When planning to marry, Chicago area couples often spend months or even years selecting a location, choosing a photographer and picking out flowers. While a couple's marriage is certainly a good reason to celebrate, some couples fail to fully grasp what comes after the excitement of the wedding and honeymoon.
Planning to marry? Why you should consider a prenuptial agreement
When possible, joint child custody often most beneficial for all family members
When it comes to child custody matters, many factors must be weighed, considered and decided. In previous decades, when a couple split up or divorced, mothers were often granted primary physical custody of a child. However, today this isn't necessarily true.
Same-sex parent child custody issues and the importance of second-parent adoption
When it comes to marriage, same-sex couples in the U.S. have long encountered roadblocks and opposition. Currently, according to the non-profit, Freedom To Marry, 30 states recognize the legal rights of same-sex couples to marry. Measures related to same-sex marriage are pending in many other states. As the nation seems poised to finally allow gay and lesbian couples to marry and enjoy many of the privileges previously only afforded to heterosexual couples, legal issues related to same-sex divorce and child custody must also be addressed.
Why prenuptial agreements aren't just for the very wealthy
Most people are vaguely aware of what a prenuptial agreement is and that it protects the assets an individual brings to a marriage from being divided should that individual later divorce. Many people have misconceptions about prenuptial agreements and wrongly believe they are only for the very wealthy. While individuals with considerable wealth should definitely execute a prenup prior to walking down the aisle, this legal document can also provide important protections to individuals of lesser means.
Why is it important that Illinois fathers establish paternity?
A growing number of individuals in the U.S. are foregoing marriage, yet still having children. In cases where a child is born to mother who is not married, she automatically has legal sole custody of the child. This means that the child's father must take steps to establish paternity and legally be recognized as the child's father.
