2024 Articles

Adjudication vs. ADR in Family Law: In Search of Deeper Dialogue and Understanding By Sandra Crawford March 2024 Conflict 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.

Automatic Substitution of Judges: A Closer Look By Judge Arnold F. Blockman, (ret.) July 2024 An analysis of the common practice of taking a substitution as of right to the assigned family law judge in a given case.

Beware of AI Pitfalls By Michael Strauss January 2024 An 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.

Cases and Issues to Watch By Raleigh D. Kalbfleisch April 2024 Summaries of cases and issues of interest to family law practitioners.

Chair’s Column By Jessica Patchick October 2024 A note from the chair.

Chair’s Column By Jessica Patchik August 2024 A note from the chair.

Defending Dissipation: Tips and Common Pitfalls to Avoid By Jessica C. Marshall October 2024 Tips for mitigating dissipation claims when litigating divorce cases.

Don’t Be a ‘Wimpy’ Lawyer By Rory T. Weiler April 2024 Advice on how to collect fees from uncooperative clients.

1 comment (Most recent May 17, 2024)

Exploring Upward Deviation in Child Support: The Road Rarely Taken By Kathy E. Bojczuk May 2024 Upward deviation in child support cases in Illinois offers a valuable mechanism for tailoring support payments to the specific needs of children and families.

FAIR Is the Four-Letter ‘F-Word’ in Divorce By L. Steven Rakowski April 2024 During a divorce, one way to ensure your client is happier with the outcome is to manage expectations and attitudes.

Family Law Legislation 2024 By Richard Zuckerman June 2024 In 2024, the Family Law Section Council reviewed and tracked 64 bills, seven of which made it to the governor's desk for signature.

How DCFS Appeals Can Give Law Students Valuable Litigation Experience By Joe Lehman March 2024 The 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.

Illinois Child Support Services Family Resource Transformation By Irene Curran May 2024 The Illinois IV-D program has evolved and expanded to provide services intended to help the entire family, including parents who pay support.

In re Parentage of A.H, A.H., & A.H. v. Harlow H. By Hon. Jeanne M. Reynolds February 2024 A summary and analysis of In re Parentage of A.H.

International Custody Disputes: Allocation Judgments Do Not Bind Courts When Determining a Child’s Habitual Residence By Jason Pica, II & Erin Lyman October 2024 On April 30, 2024, the Seventh United States Circuit Court of Appeals held in Baz v. Patterson, what started off as a typical parentage case, that parental stipulations regarding a child’s habitual residence do not conclusively establish residence.

Leveraging AI and ChatGPT as a Divorce Attorney in Illinois: Ethical Considerations and Practical Applications By Rachael Toft March 2024 Although artificial intelligence can be useful to attorneys now, it will have limitations until newer products are developed specifically for attorneys.

‘Living in Sin’ Is About to Get a Lot Riskier By Meighan A. Harmon May 2024 House Bill 4404, introduced in January 2024, creates the Uniform Cohabitants’ Economic Remedies Act.

Meet Your Incoming Chair, Jessica Patchik By Sally Kolb June 2024 A note of welcome to the incoming chair from one of the co-editors.

1 comment (Most recent June 18, 2024)

Navigating Parenting Time Restrictions Under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act By Agnes Zielinski Olechno January 2024 Parenting time restrictions under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act serve as a crucial mechanism to ensure a child's safety and well-being in contentious family law cases.

Navigating the Sale of a Marital Residence During the Pendency of a Case By Rebecca Berlin-Melzer February 2024 Understanding 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.

New Federal Reporting Requirement for Your Law Firm This Year By Annette Fernholz August 2024 A new rule under the Corporate Transparency Act now requires many businesses in the United States, including small law firms, to report information about who ultimately owns or controls them to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

Order of Protection Against Transphobic Parent Upheld By Peter Sullivan April 2024 In its recent opinion in In re A.A. v. Nita A., the appellate court addressed the issue of transphobia within the family and cleared a path for the issuance of orders of protection against a family member who harasses a transgender child for being transgender.

An Overview of Illinois’ Law on Reproductive Health By Ashley D. Davis October 2024 Illinois law provides robust protections for reproductive rights, ensuring that individuals have the right to make decisions about their reproductive health without undue interference from the state.

Parenting Coordinators: Coordinating Parents Through the Day-to-Day Life By Erin M. Wilson October 2024 What happens when issues arise after a final Allocation Judgment or Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage is entered? What happens when the parties are out of court and issues or different interpretations of the final orders arise? Who can the parents reach out to once the ink has dried on their final order?

The Partner Abuse Intervention Program: An Important but Underused Tool By Tanya Witt February 2024 A look at the distinctions between anger management and the Partner Abuse Intervention Program.

Practice Pointer: The Issue of Waiver and Maintenance Modification By Kathleen Kraft July 2024 When dealing with modification of maintenance, the crucial and often overlooked consideration is how the parties’ assets and liabilities were allocated within their original settlement documents and the specific language and terms related to such.

Proving the Use of Technology in Court By Hon. Grace G. Dickler, (ret.) August 2024 As technology continues to evolve, it is critical for practitioners to familiarize themselves with proving the use of technology in court.

Support For a Disabled Child Under 750 ILCS 5/513.5 By Elizabeth Felt Wakeman October 2024 A look at 750 ILCS 5/513.5, including Practice Pointers.

Update on Dissipation of Assets By Lisa M. Nyuli October 2024 A look at dissipation of assets of interest to family law practitioners.

The Value of a Narrative Response in Family Law Cases By Judge James A. Shapiro & Adam R. Heusinkveld January 2024 The 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.