Some parents in Illinois who have had difficulty collecting child support payments are turning to outside agencies to try and recover delinquent amounts. As the state has no statute of limitations on court-ordered child support, some agencies will undertake to collect those amounts on behalf of the parent in exchange for a fee, normally expressed as a percentage of the amount collected.
Successful mediation requires careful planning
According to the Huffington Post, couples in Illinois and throughout the country who wish to substitute a successful mediation for a messy divorce should come to the table prepared. But before they assemble any documents, they should plan for a successful mediation by doing two important things: ensure that the attorney they choose is not the type that will steer the mediation into litigation and get their emotions under control.
U.S. Appeals Court orders return of boy from Ireland to Illinois
A U.S. appellate court ruled Oct. 8 that the 6-year-old son of an Illinois woman must be returned to her from Ireland pending the outcome of further family court deliberations. In an ongoing custody battle between the parents, a lower U.S. court had ruled that the boy be sent to live in Ireland with his father. The parents, who have never been married, lived together as a couple in Ireland, the father's home country. She became pregnant with the boy in 2006 and gave birth to her son in America.
Illinois warrant issued for former board of trade chairman
A former chairman of the Chicago Board of Trade has fled to Italy or Switzerland, in what appears to be an attempt to avoid alimony and child support payments. When reached on his cell phone, the man admits that he is in Europe and stated, "I am an Italian citizen," but refused to talk about the money that he allegedly owes his child or his ex-wife.
Avoiding litigation with a negotiated divorce
Not all Illinois residents who divorce need to go through long and often complicated litigation proceedings. Anegotiated divorce can often be less expensive and quicker and may help people protect their privacy. With a collaborative divorce, a couple makes the choice to stay out of court and resolve their issues in a private setting. In this type of a divorce, lawyers and financial professionals are used to ensure that laws are followed and assets are divided equitably.
