Whether it is a one-time adulterous act or an ongoing affair, being cheated on is painful. Many marriages are unable to survive an act of infidelity. If you are getting divorced and your spouse cheated on you, you may wonder how this can impact divorce. You may wonder if you will be entitled to a greater share of the marital estate or will gain an edge in child custody matters because of the adultery. Read on to learn about adultery may influence a divorce case in Illinois.

Illinois Does Not Have Fault-Based Grounds for Divorce

When you ask the court to grant you a divorce, you will need to state the reasons or “grounds” for the divorce. Illinois is a no-fault divorce state. This means that there are no fault-based grounds for divorce. You will not mention your spouse’s infidelity as the reason for your divorce in your divorce petition. Currently, the only ground available in Illinois divorce cases is “irreconcilable differences.”

Did you know that the average cost of raising a child from infancy to adulthood is over a quarter-million dollars? Between housing, groceries, extracurricular activities, and tuition, kids are expensive. Child support payments help cover child-related costs when parents are unmarried or divorced. In Illinois, child support is calculated using a statutory formula. But what happens when a parent has children from multiple relationships? Will he or she pay child support to both of his or her exes? What if the child support payments become too expensive to afford?

Understanding Child Support Calculations in Illinois

The parent with the majority of the parenting time, formerly called the primary custodian, is the recipient of child support. The parent with less parenting time is the payer. The amount of money a parent pays in child support is calculated using the Income Shares Formula. This formula takes both parents’ net incomes into account. The parents’ net incomes are combined, and this total is compared to the Income Shares Schedule to determine the total amount of financial support the child will need from both parents. This figure is then divided between the parents based on their share of the combined net income. For example, if a father’s net income is 60 percent of the combined net income, he pays 60 percent. The mother would be responsible for the other 40 percent.

Driving a car is a skill that takes practice. Consequently, young people are more likely to be involved in car accidents than older people. Statistics show that teens aged 16-19 are at the greatest risk of being involved in an accident. In fact, teen drivers are three times as likely to be involved in a fatal wreck than drivers aged 20 years or older.

If your child has recently started driving, it is crucial to understand Illinois traffic laws. Traffic violations like speeding or texting while driving not only increase the risk of an accident, they can also lead to driver’s license suspension or even criminal charges.

One of the most pressing issues in any divorce is the identification, valuation, and division of marital property. Some assets are easy to evaluate and distribute during divorce. Others require assistance from financial and legal professionals.

If you are a doctor with a private practice, you may question how your professional practice will be addressed during divorce. Many medical professionals assume that their practice is theirs alone. However, there are many situations where a medical practice is considered a marital asset to which both spouses are entitled. Even if the practice is considered a non-marital asset, the value of the practice is likely to influence several divorce issues, including property division, spousal support, and child support.

Many people see shoplifting as a minor offense as compared to violent crimes. Stealing from a big box store may even be considered a “victimless crime” to those who commit retail theft. However, Illinois law does not take retail theft lightly. Individuals convicted of retail theft may face misdemeanor or felony charges. The severity of the charge and the associated criminal penalties are based on the value of the goods allegedly stolen and the defendant’s criminal history.

As retail theft becomes increasingly frequent, stores are ramping up their efforts to catch offenders and bring them to justice. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that the wrong person is accused of theft. If you or a loved one were charged with retail theft, contact a lawyer for help right away to start building a defense against the charges.