In one of his last opinions before retirement, First District Illinois Appellate Court Justice Mathias Delort decided the unusual case of In re Marriage of Andrew, 2023 IL App (1st) 221039, in which Benjamin Andrew appealed the dismissal of his petition…
To disclose or not to disclose? That is the question. It was the inquiry In re Marriage of Hyman, 2023 IL App (2d) 220041, where a husband failed to disclose the receipt of stock options during the divorce. On a post-decree…
It?s a familiar scene. Parties get a divorce but fail to change the beneficiary designation in their life insurance policies. When one of them dies, does their ex-spouse receive the life insurance proceeds even though the decedent would probably prefer…
The Illinois Appellate Court issued two notable maintenance decisions. One strictly enforces the parties? agreement to not modify maintenance; the other allows flexibility for a disabled spouse to file a late petition for review. Both decisions favor the maintenance recipient…
This article discusses the recent case of In re Parentage of K.E., 2022 IL App (5th) 210236, involving a 604.10(b) evaluation, the need for a timely evaluation and cooperation of counsel in scheduling depositions. Without these things, a court order on…
I remember my days as a young divorce practitioner billing in 0.1 time increments and burning the midnight oil to meet deadlines and tackle emergencies. Apparently, billing increments have shifted upward to no less than 15-minute increments, but the long hours…
In 2012, the Illinois Supreme Court created the Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission to promote equal access to the civil court system. First District Appellate Court Justice Mary K. Rochford is chair of the commission and works tirelessly with other…
Cases involving civil unions and stepparents are complicated, but the Illinois Supreme Court has shed light by declaring that civil union partners have the same rights as stepparents in a traditional marriage setting. In Sharpe v. Westmoreland, 2020 IL 124863, the…
Happy New Year! It obvious that 2020 was a challenging year, personally and professionally, for so many of us, our families, clients and litigants. My New Year?s wish for all is of hope, good health, gratitude, equity, optimism, and prompt…
