Posted on February 07, 2024 in Divorce

Ending your marriage can be challenging. Even if divorce is ultimately the best solution for you and your family, it can be a very emotionally charged process. As you work to address and resolve the various details of your divorce, you may encounter disputes with your spouse, and you may find it difficult to discuss these issues in a productive manner. Fortunately, there are methods that you can use to resolve disputes and reach agreements without going through the expensive, time-consuming, and stressful process of litigating your divorce in court. One such method is divorce mediation.

Divorce mediation involves working with a neutral third party, known as a mediator, who assists in facilitating communication and negotiation between you and your spouse. The goal of mediation is to help you reach a mutually acceptable settlement regarding all aspects of your divorce, including child custody, division of assets, and spousal support. Preparing for divorce mediation is crucial to ensure that the process can proceed as smoothly as possible. An experienced attorney can ensure that you will be able to approach this process correctly. At Farooqi & Husain Law Office, we can provide guidance on what you need to do to ensure that mediation will be successful, including:

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 Posted on January 26, 2024 in Child Custody

Child support is a critical component of many divorce cases, as well as child custody cases involving unmarried parents. Child support orders put in place by family courts ensure that both parents will continue to contribute to the financial needs of their children. Many parents who are involved in these matters may wonder what expenses may be included when calculating child support. An experienced attorney can provide guidance on what factors will be considered when determining child support obligations, and they can also provide effective representation for parents to ensure that other issues related to their children will be handled correctly.

How Is Child Support Determined?

In Illinois, child support payments are determined based on guidelines provided in state law. These guidelines take into account various factors such as each parent's income, the number of children they share, and, in some cases, each parent’s amount of parenting time. The purpose of child support is to ensure that both parents are contributing to the costs of raising their children. The formulas provided in Illinois law will be used in most cases, although deviations from the guidelines may be appropriate in some situations, such as when one or both parents earn high incomes or when children have extraordinary needs.

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 Posted on January 04, 2024 in Bankruptcy

Regardless of your profession, getting a divorce is often a deeply emotional experience. For physicians practicing in Illinois, specific considerations must be taken into account during divorce proceedings. One common concern is whether a doctor will lose their practice because of the divorce. If you are a doctor and have concerns regarding the future of your practice and what getting a divorce will mean for you, your practice, and your life, pick up the phone and call an experienced attorney in Illinois to get the help you need today.

Property Division for a Physician Getting Divorced

Since Illinois is an equitable distribution state, the court will look to divide assets fairly and justly during the property division process. However, losing a medical practice entirely is unlikely unless exceptional circumstances are at play. Instead, the court may consider other factors, such as the value of the practice, the contributions each spouse made to the practice's growth, and the financial needs of both parties, when determining how to divide the practice's value

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 Posted on December 22, 2023 in Bankruptcy

A high net worth divorce can be complex and challenging, and couples in these situations may need to address a variety of financial matters. You will need to make sure you make the right decisions to ensure that you will be able to meet your financial needs after your marriage ends. With significant assets and investments at stake, it is crucial to carefully consider all relevant financial factors during the divorce process. With the help of an experienced attorney, you can make sure these concerns will be properly evaluated. As you proceed with a high net worth divorce, you may need to address issues such as:

Property Division

The division of marital property is often one of the most important aspects of a high asset divorce. Illinois law requires an equitable distribution of assets and debts between spouses who are ending their marriage through divorce. When property is distributed equitably, each spouse may receive a fair and just portion of the marital estate, but an exactly equal division is not required.

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 Posted on December 08, 2023 in Divorce

For most people, the holiday season is a time to experience and share joy and love while spending time together with their loved ones. However, if you are going through a divorce or have recently been divorced, this time of year can be particularly challenging. The emotions that come with divorce can be intensified during the holidays, especially if you have had to give up certain family traditions, are feeling lonely and isolated, or will be able to spend less time with your children during the season than you had in the past. By addressing these issues, you can begin to move forward after the difficult process of divorce, and you can take steps to have a more peaceful and enjoyable holiday season this year and in the years to come. 

