered marital property (i.e. a home or business).

While our prior posts have focused on celebrity prenups (e.g. Phil Jackson, Khloe Kardashian) we would be remiss if we did not mention that couples are not required to be multi-millionaires (or celebrities for that matter) in order to have a prenup. It only takes a desire to plan for the future and the foresight that comes from experience.

If you have questions about prenuptial agreements, an experienced family law attorney can help.

Custody evaluators are third parties who are either appointed by the court, or agreed to by the parents, to make recommendations to the court regarding legal custody, physical custody and parenting time. Custody evaluations are not easy. In fact, most parents in Illinois dread them. The notion of having someone who they barely know make a decision about a relationship with their child can be nerve-wracking. Regardless, custody evaluations are a normal (and vital) part of the process, so it is best to be prepared for them.

This post will review a few of the things evaluators look for.

Our previous posts have touched upon high-profile prenuptial agreements (i.e. the potential prenup between Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss) as well as the best time to introduce such an agreement (well ahead of the wedding date).

This post on prenuptial agreements focuses on potential mates; essentially, the types of men and women who would be best served by having a contract.

After our recent bout of snowstorms, many Chicagoans are more than ready for spring break. This may include a vacation to Florida or California, or just a great "stay-cation." Regardless of the destination, a spring break isn't much of a vacation without the children in tow.

For divorced or separated couples, this can be a difficult task. Warring parents may want to have the children all to themselves or plan trips while not considering the other parent's rights to time with the kids. These types of mishaps often lead to future courtroom battles and more hurt feelings.

However, it does not have to be that way. Here are a few tips on how to avoid trouble around spring break.