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Showing posts from July, 2019

MLG LAW GROUP-Chicago Divorce Attorneys

The Mehta Law Group is one of Chicago’s premier law firms. Our team of lawyers and staff are here to serve you and to help build a better future for yourself and your family. We represent individuals, families, and children in every aspect of the legal process from beginning to end. Our attorneys bring with them over 30 years of combined experience, we are professional, and treat every individual with the respect they deserve. We are hardworking and don’t back down, our goals is always to advocate for our clients, to ensure a positive end result. Whether you are contemplating filing a lawsuit, or whether you have had a lawsuit filed against you, our team can provide superior representation with the goal toward obtaining the best possible outcome. The Mehta Law Group’s mission is to ensure that your case takes priority. It is our belief that every case deserves the utmost care, regardless of the issues presented. We have successfully served our clients throughout the years and will d

Life After a Cook County Divorce

Moving On: Redesigning Your Social Life After Divorce When you were married, you spent your time and energy on your relationship with your spouse. With that person absent from your life, you may have a lot of energy to spare, so you might as well spend it on something productive—like re-establishing your social life. You’ve figured out where to live and all the logistics surrounding your kids; now, it’s time to focus on you. Before seeking out a  new romantic partner , take some time to strengthen your friendships. You will find this investment invaluable later on when romance blooms again in your life. Here’s how to redesign your social life after divorce. Your first step as you go about redesigning your social life after divorce is to create a list. Write down all of your friends in one column and what you do together in the opposite column. Now, ask yourself  why  you spend this time with your friend. Does this person make your life better? Do you hang out with

Expert Witness in a Divorce Case

An expert is someone who brings a specialized body of knowledge and experience in a field not easily understood by the general public. Experts in divorce are diverse and can opine on many different topics. What issues does an expert witness in a divorce case address? An expert witness in a divorce case can address various different issues, including the mental health of a party; the best interests of the children relative to how to spend parenting time with each parent and which parent may be better adept at decision making on a variety of topics; valuation of real estate,  business interests ; perquisites of a highly compensated executive and how to divide these assets; the value of trademarks or copyrights and just about anything else addressing the individual issues of the participants in a divorce. Once qualified as an expert, and assuming the lawyer and expert have followed the rules requiring disclosure of their opinions and the bases of those opinions, the expert witness’

Illinois Maintenance Payment in a Divorce case

A judge can make one spouse pay the other spouse money on an ongoing basis after a divorce. This is called " maintenance ." It used to be called "spousal support" or "alimony." The purpose of maintenance is to help the ex-spouse support themselves. However, the judge is not required to order maintenance. People who are able to work are generally expected to find a job and support themselves. The laws for maintenance are the same for men and women.  How does a judge decide whether to order maintenance? The judge will consider the following things when deciding on maintenance: Income and property Needs Earning potential, now and in the future Time spent doing household duties Time and money needed to get a job, or the training and education to get a job Lifestyle during the marriage Length of marriage Age Physical and emotional conditions Any agreements between the spouses The judge will not make their decision based on how well either

How a bad marriage can effect kids

When it comes to making the decision to get a divorce, one of the biggest reasons couples hesitate to begin the process is because of their children. A rather common question that couples have when deciding whether or not to get a divorce is, “How will it affect the children?” While there is no one specific way  divorce  affects children, it is known that children can and will bounce back after their parents get divorced. Many couples think that staying together for the children is the best option, but it is, in fact, the opposite. Here are a few ways that staying in a bad marriage can have a negative effect on your children: Your Kids Can Develop Low Self-Esteem:  Children absorb everything around them. When they are living in a household where mom and dad are fighting all of the time, they may begin to feel unsure of themselves or even rejected. Children will internalize their emotions, and constant fighting can cause them to develop feelings of unworthiness. Your Kids Will Be Li

Financial issues in a Divorce

Divorces can be costly – nobody is arguing that. Not only is it financially expensive, but you also end up giving more of your time and emotional energy than you thought you would. Some of the most time consuming and emotionally draining times of your divorce can be during the  property division process . This is when you and your spouse look at everything you have accumulated together and decide who gets to keep what and who will be responsible for paying back which debts. This is also the phase of the divorce in which many mistakes can be made, which can affect you for the rest of your life. If you are getting a divorce, here are a few mistakes you should be sure to avoid making: Not Having Copies of All Your Financial Documents:  This is a mistake that a surprising amount of individuals make when they begin looking at their finances during a divorce. You will need various financial documents dating back a couple of years in order to gain a complete understanding of you and your s