As you address emotional concerns related to your divorce, an experienced attorney can help you make sure legal issues that affect you and your family will be handled correctly. As you begin to heal during and after your divorce, you can take the following steps to make sure you will be able to have a positive holiday season:

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 Posted on November 29, 2023 in Divorce

The divorce process is rarely easy, but it can be especially hard on children. As parents navigate through the challenges of divorce, including making adjustments to living arrangements, separating their finances, and establishing new routines, it is crucial to prioritize the well-being and protection of their children. An experienced attorney can play a crucial role in addressing issues related to divorce and child custody. In addition to handling legal concerns, parents will want to make sure their children are protected as much as possible. Here are some ways parents can ensure the safety and emotional stability of their children during this challenging time:

1. Shield Children From Conflict

A high-conflict divorce can have lasting negative effects on children's mental health and their overall well-being. Therefore, it is essential to shield children from contentious discussions or arguments between parents whenever possible. Parents may need to avoid discussing any divorce-related issues while at home so that they can avoid arguments that children may overhear. Negotiations of their parenting plan or other aspects of their divorce settlement may need to be handled through their attorneys to ensure that conflict can be minimized.

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 Posted on November 07, 2023 in Illinois Family Law

When a married couple’s relationship breaks down, it may be best for everyone involved to end the marriage. However, the process of dissolving a marriage through divorce can be difficult. Traditional divorce proceedings can be adversarial, time-consuming, and expensive. However, there is an alternative approach that can offer couples a more amicable way to end their marriage: collaborative divorce. If you are considering using collaborative law to negotiate a settlement in your divorce, an attorney who has experience with this process can provide the guidance and legal representation you need. 

The Basics of Collaborative Divorce

In a collaborative divorce, both parties work together with their respective attorneys to reach mutually agreeable solutions without going to court. This process encourages open communication and cooperation between spouses, aiming for a resolution that meets the needs and interests of everyone involved.

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 Posted on October 25, 2023 in Divorce

A divorce will involve a variety of complex issues. As you work to separate your life from your spouse, you will need to determine how to divide your marital property. The decisions made about ownership of different assets can have a significant impact on your financial stability both immediately after your divorce and in the years to come. One area that requires careful consideration is the division of retirement assets. If you or your spouse have retirement accounts, such as a 401(k) or IRA, or if you earn pension benefits, you may need to use a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) to divide these assets. An attorney who has experience addressing complex financial issues related to divorce can provide guidance on the use of QDROs and other aspects of the asset division process.

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 Posted on October 06, 2023 in Illinois Family Law

A prenuptial agreement, commonly known as a "prenup," is a legal contract that a couple will create and sign before they get married. These agreements may outline how certain financial matters will be handled in the event of divorce or the death of either spouse. While a prenup can provide many benefits, it is crucial for a couple to ensure that it will be valid and legally enforceable. Including terms in a prenuptial agreement that violate the law could potentially result in the entire agreement being found to be invalid. When planning to get married and determining what should be included in a prenup, it is important to work with an attorney to ensure that the appropriate language is used and that both parties understand how the terms of the agreement will affect them.

What Can Be Addressed in a Prenuptial Agreement

In general, prenups are limited to making decisions about financial issues, including the income, assets, and debts of each party both before and after they are married. A prenuptial agreement may address:

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 Posted on September 27, 2023 in Child Custody

The process of getting a divorce can be challenging, no matter your situation. When you have children, the end of your marriage can provoke disputes over issues such as where children will live and how you will make decisions about medical care, education, and other concerns. If you have handled most of the child-related duties during your marriage, you may believe that you should have sole custody of your children. While sole custody may be possible in certain situations, it is important to understand that obtaining sole custody is not always easy, and most of the time, courts prefer for parents to share joint custody. An experienced attorney can provide guidance on whether sole custody may be an option for you.

The Best Interests of the Child

In Illinois, the “best interests of the child” is the top priority in a family law case involving child custody. This means that decisions about custody must focus on solutions that will provide a stable and nurturing environment for children.

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