Back in 1994, Kevin Costner separated from his first wife of 16 years. This divorce settlement cost him $80 million dollars, one of the largest Hollywood divorce settlements in history. Costner learned his lesson, and before the second time around at marriage with handbag designer,Read More

Trial is the final hearing date in your case and is the process of each side putting on their evidence, refuting the other side’s evidence, and the delivery of opening and closing arguments. After trial, the court enters a judgment. But does this mean theRead More

You’ve worked hard to accumulate your assets over your life. Like most people, you want the future of your property after your death to be in your control. If you do not use proper estate planning tools to prepare for death, you risk leaving yourRead More

5/14/2023 The Illinois Supreme Court’s recent decision regarding Supreme Court Rule 102 has made headlines in the Illinois litigation realm this Spring. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 102 determines how a summons (i.e. an official notice of a lawsuit) must be served on a defendant/respondent. PriorRead More

What is an estate inventory? An estate inventory is essentially a list of assets that the deceased owned. It can include personal property, real estate, automobiles, bank accounts, investment accounts, business interests, and animals. It is the responsibility of the executor or personal representative toRead More

Many individuals incorporate annual gifting into their estate planning strategy for good reason – it is an easy way to remove assets from what may otherwise be a taxable estate without any gift tax consequences to the donor.   What is considered a gift?   Generally, anyRead More

According to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, a Right of First Refusal relates to when a party intends to leave the minor child or children with a substitute child-care provider for a significant period of time.  In that event, that party must firstRead More

With everyone heading back to campus, it is important to discuss an important piece of estate planning with your young adult. While typically Power of Attorney documents are thought to be primarily for more established adults, anyone over the age of 18 should have them inRead More

What is Parental Alienation? Divorce with children is difficult on its own, and parental alienation can make divorce even more challenging. Parental alienation is when one parent purposely undermines and sabotages the child’s relationship with the other parent. i The offending parent uses a varietyRead More

What is Relocation Under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, a parent’s relocation with the child to a new residence is governed by Section 609.2. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act has three definitions of relocation:  “(1) a change of residenceRead More