How DCFS Appeals Can Give Law Students Valuable Litigation ExperienceBy Joe LehmanAdministrative Law, April 2024The rules of the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services allow non-lawyers to appear before administrative law judges. Law students and firms that employ them should capitalize on this allowance to give law students valuable litigation experience.
Adjudication vs. ADR in Family Law: In Search of Deeper Dialogue and UnderstandingBy Sandra CrawfordFamily Law, March 2024Conflict resolution practitioners must be able to convey the benefits and drawbacks to different models of conflict resolution since the model a client uses to address disputes can have a profound impact on the process and outcome.
How DCFS Appeals Can Give Law Students Valuable Litigation ExperienceBy Joe LehmanFamily Law, March 2024The rules of the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services allow non-lawyers to appear before administrative law judges. Law students and firms that employ them should capitalize on this allowance to give law students valuable litigation experience.
Navigating the Sale of a Marital Residence During the Pendency of a CaseBy Rebecca Berlin-MelzerFamily Law, February 2024Understanding the various legal options for handling marital property in divorce under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act will help lawyers give clients quality, comprehensive advice.
Beware of AI PitfallsBy Michael StraussFamily Law, January 2024An artificial intelligence-generated article about a non-existent Illinois Supreme Court Rule, which serves as a cautionary tale for attorneys to do their own research and not blindly rely on anything generated by AI.
The Value of a Narrative Response in Family Law CasesBy Judge James A. Shapiro & Adam R. HeusinkveldFamily Law, January 2024The failure of many family law practitioners to appreciate the distinction between pleadings and motions results in the common practice of using the “admit/deny” format in responding to motions.
Constructive Direct Criminal Contempt and Remote ProceedingsBy James HanauerFamily Law, December 2023With remote court proceedings looking like they are here to stay in some fashion with most jurisdictions, it may be important to be able to identify and know the elements and procedures for constructive direct criminal contempt.
A ‘How-to’ on Challenging PaternityBy Staci BalbirerFamily Law, December 2023While you may typically be retained on a parentage matter to establish paternity, it is important to know the steps to take if you are retained to challenge paternity.
The Value of a Narrative Response in Family Law CasesBy Judge James A. Shapiro & Adam R. HeusinkveldBench and Bar, December 2023In domestic relations matters, many practitioners follow practice conventions that defy statutory rules governing pleading in civil matters and forgo the opportunity to educate the court by providing written argument and citation to case law in support of legal positions—most often, this occurs in the context of responding to motions.
Lists of Do’s and Don’ts for ClientsBy Elizabeth WakemanFamily Law, July 2023Two lists to share with clients to make divorce and parenting agreement settlements as cooperative, quick, and inexpensive as possible.
How ‘Resident, Continuing, and Conjugal’ Must It Be?By Ron A. CohenFamily Law, June 2023An analysis of 750 ILCS 5/510(c), which terminates the obligation to pay future maintenance “if the party receiving maintenance cohabits with another person on a resident, continuing, conjugal basis.”
Bankruptcy + DivorceBy Stephanie L. TangFamily Law, May 2023It is important for practitioners to understand what types of matters are exempt from the automatic stay under the Bankruptcy Code.
Can I Terminate My Ex’s Parental Rights?By Kathleen M. KraftFamily Law, May 2023Most family lawyers have been asked by clients how they can terminate the other parent’s parental rights. The answer, of course, is only through adoption or a juvenile court proceeding.
Cryptocurrency and DissipationBy Tanya WittFamily Law, February 2023Due to the nature of digital assets and cryptocurrency exchanges, dissipation claims will likely become a key issue in divorces involving these types of investments.
