Parents living in Illinois who have gone through a divorce in which a dispute arose over custody of a child understand that current laws typically limit judges to awarding custody to one parent. State officials around the country are reviewing the feasibility of joint custody as a means of maintaining the relationship between a parent and a child after a divorce or when unmarried couples break up.
Man gets 6-month jail sentence due to clerical error
Illinois residents, who have child support obligations, might be interested in learning about a recent case in which a man was sent to jail for six months because of a clerical error in Texas. The man received a bill for nearly $3,000 in overdue child support because the automated child support withdrawals from his paycheck were not being taken out of his account. He paid the overdue amount expeditiously, plus an additional $1,000.
Need for collaboration may not end with divorce
Illinois residents may find a recently published article regarding the long-term effects of divorce to be of some interest. Its author cites work conducted by two men employed at the Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law, both of whom are recognized as being experts in collaborative law and divorce mediation. Although many people believe that divorces mark the end of the family unit, the men propose a different hypothesis that could prove illuminating.
Mediation that can help the get crisis
Orthodox Jews in Chicago who want to be recognized as divorced by the Jewish community must rely on acquiring a "get," which is granted at the sole discretion of the husband. However, many women may wait months and years for the get. The number of women waiting for a get is on the rise. This has caused some women to suffer financially or give up custody in order for the husband to agree to a get. Mediation may be able to help some couples execute a collaborative divorce that also provides a get. It serves as an alternative from the court system and rabbinical courts.
Man files suit after son put up for adoption
Families in Chicago and elsewhere may be interested in the recent story of a father whose son was put up for adoption without his knowledge. The father and mother were unmarried and broke up before the birth of the child, but the father alleges that he and the mother remained on friendly terms and that he helped financially support her throughout her pregnancy. However, the mother gave birth to the baby and put him up for adoption on the following day. She told the boy's father a week later.
