I had a great conversation with Meyer Capel shareholder Tristan Bullington, who is a talented family law and criminal law attorney. He is part of the Bloomington, Illinois team. You can hear the podcast here.
It’s Prenup Season Folks for Summer Weddings- Here Are a Few Quick Tips to Keep in Mind
This time of year is my favorite season — and sometimes I refer to it as Prenup Season. Why? Couples planning to tie the knot this spring or summer may be considering a prenup. I also posted a quick video here on the topic. Here are three tips for the betrothed who want a prenuptial agreement: The sooner, the better. …
Ask Kym: Factors Illinois Courts May Consider for the Allocation of Pet Responsibility
After the seminal case of the Marriage of Enders, in 750 ILCS 503(n), Illinois law established the allocation of pet responsibility in divorces. Here are a few of the factors that a court may consider: Who owns the companion animal; Who pays for the companion animal’s needs; Who takes care of the companion animal’s daily needs; Who walks/plays with the …
NALC Fact Sheet: Animal Law Issues in Farm and Ranch Divorces
There are a myriad of animal law issues affecting farm and ranch families who are going through a divorce (both with companion animals but also livestock and frozen genetics). Read my Fact Sheet with the National Agriculture Law Center here. Don’t forget to check out all my NALC Fact Sheets on family law issues with agriculture here.
NALC Fact Sheet: Custody and Visitation Issues for Divorcing Farm and Ranch Families
This is always a hot topic in divorce, but in particular with farm and ranch families. I worked on Fact Sheets for family law issues affecting agriculture for the National Agriculture Law Center. You can read my Fact Sheet on children issues including “custody and visitation” here.
NALC Fact Sheet: Child Support Issues in Farm and Ranch Divorces
Oooooh yes… good ol’ child support. It’s a big issue in most divorces but this can be especially complicated with farm and ranch divorces. Read my Fact Sheet with the National Agriculture Law Center on this topic here. You can read all my Fact Sheets with NALC on family law issues with agriculture here.
Family Law Issues in Agriculture: Equitable Distribution
Equitable distribution (“ED”) is the allocation of the marital estate in a divorce. Importantly, not all states are equitable distribution states; instead, states like Texas and California are community property states. The majority of states are equitable distribution states, but it is important to confirm this with a licensed attorney in the applicable jurisdiction. In way of background, property in …
Family Law Issues in Agriculture: Spousal Maintenance
Spousal maintenance in some states is formulaic, while others rely on case law. In either scenario, there needs to be a determination of income (not assets). For most involved in farming and ranching or other kinds of agri-business, determining income is anything but straightforward. Typically, a spouse is required to pay for his/her health insurance after the divorce, but if …
Horses + Divorces, Grapes + Gripes, and Romantic Farmer Prenups
I’m talking the intersect between family/matrimonial law and agriculture in Tiffany Dowell Lashmet’s podcast “Ag Law in the Field”. I’m on Episode 4 and you can listen to the podcast interview here or download it via iTunes. I talk about why I love prenups and Alternative Dispute Resolution with divorce, especially in the contest of agriculture. I also give some …
Illinois Family Law: Common Law Marriage
Interestingly, Illinois does not recognize common law marriage (i.e., when two people cohabitate and hold the other out as a spouse for a certain period of time); however, Illinois WILL recognize a common law marriage in other state if that couple then moves to Illinois and then wants a divorce. Importantly, this doesn’t affect child support if there are kidlets …