Anyone who has gone through a divorce will agree that it's one of life's most challenging experiences, with lots of opportunity for conflict and contention. But rather than fighting, how would it be to actually talk out the issues and come to a compromise that all parties can accept? Believe it o...
A new Illinois law, concerning the first right of refusal for parenting time, will have an effect on parenting with a joint custody arrangement. Effective January 1, 2014, if the court awards joint custody, a parent who is unable to care for the child or children must offer parenting time to the...
Are you in couples therapy or marriage counseling? Has there been a determination that the marriage is broken? Are you looking for low cost divorce services to help your family? This post will focus on how our firm works collaboratively with families utilizing Couples Therapy, Marriage Counselin...
The November issue of the DCBA Brief is out. DuPage County Family Law Attorneys Erin Birt and Elizabeth Chacko co-authored the articleThe Changing Role of the Tender Years Doctrine: Gender Bias, Parenthood, and Illinois Law” in this months DCBA Brief. Click here to read the article on page 26. ...
In September 2013, the Mediation Council of Illinois issued the following statement about Important Change to Illinois Family Law Mediation Rules: “IMPORTANT CHANGE TO FAMILY LAW MEDIATION RULES! Effective as of September 1st, The Illinois Supreme Court expanded mediation rules with changes to ...
During 2013 – 2014, Erin Birt will serve as the Vice -Chair of the DuPage County Bar Association's Child Advocacy Committee. The committee will organize and present on various topics such as child custody evaluations, juvenile criminal matters, juvenile probation matters, contested adoption matt...
On May 6, 2013, Wheaton Atorney Erin Birt was elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the College of DuPage. One of Ms. Birt's first events as the Chairman was to attend and address the graduates at the 46th Commencement for the College of DuPage. At the 46th Commencement, Chairman Birt s...
We are pleased to announce Erin Birt to Present at MCI Conference. DuPage County Divorce Mediator, Erin Birt, will be presenting this Friday, May 3, 2013 at an all day conference hosted by the Mediation Council of Illinois. The Mediation Council of Illinois issued the following statement: “On ...
The pending Illinois Collaborative Divorce legislation, which will create the Uniform Collaborative Divorce Act, has helped to raise the awareness of the divorce option called Collaborative Divorce in Illinois communities. Parties contemplating a divorce are encouraged to familiarize themselves w...
Illinois Collaborative Law Attorneys and Collaborative Professionals continue to work hard to pass the Illinois Uniform Collaborative Law Act (“UCLA”). The Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Judiciary Committee will be holding hearings on 3/19/13 and 3/20/13 on the pending UCLA bi...
T. Boone Pickens endorses Collaborative Divorce as a beneficial divorce method that saved him several million and “keeps everything on a high level, everyone cooperating.” The Dallas Business Journal published the following: “Billionaire T. Boone Pickens is clearly a man who knows a good deal...
Is a Collaborative Divorce right for us? An Illinois Collaborative Divorce or Collaborative Family Law Services are beneficial for families with unique circumstances that do not fit a “one size fits all” approach often used by courts, families that do not want to duke it out in court, families th...
We can learn divorce lessons from others. Below are links to divorce topics in the news and around the web for this week: PTSD After Divorce [Huffington Post] How do I pay debts after divorce? [Fox Business] When the Vows Break: Celebrity Divorce Lists Offer Opportunity to Learn from Marriage...
Yesterday, while sitting in divorce court, I observed a woman, representing herself, engaged in a hearing with a divorce attorney. She obviously researched her issue and came to court with her organized binder, however, she unfortunately did not understand the true legal issue before the court an...
We wanted to update you on the Upcoming Presentations by Erin Birt. Erin will be presenting on the topic of Substance Abuse and the Family in Collaborative Divorce on the following dates: ~January 17, 2013 for the members of the Western Suburban Practice Group for the Collaborative Law Institute...
Considering a divorce in Cook County, DuPage County, Kane County, or Will County? There are many Illinois divorce options to consider such as: Mediation, Collaborative Divorce, Cooperative Divorce, A La Carte Divorce, and a service unique to the Law Firm of Erin Birt, The Flat Fee Uncontested Div...
Do you plan to be divorced in Illinois by the New Year? At the time of this post, there are approximately 12 days until the New Year. If you and your spouse want to finalize your divorce in Illinois before January 1st, here are 12 things to consider when you want to Divorce by the New Year: ...
On December 18, 2012, DuPage County Divorce Attorney, Erin Birt, attended the DuPage County Bar Association's Family Law Committee Meeting. The topic “Assessing Abuse & Alienation in Domestic Violence and Custody Matters” was presented by David Finn, Psy. D., of Associates in Human Development C...
Wheaton Divorce Attorney, Erin Birt, often works with families that are struggling with the effects of divorce and/or substance abuse. Parents contemplating a divorce often express concern over how the divorce will effect their children. This post will focus on Divorce: Children & Alcohol. How a...
The Illinois Uniform Collaborative Law Act was introduced December 5, 2012 in the Illinois Senate under Senate Bill (SB) #3943. Illinois is one step closer to having the UCLA passed. Why is this important? Members of The Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois explain, “The Uniform Collaborat...
In Illinois and DuPage County, there are several ways to divorce and save money & time. For DuPage County Divorce 5 Ways to Divorce are presented below: 1. Pro se Divorce. Pro se means to act as your own attorney. Often when spouses are amicable enough to have productive communication, the es...
DuPage County Mediator, Erin Birt, wants to remind couples and families that November is Mediation Month. The holidays are quickly approaching, client's that have not resolved issues relating to holiday parenting time or visitation can set an appointment with DuPage County Mediator Erin Birt duri...
An Illinois Collaborative Divorce can be utilized to help families in many ways. It can be an opportunity to help families coping with life events that are not often handled in the best manner by a court of law. This post will focus on Illinois Collaborative Divorce & Substance Abuse Counselor ...
Illinois Divorce: 5 tips to save on time, money, and conflict during a divorce: 1. Be proactive. Identify and locate assets and debts. Gather at least 3 years of financial documents, including but not limited to check books, pay stubs, Federal and State Tax Returns, monthly statements for bank a...
In Illinois, a new alternative approach to combative divorce is Collaborative Divorce. What makes Collaborative Divorce different? As you can guess, this post will focus on the basics of What Makes Collaborative Divorce Different. What Makes Illinois Collaborative Divorce Different: Respectful D...
Birt Family Law is committed to keeping the separating family out of court and working together towards a positive resolution.
