Multi-State Divorce & Family Law Blog by Stange Law Firm, PC

How you may be able to claim benefits on an ex-spouse’s Social Security record On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Friday, April 22, 2016. When a couple decides to divorce, money is often a, if not the, major concern. When coming to an agreement about the division of marital assets, divorcing spouses must not only take into account their current, but also future financial needs. For individuals who are in their 50s or early 60s, it’s important to have enough money to retire and live out one’s retirement years comfortably. In addition to splitting marital

Tech time may influence parenting time and a child’s behavior On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, June 9, 2017. Divorce can be difficult on the divorcing couple as well as the children. While parents in Illinois and elsewhere might fight tooth and nail to obtain the child custody arrangement they desire most, at the end of the day, it is important that these agreements meet the best interests of the child. Even if on paper the arrangement is conducive for the child, it is all dependent on what a parent does with their

Children may benefit from shared child custody arrangements On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, September 8, 2017. A two parent, one-household dynamic used to be the standard family unit in decades past. However, since nearly half of all marriages end in divorce, the reality is that these days some parents must carry on their parental roles separate from the other parent. Even when parents make their best attempts to keep a family a unit, it is sometimes best to end a marriage for everyone involved. Thus, parents in Illinois and elsewhere need to

Parents may adopt through Illinois ‘Baby Safe Haven’ law On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in family law on Friday, April 21, 2017. In Illinois, April is designated as “Save Abandoned Babies Month.” Sometimes, infants are born to mothers and fathers who simply are unable for very personal reasons to care for them. Sometimes these situations have caused parents to put their infant’s life in danger in an act of desperation. However, an Illinois statute that addresses that issue is seeing successful results. Parents in Illinois may be able to adopt a child through the “Baby Safe Haven”

Divorce: marriage may be romantic, but prenups are practical On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Thursday, April 6, 2017. While “love” is one of the first words a person in Springfield associates with the word “marriage,” in fact there are many practical aspects of marriage that should not get lost in the haze of romance. Therefore, some couples find that it can help to have a prenuptial agreement (prenup) in place. There are several good reasons to create a prenup. If it is a person’s second marriage, and that person has children from a prior

Collaborative divorce may be considered as an alternative On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Monday, November 21, 2016. Ending marriages is not something many Illinois couples go through more than once or twice in their lifetimes. Many believe what they have heard about divorce and the trauma of litigation. However, there are alternative options, and couples who decide to divorce while they are still communicating may find that they can avoid going to court. Spouses who can sit down and talk through contentious issues may reach agreements that will be less costly and less stressful,

Gray divorce may be complicated by mental health issues On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. America’s largest generation is reaching old age. It has long been predicted that baby boomer retirement would dramatically affect the state of the American workforce. But other, less-anticipated problems are also emerging, including the increasing rates of “gray divorce” and high rates of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Although most stories about gray divorce involve spouses who are still mentally competent to make decisions on their own behalf, an increasing number of late-life divorce cases

Claims of paternity may be challenged On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Fathers’ Rights on Thursday, October 24, 2019. Establishing paternity is an important part of solidifying the relationship between an Illinois father and his child. As previously discussed on this blog, one-way paternity can be proven is through DNA testing that compares the genetic material of a man to that of his purported child. Paternity testing happens after a child is born to either give a father rights or to require a father to pay child support. However, not every claim of paternity that is made

Divorce may cause many financial surprises On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Friday, March 27, 2020. For Illinois residents and others throughout the country, a divorce is an emotional event. It can also have a significant impact on a person’s finances. This can be especially true for those who didn’t keep track of how much debt their households accrued during a marriage. It isn’t uncommon for both parties to a marriage to be responsible for paying off a portion of any debt that was accrued before the divorce. Some of this debt could include loans

Know the proper ways to work through parenting disagreements On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, April 24, 2020. Co-parenting isn’t always fun and games. There are times in which you and your co-parent might not see eye-to-eye. In these cases, you’ll have to work out respective solutions. This may be a challenge, but taking the time to think about what’s best for the children can sometimes help to make things a bit easier. When there is an issue that arises, make sure that you speak directly to your ex about it. You don’t

Military members can benefit from virtual visitation On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in military family law on Friday, April 10, 2020. Military members are often away from home. This can make it difficult for parents to keep in touch with their children. Unfortunately, this is just the nature of military service, but parents these days have more tools at their disposal that can help them stay in touch with their children. While they aren’t really an alternative to in-person visits with the children, virtual visits can help them remain in contact with the kids when they can’t