Columbia Divorce and Family Law Blog

When people are involved in child custody cases in Illinois, there are some important things that they should know about how it might affect their taxes. Child custody may affect the dependency exemptions and the available credits that people can claim on their income tax forms.

Parents may receive several tax benefits when they claim their children as dependents. They may receive the dependency exemption, the child tax credit, the earned income credit, and the credit for child care expenses, and they may be able to claim head of the household status. All of these benefits can save people thousands of dollars on their taxes or lead to larger refunds.

When fathers in Illinois find their custody time frequently interrupted, delayed or denied, they may need to take legal action. Custodial interference occurs when one parent attempts to block or undermine the other parent's right to custody of their children. In addition to interfering with the practical matters of arranging custody, the practice could harm the emotional bond between the parent and child. Custodial interference is not simply a matter of differing schedules or resolving small issues; it is a criminal matter that should be taken seriously.

In order for a parent to be held accountable for custodial interference, it is necessary to have a child custody agreement on record with the court. Many parents neglect to establish a custody agreement when separating, especially if they were never married. This can make it more difficult to fight back later. A custody agreement could reflect joint custody, shared custody or primary custody for one parent with explicit visitation for the other parent. When this kind of custody order is in place and a parent refuses to hand over the child, courts may charge custodial interference.

For Illinois couples going through a divorce, property division can be complicated. However, thinking about property ownership can be just as important for people starting a marriage, even if it is unpleasant to consider ending a marriage before it begins.

A prenuptial agreement can address questions of marital property and delineate exactly which property is subject to division after a divorce or even death. In addition to a prenuptial agreement, however, maintaining accurate and precise records to establish the independent nature of some property can also be important. This includes property that belongs to one party before marriage or assets that came through a gift or inheritance during the marriage.

Missouri couples who are in unhappy marriages may find themselves looking to make a change in their lives with the turn of the new year. It is accompanied annually by an upsurge in new filings for divorce every year as rates spring up from a December slowdown. There are a number of reasons why the new year can accompany a divorce filing, from resolutions to make changes to one's life to stressful or unhappy family holidays prolonged in order to please children or other members of the family.

As the winter holidays consume the attention of families across the United States, divorce filings annually fall to their lowest point in December. Many families seek to maintain fun holidays for their children even as their marriage is coming to an end. In January, a sharp upswing begins until March each year, before fluctuation throughout the remainder of the year. For people considering divorce with the dawning of the new year, there is some advice to keep in mind.