Rincker Law, PLLC is pleased to highlight attorney Cari Rincker’s recent presentation at the 35th Annual Legal Education Seminar, co-hosted by the Central Illinois Paralegal Association (CIPA) and the McLean County Bar Association (MCBA) on September 26, 2025.
Rincker’s session, titled “Beyond the Barn: Handling the Unique Issues of Farm Divorces,” offered lawyers and paralegals practical guidance for family law and agricultural law. Cari has built a nationally recognized practice.
A Focus on Protecting Illinois Farm Families During Divorce
When a marriage involves a family-owned farm, the legal and financial stakes are far greater than in a typical divorce. Farm families must balance emotional challenges. Especially the need to preserve generational land, livestock, and agribusiness operations.
During her presentation, Rincker discussed key topics that frequently arise in farm divorces in Illinois, including:
- Prenuptial/Postnuptial Agreements for Farm Couples – how customized agreements can clarify ownership of land, equipment, and inherited property.
- Financial Management During Marriage – record-keeping and planning strategies that protect both spouses and the farm business.
- Collaborative/Mediation-Based Divorce Options – alternatives that help farm families reach amicable resolutions while minimizing disruption to operations.
- Valuation of Farm Assets – practical methods for assessing crops, livestock, equipment, co-op shares, and farmland equity during property division.
- Liabilities and Debts – how to handle operating lines of credit, equipment loans, and farm mortgages during dissolution.
- Post-Judgment Issues – addressing modification of support, post-secondary expenses, and division of retirement or investment accounts tied to the farm.
Cari Rincker has deep agricultural roots and experience handling divorces involving farms and ranches, Rincker emphasized that every case must account for both family dynamics and the business realities of modern agriculture.
“For many families, the farm isn’t just a business—it’s their heritage,” Rincker explained during her talk. “My goal is to help legal professionals understand how to preserve that legacy while ensuring fairness and compliance with Illinois family law.”
Bridging Family Law and Agriculture
As a Food, Farm, and Family℠ law attorney, Cari Rincker is uniquely positioned to teach others about the nuances of farm divorces. Having grown up on a Simmental cattle operation in Shelbyville, Illinois, she understands the complexities of farm life from both a personal and professional perspective.
Her presentation also addressed how business entities, estate planning tools, and succession plans intersect with divorce proceedings. Farm corporations, LLCs, and trusts can complicate asset division if they’re not properly structured, and Rincker offered strategies for attorneys to anticipate those challenges early.
“Family law doesn’t exist in a vacuum,” Rincker noted. “For farm families, you have to consider how the divorce will affect everything from next year’s planting season to multigenerational estate plans.”
A Leader in Agricultural and Family Law
Cari Rincker is the founder of Rincker Law, PLLC, a national law firm with offices across multiple states. Licensed in Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C., she represents clients in food and agricultural law, family and matrimonial law, business law, and estate planning.
She is also the Editor of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Agricultural Law Newsletter, where she publishes timely legal updates on farm succession, right-to-repair issues, foreign land ownership, and other emerging topics in agricultural law. Rincker has authored several publications, including:
- Field Manual: Legal Guide for New York Farmers & Food Entrepreneurs (co-authored with Pat Dillon)
- Family Law Issues in Agriculture
- Onward and Upward: Guide for Getting Through New York Divorce and Family Law Issues
Her leadership extends to academia, where she has served as an adjunct professor at Vermont Law School teaching agricultural and food law courses and previously taught mediation at the University of Illinois College of Law.
Continuing Education for Illinois Legal Professionals
The CIPA/MCBA Annual Legal Education Seminar is one of Central Illinois’s premier continuing education events for attorneys and paralegals. The 2025 seminar focused on providing practical, real-world insights for those working in specialized areas of law. Rincker’s farm divorce presentation was particularly well received, offering both rural and urban practitioners a better understanding of how to handle cases involving agricultural assets and family-owned businesses.
Participants left with a roadmap for identifying farm-specific issues early in the divorce process and strategies for collaborating with accountants, valuators, and agricultural lenders.
Supporting Farm Families Through Legal Transitions
Rincker continues to advance her mission of helping farm families protect what matters most—their land, their businesses, and their futures. Her expertise bridges the gap between traditional family law and the unique realities of rural life. Furthermore, Cari offers clarity and compassion to clients facing one of life’s most challenging transitions.
For more information about Rincker Law’s agricultural and family law services, or to schedule a consultation, call (217) 774-1373 or visit us online.