Tinley Park Illinois Legal Blog | LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd.

Why does a young family need an estate plan?

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. posted in estate planning on Friday, September 6, 2019.

Estate planning can start young, and it should start young if you have a family. One of the most important parts of a younger family's estate plans is naming someone to administer the estate and to establish a guardian for minor children in the case of your death or impairment.

It can be difficult to think about some of the situations that you have to talk about in an estate plan, like passing away young or having to think about who you'd want to have raise your children, but doing this now can prevent a lot of trouble in the case that you are unable to make these decisions later.

If you're owed support, seek it through the right legal channels

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. posted in child support on Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

Child support is a payment made by one parent to another for the care of their children. Generally, this payment goes to the spouse who has the children in their custody more often.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, child support payments are inconsistent in the United States. Though there were approximately 6.3 million custodial parents who were meant to get support at the time of the study in 2011, only 43.4 percent of those involved in the study received support in full. Another 30.7 percent of parents received partial payments, while 25.9 percent of parents received nothing.

Mediation or arbitration could help you resolve custody disputes

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. posted in family law on Friday, August 9, 2019.

When you're divorced, it can be frustrating to fight over child custody issues. From not picking up your child on time to not being able to get in touch, there are many issues you may be struggling with.

Whenever you have custody-related issues, it's a good idea to try to talk through the situation with your ex-spouse. If you are both reasonable, you may be able to resolve the problem and move on. If not, then you may want to turn to a different method of dispute resolution, such as using arbitration or mediation to resolve your conflict.

How can you reduce the stress of divorce?

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. posted in divorce on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

Divorcing when you still have to go to work and maintain your busy schedule isn't easy. You may have to take time off work to meet with your attorney, go to court or just schedule time away to focus on calming your mind.

A divorce can have a significant impact on your daily life, and it's important that you're able to help yourself recover. You need to be able to work, go to school, take care of your children and yourself and be able to handle the divorce, too.

Legal custody and physical custody: What is the difference?

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. on Wednesday, July 10, 2019.

If you are going through divorce, one of your biggest concerns will be how it affects your children and, most likely, you’ll also be dealing with the emotions of not spending as much time with your children if you are sharing custody of them with your ex. One of the issues you’ll confront is sharing legal custody of your children versus sharing physical custody.

What do each of these terms mean? How will they impact how much you see your child and how much you’ll have to negotiate with your spouse about choices for your child?

How does child support affect a child's life?

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. posted in child support on Wednesday, July 10, 2019.

Child support is a necessary support for children of divorced or separated families. Unlike in a married family, children of divorce do not always live in a two-parent household. They may not have the same opportunities as other children as a result of the lack of a second parent's income.

That's why child support is so necessary. Child support gives these children the opportunity to live in a situation similar to what they'd be provided in a two-parent home. Here are a few examples.

Estate planning: An essential part of growing older

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. posted in estate planning on Wednesday, June 26, 2019.

Estate planning is an important part of growing older. You want to make sure that you take steps to protect yourself, your assets and your beneficiaries. An estate plan does all this by making sure your wishes are protected by law.

A good estate plan has several parts including your will, the assignment of guardians, trusts and more. Your attorney will talk to you about your specific situation and the plans that you need to put into place to protect your interests.

Who decides on the custody of children in divorce cases?

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. posted in child custody on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.

As someone who is living in conflict with your significant other, one of your major concerns is how to get your children out of this situation. You don't want them to see you and your spouse fight. You want them to live comfortably and to be happy at home.

You know that you and your spouse will have the right to custody if you pursue a divorce, but you're not sure how the court will decide. Fortunately, there is some helpful information that can assist you in making decisions about child custody.

Worried about child support spending? Your attorney can help

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. posted in child support on Friday, May 31, 2019.

Child support is sometimes seen as a necessary evil among some parents. They know they need to take care of their children, and doing so requires that they pay an ex-spouse each month. The problem some people have with child support is not knowing where the money is being spent.

Some argue that child support is unnecessary if a parent has shared custody or that the support should be limited to paying only for items the child needs, like food, clothing or schooling. The reality is that child support can go to anything, from housing costs to clothes shopping for a parent, the children and others.

Yes, you should talk to your attorney before divorcing

On behalf of LeVine, Ehrman & Horberg Ltd. posted in divorce on Friday, May 17, 2019.

Divorces are all different, which is why it's important to speak to your attorney long before you ever consider talking to your spouse about separating. Your attorney has important information about the things you need to do before you divorce so that the divorce can go as smoothly as possible.

For example, did you know that it's better to collect supporting documents, proof of your assets and financial printouts before you talk about divorce? It's easier to collect these important documents before you go through divorce since your spouse will be more willing to help you find paperwork you're looking for or since the passwords and access to certain documents won't be restricted.