Posted on May 17, 2013 in Child Custody and Support

When determining the custody of a child, divorce courts always put the best interests of the child first. There are additional factors that go into the equation, however, before a decision is made. Other questions are answered here as well, for anyone who may be going through a divorce, and is in fear of losing their child to their former spouse.

Factors that are considered while child custody is being determined in a divorce range from the simple wishes of the parents as to who will have custody, to details that are as complex as each parents’ military family care plan if they are members of the U.S. Armed Forces who may be deployed. The mental and physical health of both the parents and the children, along with any caretakers that either parent may hire and anyone else who may have significant responsibility with the child is also considered.

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 Posted on May 12, 2013 in Adoption

It may not seem necessary to have a lawyer when trying to adopt a child but in this time in society, you are always susceptible to a scam. If a couple is looking to adopt an infant or place an infant up for adoption, they should have an attorney at their side to protect them from any possible troubles.

When a child is adopted, the parents must go through a legal process where a mother and father give up their legal rights with a child, and another person or couple is given legal rights to the child. Errors in paperwork can lead to the adoption being challenged in court, and possibly being reversed.

You should never attend an adoption meeting without an adoption attorney, because there are many people who will target susceptible couples by getting their hopes up, taking thousands of dollars, and no adoption ever takes place.

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 Posted on May 07, 2013 in Collaborative Law

The process of divorce is very difficult on the emotions on each partner, as well as any children.  Instead of going through a divorce publicly in a divorce court, there is an option to come to an agreement through collaboration.  Now the state government of Illinois is considering some new legislation about collaborative law to protect consumers.

The bills are Senate Bill 31 and House Bill 1029 combined are referred to as the Uniform Collaborative Law Act, or UCLA.  The hope is that by setting down the guidelines of the process and the expectations of the professionals managing this method of divorce, the divorce process will be easier.  This legislation is similar to Collaborative Acts already enacted in Hawaii, Ohio, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and other states.

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 Posted on May 03, 2013 in Domestic Violence

If you are a victim of domestic violence, sometimes you have no option except to file for an order of protection. However, when doing so, it is important to consider which type will best suit your needs. A post by womenslaw.org has explained the three different types of orders of protection and how long they each last.

The first type of order of protection is an emergency order. You can obtain this type of order of protection based solely on your testimony to a judge. The judge will then have the power to grant the order-without notifying the abuser or having them present in court-if the harm you are attempting to end will be likely to occur if the abuser is notified of your application for the order. The only way the abuser will be removed from your shared home is if the judge believes the seriousness of the danger of abuse is more important than the problems caused by the abuser being removed from their home without notice. An emergency order of protection will provide short-term, temporary protection.

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 Posted on April 28, 2013 in Divorce

Divorce is hard for everyone, especially children. Divorce not only affects their life at home but their life at school. A study at Ohio State University found that when a marriage dissolves, a child’s self-esteem and academic performance could be affected, even before the divorce initiates. Usually, a child’s self-esteem will get better over time, but academic performance can continue to decline. The study says that the reason for poor performance is that, “if a child doesn’t learn the skills she needs, it’s hard to catch up to the next grade.” Academic performance is different from a child’s self-esteem because their emotion can bounce back.

In a recent Parenting.com article, advice is given on how to ensure that your child’s grades don’t slip. The first advice is to give them lots of personal attention. This will show your child that you still love them and will give them a break from the stresses of life. Next, the parent should be knowledgeable about how their child feels about school. Parents should set aside time every day to talk to their child about their day at school or even offer help with an assignment. There is, also, the option of getting a counselor for you and your child. Having a counselor can make it easier to discuss any problems that are going on. A parent should be informed about what is going on at the school. It can be helpful to attend any school events, especially parent-teacher conferences. Lastly, the website advises hiring a tutor. A tutor can help get your child up to speed with the rest of their grades’ academic skills.