Imputing Income for child support

Imputing Income Even if you don’t have any income, you could still be responsible for child support. If a court believes a parent is voluntarily unemployed or “underemployed” (working at a lower paying job than qualified for, or working fewer hours than the parent is able to work), the judge will look carefully at the reasons for the lack of income. Unless the parent shows evidence of serious job-hunting efforts or disability, a judge might base support on “imputed” (potential) income. Imputed income can be based on a parent's most recent job or on local job opportunities that the parent would qualify for based on training and experience. If there is no evidence of greater earning ability, a court will probably impute income at minimum wage.

MLG LAW GROUP serving Chicago and Cook, Dupage, Lake, and Will Co's

The Mehta Law Group is one of Chicago’s premier law firms. Our team of lawyers and staff are here to serve you and to help build a better future for yourself and your family. We represent individuals, families, and children in every aspect of the legal process from beginning to end. Our attorneys bring with them over 30 years of combined experience, we are professional, and treat every individual with the respect they deserve. We are hardworking and don’t back down, our goals is always to advocate for our clients, to ensure a positive end result. Whether you are contemplating filing a lawsuit, or whether you have had a lawsuit filed against you, our team can provide superior representation with the goal toward obtaining the best possible outcome. The Mehta Law Group’s mission is to ensure that your case takes priority. It is our belief that every case deserves the utmost care, regardless of the issues presented. We have successfully served our clients throughout the years and will d

No fault divorce Cook County

Illinois  is neither a  no - fault  nor a  fault -based  state . Instead, the law contains elements of both. You can get  divorced  if you and your spouse have “irreconcilable differences” and the following statements are true: ... Or, if you both agree to the  divorce , you've been separated for six months. MLG LAW GROUP 312-374-4559

MLG LAW GROUP-Divorce lawyers

The Mehta Law Group is one of Chicago’s premier law firms. Our team of lawyers and staff are here to serve you and to help build a better future for yourself and your family. We represent individuals, families, and children in every aspect of the legal process from beginning to end. Our attorneys bring with them over 30 years of combined experience, we are professional, and treat every individual with the respect they deserve. We are hardworking and don’t back down, our goals is always to advocate for our clients, to ensure a positive end result. Whether you are contemplating filing a lawsuit, or whether you have had a lawsuit filed against you, our team can provide superior representation with the goal toward obtaining the best possible outcome. The Mehta Law Group’s mission is to ensure that your case takes priority. It is our belief that every case deserves the utmost care, regardless of the issues presented. We have successfully served our clients throughout the years and will d

Fathers seeing less of their kids after divorce

Children of divorce in Illinois spend less time with their father than kids in nearly every other state. A new study released by parental custody software service Custody X Change found dads in Illinois without a criminal past that live nearby only see their children 23.1 percent of the year. The only states where fathers spend less time with their kids are Mississippi (23 percent), Oklahoma (22.4 percent) and Tennessee (21.8 percent). Twenty states, including Florida and Wisconsin, tied for first place with 50 percent of time for fathers. Illinois ranked 47th. The report calculated that Florida’s 50 percent parenting time is equal to about 183 days a year for dad, while California’s 32.8 percent of time is about 120 days year and Tennessee’s 21.8 percent of time is about 80 days a year. Ben Coltrin, president of Custody X Change, said there’s a big difference between Illinois and a state like Missouri that has 50/50 custody laws, where children spend an equal

Cook County No Fault Divorce

Illinois  is neither a  no - fault  nor a  fault -based  state . Instead, the law contains elements of both. You can get  divorced  if you and your spouse have “irreconcilable differences” and the following statements are true: ... Or, if you both agree to the  divorce , you've been separated for six months. MLG LAW GROUP 312-374-4559

MLG LAW GROUP Chicago's Premier Divorce Lawyers

The Mehta Law Group is one of Chicago’s premier law firms. Our team of lawyers and staff are here to serve you and to help build a better future for yourself and your family. We represent individuals, families, and children in every aspect of the legal process from beginning to end. Our attorneys bring with them over 30 years of combined experience, we are professional, and treat every individual with the respect they deserve. We are hardworking and don’t back down, our goals is always to advocate for our clients, to ensure a positive end result. Whether you are contemplating filing a lawsuit, or whether you have had a lawsuit filed against you, our team can provide superior representation with the goal toward obtaining the best possible outcome. The Mehta Law Group’s mission is to ensure that your case takes priority. It is our belief that every case deserves the utmost care, regardless of the issues presented. We have successfully served our clients throughout the years and will d

