Joliet IL Divorce Law Blog

Illinois residents understand that things change as the years go by. What once was a new item can seem old and faded after several years, and in need of some repair or updating.

The law is no different, as laws that were passed several decades ago can seem out of date and in need of updating in today's society. A recent bill proposed in the Illinois House is attempting to do just that in the area of child visitation rights.

Marriage brings many benefits to Joliet residents, aside from the benefit of a loving relationship itself. Among these benefits are financial advantages, as it is often easier to live off of two incomes instead of one.

Yet, in many marriages, one spouse does not earn income and may stay at home, perhaps supporting children. Even if both spouses work outside the home, one spouse may earn substantially more than the other. In these cases, when a couple gets divorced, the economic effects can be particularly harsh on the spouse who earns less income or no income at all. To remedy the inequities of this situation, courts provide for orders of spousal support to assist the disadvantaged spouse during his or her time of financial need.

At one point or another, most Illinois residents sign contracts in their lives. Whether agreeing to terms on a new product they purchased, or signing loans or other documents, contracts are a way of conducting business. Contracts can also be important when it comes to divorce, as a prenuptial agreement can fundamentally alter a couple's property division.

Prenuptial agreements may be particularly common in a high asset divorce. For example, former football and baseball star Deion Sanders recently battled in court over a prenuptial agreement between he and his wife. The couple, who announced they were splitting up in 2011, have had a prolonged divorce involving contested issues of child custody, child support and property division.

When Joliet residents go through a divorce, often one of the most important issues to be decided is the custody and visitation of the parties' children. Along with those decisions comes the matter of determining child support payments for the noncustodial parent. While this can be done by an agreement between the parents, it is typically necessary for a child support order to be entered by a court.

The child support order includes the terms of the child support matter, such as instructing a party to make periodic child support payments in a certain amount. The order usually identifies the paying party and the party who receives payments, and establishes the precise amount that needs to be paid. In addition, the order may set out the procedure for payment, such as making paycheck deductions every two weeks.