Decedent had entered into a property settlement agreement (PSA) as part of a legal separation from her husband. He survived her. He filed a petition for probate of her estate. Decedent's daughter filed a counterpetition. She argued that the husband was not an heir. The Trial Court erred in finding that the husband was an [...]
The Trial Court entered an order extending maintenance wife until husband, a pilot, retires. The Trial Court also refused to award permanent maintenance. Wife did not seek employment for 2 1/2 years after the divorce, but she was never informed that she had a duty to seek training or education to continue receiving maintenance. Wife [...]
Father filed a motion to modify his child support obligation. After the hearing, the trial court properly denied father’s motion. The court found that no substantial change in circumstances had occurred warranting modification. Father appealed. The Appellate Court stated that, typically, a substantial change in circumstances means the child's needs, the non-majority parent's ability to [...]
The Trial Court granted husband's motion to terminate maintenance. It found that his decision to retire from his job as an ER physician was made in good faith. The Trial Court barred the use of a report of wife's controlled expert, an ER physician. It had been properly disclosed by wife, so it was no [...]
Mother filed a contribution petition requesting that father be ordered to pay an equitable share of the anticipated college costs under Section 513 for their daughter. The parties had never married. Their paternity order was silent on their obligation to contribute to their daughter’s college expenses. Father’s response admitted that he had the financial ability [...]
Mother and father are the biological parents of L.W. The parties were never married. Father had been very abusive in their relationship. Mother filed a parentage petition. The child was a toddler. The facts include that father had successfully interviewed for a job that required frequent travel. As a result, father was sporadically present after [...]
Is permissive pension service credit based on time served in the military marital or nonmarital property? The court needed to look at the facts of the case, of course. The parties had purchased permissive service credit in the Illinois State Retirement System during their marriage. It was based on time the husband had served in [...]
Father filed a complaint to determine parentage in the trial court. He was initially granted supervised parenting time. Later, the court entered a parenting order that reserved parenting time for father. This was because of his incarceration at that time. The Trial Court entered a preliminary injunction. The father was stopped from any contact or [...]
Wife filed A verified petition for A plenary order of protection against her husband of 45 years. She alleged a history of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse that spanned decades. But, it recently increased in frequency and severity. Following a hearing on the petition, the court granted wife’s petition. It made several findings as to [...]
Parties are divorced already. The circuit court granted the wife’s Petition to increase child support. She also filed a Petition for contribution to her attorney’s fees. For most of the case, husband did not have an attorney. Husband appealed on a number of grounds. Husband’s first argument on appeal is that the circuit court lacked [...]