Illinois Family Law Blog

Family law blog by Patrick Markey, Attorney at Law

Welcome to our divorce and family law blog, updating you on the law, trends and issues affecting relationships and families.

ex spouse and kids move out of area
Can My Ex-Spouse and Kids Move Out of the Area?

The topic of relocating after a divorce is a complex issue that often arises when children are involved. While many people may think that they can just up and move with their children, the reality is that it’s not that simple. The rules and regulations surrounding relocation are [...]

What to Expect in Mediation
What To Expect In Mediation

If you are planning a divorce, but hope to divorce as amicably as possible, consider using mediation instead of traditional litigation. In litigation, you, and your spouse each have your own attorneys and each of you tries to be the “winner.” When it is over and the divorce [...]

Divorce with Respect Week
How to Divorce With Respect

First Understand your Divorce Options? Traditional Litigation. Most people have never even heard the term “Collaborative Divorce.” Instead, when they think of divorce, they think of the traditional litigation process which pits the spouses against each other, with each spouse striving to be the “winner” of the court [...]

Telling Kids about divorce
Divorce: Should You Wait Until The Kids Are Grown?

There are differing views on whether a couple who want to get a divorce should wait until their children are grown and have moved out of the house before they actually file for divorce and moving apart. There are pros and cons to both opinions. Pros of Waiting [...]

Seeking Advice from Divorce Lawyer
Why Should I Have a Lawyer in my Divorce?

No one gets married with the expectation that someday they will be divorced, but couples get divorced every year in Illinois. If it happens that you and your spouse decide to go this route, do yourselves a favor and find family law attorneys who focus their practice on [...]

Prenuptial Agreement
What Should Be in a Prenuptial Agreement?

  Prenuptial agreements, also known as premarital agreements, often get a bad rap. One spouse may resist entering into the agreement, viewing it as a document prepared with an expectation of divorce. That stigma needs to disappear, and a premarital agreement should be viewed as an insurance policy. [...]

Divorce - One Spouse Wants Out, Other Doesn’t
Divorce: When One Spouse Wants Out and the Other Does Not

The divorce rate in the U.S. is high and in a large percentage of cases we see at The Law Offices of Patrick Markey, P.C., one spouse wants a divorce and the other on does not. We are just as likely to represent the person who does not [...]

Questions to ask lawyer
Key Questions To Ask Your Prospective Divorce Attorney

Selecting a divorce attorney is not always easy. You are likely upset and emotionally reeling from the fact that you have decided to get a divorce, but you need to set aside your emotions and choose to work with an attorney you trust and believe is looking out [...]

time for a divorce
How to Know When It Is Time for a Divorce

Marriage is complicated. Some spouses have thought about divorce for years before they take the step and file a petition for divorce. As for a list of reasons why a person should get a divorce, there is no one-size-fits-all criteria. Each case is unique, and the best advice [...]

Divorce in Illinois
How to Get a Divorce in Illinois

If you have decided to get a divorce in Illinois, there are some decisions you need to make about how you want to get divorced. There are also legal steps you then take depending on the specific divorce process you have decided to pursue.  Most people think that [...]

Woman Drinking Wine - Law Offices of Patrick Markey Chicago
How Can Alcohol, Marijuana, and Other Drugs Affect an Illinois Divorce?

If you are considering a divorce in Illinois, you’ll also want to think about how the use of marijuana, alcohol, drugs, and other substances could impact your separation. How the Law Views Marijuana, Drugs, and Drinking Though it’s not legal on the federal level, marijuana is can be [...]

Man working on laptop - Markey Law - After the Divorce: Tidying Your Post-Settlement To-Do List
After the Divorce: Tidying Your Post-Settlement To-Do List

A lot of people think that when the final documents of the divorce settlement are signed, everything is over and complete. Not quite—there’s a good deal of financial, personal, and legal housekeeping that still needs to be done. Start with Your Divorce Settlement or Agreement It’s critical to [...]