2023 Articles

Adjudicating a Parentage Matter—Without the Parent? By Staci Balbirer April 2023 Steps to take when adjudicating parentage for a non-parent.

A.I. and the Practice of Law By Raleigh D. Kalbfleisch April 2023 A look at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the practice of law.

Bankruptcy + Divorce By Stephanie L. Tang May 2023 It is important for practitioners to understand what types of matters are exempt from the automatic stay under the Bankruptcy Code.

Best Practices for Guardians ad Litem and Getting Paid By Christopher B. Smith & Leslie A. Wood July 2023 Advocacy for guardians ad litem is constantly evolving, however, there are certain practices that are generally accepted throughout the state as best practices.

1 comment (Most recent July 18, 2023)

Can I Terminate My Ex’s Parental Rights? By Kathleen M. Kraft May 2023 Most 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.

Celebrity Death Match: 750 ILCS 5/512(b) vs. 750 ILCS 5/511(b) By Jessica Patchik August 2023 A summary of a real-life modification to a parenting plan and child support.

Chair Column: The Case for Expanding the Role of Standing Orders in Illinois Courts By Stephanie L. Tang February 2023 A note from the chair.

Chair Column: The Intersection of Immigration and Family Law By Stephanie L. Tang January 2023 A note from the chair.

Chair’s Column By Wesley Gozia July 2023 A note from the chair of the Family Law Section Council.

Chair’s Column: My Swan Song By Stephanie L. Tang June 2023 A note from the outgoing chair.

Constructive Direct Criminal Contempt and Remote Proceedings By James Hanauer December 2023 With 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.

Cryptocurrency and Dissipation By Tanya Witt February 2023 Due to the nature of digital assets and cryptocurrency exchanges, dissipation claims will likely become a key issue in divorces involving these types of investments.

A Digest of Domestic Violence Issues for Brochures, General Information, and Distribution By Kathy E. Bojczuk February 2023 A compendium of current information on domestic violence for lawyers and clients.

The Ethics of Representing Children By Lisa M. Nyuli January 2023 How attorneys represent children's interests under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act can impact families for years to come.

Happy New (Bar) Year: Rules to Know By Lisa M. Nyuli August 2023 Summaries of rule changes that impact family law practitioners.

How Does Therapy Actually Help Family Law Cases? By Genevieve Miller March 2023 An overview of the benefits of therapy.

How ‘Resident, Continuing, and Conjugal’ Must It Be? By Ron A. Cohen June 2023 An 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.”

A ‘How-to’ on Challenging Paternity By Staci Balbirer December 2023 While 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 Illinois Child Support Guidelines Quadrennial Review Report and the Updated Child Support Guidelines By Margaret A. Bennett & Nancy Chausow Shafer March 2023 A summary of the Illinois Child Support Advisory Committee's review of child support guidelines.

In re Marriage of Bostrom: Is It Something or Nothing? By Hon. Arnold F. Blockman, (ret.) June 2023 A summary and analysis of In re Marriage of Bostrom.

Language Matters: Timeliness of Enforcing Judgments By Rebecca Melzer February 2023 With so many divorce cases being resolved by entering into a marital settlement agreement, practitioners should strive to help ensure that the agreement is enforced.

Lists of Do’s and Don’ts for Clients By Elizabeth Wakeman July 2023 Two lists to share with clients to make divorce and parenting agreement settlements as cooperative, quick, and inexpensive as possible.

Musings of a Mediator: 15 Years Later By Christopher Bohlen January 2023 When Illinois Supreme Court Rule 905 was created, it gave a deadline to circuit courts to create rules for mandatory mediation of child issues in dissolution and parentage cases.

Personal Injury & Workers’ Compensation Claims in Illinois Divorces Part 2 By Stephanie L. Tang April 2023 A note from the chair.

Prolonging Motherhood: Legal Considerations When Freezing Embryos By Judge Karen Bowes, Judge Grace G. Dickler, (ret.), & Diana Arroyo May 2023 The legal issues Illinois women should consider when deciding whether or not to freeze their embryos.

Recent Fourth District Case Gets It Right on Intended Parent By Rachael Toft March 2023 A summary of a recent appellate case that determined that a donor is not a legal parent.

Sliding Into the DMs: The New Rules of Service By Judd Fineberg September 2023 In April 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court amended Supreme Court Rule 102, allowing for service of process via social media, email, and text message.

Termination of Maintenance Based on Cohabitation: Intimate Dating Relationship or De Facto Marriage? By Michelle Lawless September 2023 The appellate court recently addressed the issue of termination of maintenance due to cohabitation or continuing conjugal basis in In re the Marriage of Edson.

Timing Is Everything: Setting the Date for Valuation of Marital Property By Judd Fineberg January 2023 A look at how courts are using their discretion to set a valuation date for marital assets.

Understanding the Other By Marilyn Longwell September 2023 Summaries of thought provoking books of interest to family law practitioners.