Unexpectedly finding out that you are a father of a young child can be one of the greatest shocks a person ever goes through. Perhaps you heard something through the rumor mill about an ex-girlfriend; perhaps a picture appeared on social media of an ex with a young child who looks remarkably like you did when you were younger. Whatever the circumstances, if you find yourself wondering whether it is too late to establish paternity of a child, you should learn more about your options from an Illinois paternity lawyer. 

How is Paternity Established in Illinois? 

In most cases, parents establish paternity either by being married at the time of the child’s conception or birth, or by signing a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP) form at the hospital when the child is born. However, if you just found out that you may be the father of a child, you will need to petition a court to establish paternity. This will involve submitting a DNA sample so a laboratory can compare it to the DNA of the child. Once a match has been established, you can begin petitioning the court for things like parenting time so you can get to know your child. You will also be required to financially provide support for your child. 

What Are the Benefits of Paternity? 

It can be an understandably difficult decision - if you have not been involved in your child’s life until now, is it a wise move to establish paternity, knowing you will be financially responsible for a child you may not know at all? It is important to keep in mind that establishing paternity has many benefits for you and your child besides having the law formally recognize your relationship. Once you are legally recognized as a child’s father, you can petition for parenting time and parental responsibilities for that child. Furthermore, the child is entitled to benefits from you, such as inheritance rights, health insurance coverage from your workplace, and more. 

Several high-ranking supervisors and co-workers of a man who was sexually harassed by a prisoner made the news when, instead of helping their co-worker handle the incident appropriately, they decided to harass him further. Making matters worse, this took place in an Illinois correctional center, making a government agency responsible for providing an appropriate response to the sexual harassment. Several people were fired when the incident came to light, and further stories of sexual harassment in the Illinois prison system have now also come out.

The kind of behavior in this particular incident - inappropriate “pranks” and other jokes laden with sexual innuendo - can make going to work miserable, especially in an environment that can be challenging already, such as a prison or other dangerous or high-pressure work environment. If you are suffering from sexual harassment at work, know that you have options. Contact a DuPage County sexual harassment attorney now. 

Am I Experiencing Sexual Harassment? 

People often fail to report or take further action against obnoxious behaviors at work because they are not sure whether the treatment they are receiving rises to the level of sexual harassment. But behavior that can be considered sexual harassment under Illinois law goes beyond inappropriate touching or explicit comments and can also include: 

In previous decades, legal childcare arrangements often favored the mother after a couple’s divorce. A father’s time with his children was relegated to weekends and holidays, and sometimes not even that. Because of this skewed historical trend, many people are surprised to find that child custody laws in many states have been updated to reflect modern family trends. 

In Illinois, child custody has been divided into two important areas: Allocation of parental responsibilities (also known as “custody”) and parenting time (also known as “visitation”). Together, these two elements make up what is known as a “parenting plan.” If you are getting divorced, you likely have many questions about how parenting time is managed in Illinois. In this blog, we will do a deep dive into parenting plan arrangements and encourage you to contact an Illinois family lawyer for help with your case. 

How Do Parents Divide Visitation in Illinois? 

Unless there is a good reason to do otherwise, under Illinois law both parents are assumed to be necessary to a child’s well-being and development. Therefore, both parents are permitted to be part of the visitation, or parenting time, schedule unless there is evidence that one or both parents are abusive or neglectful of the child or other parent. Even in cases where one parent has abused the other parent in the past, courts are still hesitant to remove a parent from the child altogether and will often order limited or supervised parenting time. 

As anyone who has experienced it can testify, sexual harassment at work can make life miserable. In addition to the harassment itself, victims of such behavior often face an uphill battle to get their concerns taken seriously. 

Clearly, when it comes to sexual harassment, the stakes are high. People who suffer from sexual harassment at work may be reluctant to take legal action against their employer, but doing so may be the only way to make the harassment stop or to take a stand against employers and coworkers engaging in such terrible behavior in the future. Concerns about the process of a sexual harassment lawsuit may also be intimidating for some people. At MKFM Law, we are here to answer your questions and to make sure you get the help you need. For an overview of how sexual harassment lawsuits work, read on and then contact one of our experienced attorneys for help with your case. 

Steps in a Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

The first step in addressing sexual harassment is to file a complaint via e-mail according to your company’s anti-sexual harassment policy. When filing a formal written report with an employer does nothing to stop the sexual harassment, it may be necessary to file a claim with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), the Illinois state agency responsible for handling sexual harassment claims in Illinois. It is important to note that there are time limits on when complaints can be filed - you only have up to 300 days after the harassment to file a claim with the state. 

While divorce is rarely a simple process, for couples who have a high net worth or ultra high net worth, it can be even more complicated. People often feel as though more money should reduce their problems, and yet this is rarely the case - especially if you have a spouse who intends to fight you over every penny. Furthermore, high-net-worth divorce cases often involve couples with at least one spouse who is in the public eye. If you are considering divorce, but are worried about the implications it could have for your reputation, estate, and children, having the help of an Illinois divorce lawyer with experience managing complex divorces with valuable family estates can make all the difference. Here are four potential problems your attorney will help you look out for during your divorce.  

Estimating Property Value

An individual or couple with a high net worth typically has a wide variety of assets. Sometimes these assets can be hard to value because they are rare, complex, or have other part-owners. For example, ownership in a family business may mean not only valuing the business in its entirety, but valuing one spouse’s ownership, plus the portion of that ownership that the other spouse is entitled to in a divorce. 

Hidden Assets

High net-worth individuals tend to be financially savvy. While this is the result of hard work, education, and ambition, it can also sometimes entail a tendency to be less than completely honest - especially if a spouse who is tempted to hide assets feels wronged by their partner. If you are worried that your spouse might hide assets, a good indicator is whether they have ever been financially dishonest in the past. Your attorney can help you determine whether hidden assets are likely and assist you in building the necessary team to find any hidden assets.