Imputing Income Cook County Child Support

Imputing Income Even if you don’t have any income, you could still be responsible for child support. If a court believes a parent is voluntarily unemployed or “underemployed” (working at a lower paying job than qualified for, or working fewer hours than the parent is able to work), the judge will look carefully at the reasons for the lack of income. Unless the parent shows evidence of serious job-hunting efforts or disability, a judge might base support on “imputed” (potential) income. Imputed income can be based on a parent's most recent job or on local job opportunities that the parent would qualify for based on training and experience. If there is no evidence of greater earning ability, a court will probably impute income at minimum wage.

How to Split Up Assets During a Divorce in Illinois

How to Split Up Assets During a Divorce in Illinois Under divorce laws in Illinois, financial assets such as brokerage accounts along with other  investments  and physical entities such as a house fall under the scope of property. But before a judge moves forward with splitting up this property, the court must determine what category the property falls under. Marital property belongs to both spouses. Separate property belongs to an individual. Generally speaking, Illinois divorce laws define marital property as property acquired or earned during the marriage. Separate property covers what each spouse acquired or earned individually before the marriage. This includes gifts or  inheritance  money passed down from one person to an individual spouse. However, separate property can turn into marital property. For example, when one spouse deposits inheritance money into a  joint bank account  under the names of both spouses, that money becomes marital property. But after the court d

How to Dismiss a Divorce Case

How do I get my divorce case dismissed? If a response has been filed, both spouses must sign the  dismissal  form. Any time before a judge issues a final  divorce  decree, the petitioner may petition the court to withdraw a  divorce  request by filing a motion to  dismiss  without prejudice. MLG LAW GROUP 312-374-4559

Cook County Maintenance laws 2019

I.  Maintenance  (750 ILCS 5/504) As of January 1, 2019, maintenance is no longer tax-deductible to the payor spouse, and no longer includable in the gross income of the recipient spouse. In light of this new federal tax reform, numerous changes were made to Illinois’ maintenance statute effective January 1, 2019, and are summarized below: Maintenance Barred if Award is Not Appropriate  (750 ILCS 5/504(b-1)) Unless the court finds that a maintenance award is appropriate, the court  shall  bar maintenance as to the party seeking maintenance regardless of the length of the marriage at the time the divorce action was commenced. Guideline or Non-guideline Maintenance Awards  (750 ILCS 5/504(b-1)) Only if the court finds that a maintenance award is appropriate, shall the court order guideline maintenance or non-guideline maintenance. However, if the application of guideline maintenance results in a combined maintenance and child support obligation that exceeds 50% of the payor’s net i

MLG LAW GROUP

The Mehta Law Group is one of Chicago’s premier law firms. Our team of lawyers and staff are here to serve you and to help build a better future for yourself and your family. We represent individuals, families, and children in every aspect of the legal process from beginning to end. Our attorneys bring with them over 30 years of combined experience, we are professional, and treat every individual with the respect they deserve. We are hardworking and don’t back down, our goals is always to advocate for our clients, to ensure a positive end result. Whether you are contemplating filing a lawsuit, or whether you have had a lawsuit filed against you, our team can provide superior representation with the goal toward obtaining the best possible outcome. The Mehta Law Group’s mission is to ensure that your case takes priority. It is our belief that every case deserves the utmost care, regardless of the issues presented. We have successfully served our clients throughout the years and will d

Order of Protections Cook County IL

Emergency Protection Orders In many states, when the police encounter a domestic violence situation, one of the two parties involved in the dispute is required (or requested) to leave the home. Often, this person is the abuser, although the police can be mistaken about who the aggressor is. In about one-third of states, police officers are also  authorized or required to remove guns  when they arrive at the scene of a domestic violence incident. In some states, the police can give the victim an Emergency Protection Order (EPO), which is a short-term protection order typically given to a victim by the police or magistrate when his or her abuser is arrested for domestic violence. An EPO is generally for limited period, such as three or seven days, which allows the victim time to request a longer-term protection order. Protection Orders All 50 states and the District of Columbia have statutes for some form of protection order. However, states call this protection order different