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 Posted on April 24, 2013 in Adoption

Regardless of your reasons for wanting to adopt a child, there are requirements you must meet before you are able to do so. These exist to protect the safety of the child or children, and to help find parents who will look out for the child's best interests. The Adoption Information Center for Illinois provides a general list of adoption qualifications, but your best bet is to hire an adoption attorney. Your attorney will know how to help you prepare for the legal process of adoption.

Qualifications for licensing of adoptive parents:

• You may be single, married, divorced, or separated and living away from your spouse for more than 12 months.
• You may or may not have any other children, adopted or biological.
• You must be at least 21 years old.
• You must be capable of financially managing an addition to your family, although there are no specific income requirements for adoptive families. (Financial assistance is also available to families of adoptive children older than one year old or children that have special needs of any age).

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 Posted on April 22, 2013 in Adoption

Often times, the biggest obstacle for families that adopt a child is to accept that their new child has other parents (birth parents) as well and to be able to discuss their child’s birth parents with their child. Whether or not adoptive parents are comfortable with it, their child will always have birth parents who will always be a part of his or her life.

It is very important for adoptive parents to let their children know that talking about both their adoptive family and their birth family is okay. Many children who are adopted have shared that, growing up, they did not feel that it was acceptable to openly talk about their adoption. These conversations, however, about the adoption, often bond adoptive parents and children when they take the time to discuss their feelings and thoughts about the process, and lessens the likelihood of these children growing up and feeling unable to trust others, and to have insecurities and separation from their adoptive families. It is also important for children to know about their birth parents.

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 Posted on April 18, 2013 in Divorce

Even an easy divorce situation can take an emotional toll on a person and their views about getting into a new relationship. According to The Huffington Post, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that your new love life isn’t stressful.

The first thing that you want to do before jumping back in the dating pool after getting divorced is to reconcile your feelings. Chances are, you are not the same person that you were when last you were dating. Not only have you changed, but things have changed in the general dating world. Your habits and interests may have changed. You need to have a hand on and understand all of these changes before you can expect someone else to be understanding of you.

Take it slow. You may be harboring some bad feelings about your former spouse and the reasons that you divorced in the first place. You need to deal with these issues. Entering the dating world with a ton of unresolved baggage can lead to misunderstandings and unhealthy relationships. If you still find yourself bawling when thinking about your former relationship, you are not ready.

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 Posted on April 14, 2013 in Divorce

A Swedish study has discovered that some women have a gene which may make them predisposed to divorce and breakups. The research concluded that this may be the reason why women who have this gene have a hard time committing or staying committed.

A variant of the A-allele gene, an oxytocin receptor gene, leaves women with the difficulty of bonding with people. Oxytocin, called the "cuddle chemical", and is a hormone that promotes feelings of love, bonding and maternal affection in women.

The study, done by the Karolinska Institute, examined the DNA of more than 1800 women and their partners. All the couples were either married or living together for at least five years. The women in the study who researchers found carried a variation of the A-allele gene were fifty percent more likely to report major marital issues and their partners were found to be very unsatisfied in the relationships.

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 Posted on April 12, 2013 in In the News

Imagine growing up physically healthy, except unable to hear the world around you. The desire to learn, play sports and interact with other people through sound is strong, and there is a hearing device that can make that possible. Many insurance companies don't cover the $2,500 that it costs for a hearing device, and many are left without the chance to hear. Fortunately, a young girl has decided to help young deaf girls; a local community organization and individual have jumped in to support.

Sports lover Eliza Peters was born legally deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other. Her family realized how much she wanted to be able to hear. After her father, John, arranged for her to have a surprise visit from ESPN’s Sarah Spain, Eliza decided that she wanted to help other deaf girls afford a hearing aid. Sarah Spain and Eliza Peters began a great friendship, and have created "Hear the Cheers", a charity. The charity, that is partnered with Chicago Hearing Society, is trying to raise $10,000 to provide funds to other girls whose families cannot afford hearing aids.

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