Blog

Illinois has enacted progressive adoption laws that protect the rights of birth parents (as well as adoptive parents) throughout the adoption process. This post will focus on Rights of Birth Parents In Illinois Adoptions. The document Birth Parents' Rights and Responsibilities in Illinois define...

People dealing with divorce or mental health issues have a great deal on their plates. Whether I'm working out a parenting plan through divorce mediation or performing addiction counseling, I love helping my clients find the path to a new (and hopefully happier) life. When asked, my clients are ...

For divorced couples and their families, Thanksgiving can be anything but a day of celebration. While it may always be a difficult day, creating new traditions can eventually help Thanksgiving to again become a special rather than a dreaded time of year. Thanksgiving Traditions After Divorce: H...

One of the most difficult issues for divorcing couples in Illinois is how to handle the debt that has been accumulated during the marriage. It is definitely not as simple as “handing it off” to one party or the other. This post will focus on Resolving Divorce Debt Issues Through Mediation. While...

Custody issues in divorce are no longer just about children. As shown in a recent web article, hostile and passionate battles are now often fought over placement and/or visitation rights for pets in many divorce cases. This is another situation where divorce mediation can find a solution that wor...

Divorcing and divorced couples with children have a little extra planning to do for the holiday season; namely, when and where those children will connect with each parent for holiday visitations. If not thought out well in advance, issues with visitation schedules can increase everyone's stress ...

Divorce is a decision that comes with its own set of challenges, not the least of which is how to pay for the services of a divorce attorney. Thankfully, there are legal firms in DuPage County–such as The Law Firm of Erin N. Birt, PC–that offer flat fee options for family law services to help mak...

For couples who turn to mediation for resolving divorce issues in Illinois, it's essential to know whether or not the mediation agreement is enforceable as divorce settlement agreement. A common question is: is a Divorce Mediation Agreement Legally Binding? A recent Illinois Appellate Court case...

From online law companies to firms like the Law Firm of Erin N. Birt, PC, there are many ways to get legal services in DuPage County and Illinois as a whole. However, it can sometimes be difficult to know which option will provide the best results for your particular situation. Here are some impo...

When couples find it difficult to agree on the legal aspects of their separation or divorce because of ongoing conflict or emotional issues, divorce mediation is a proven way for both parties to come to terms on the issues that matter most to each of them.  This post will focus on how Divorce Med...

For couples with children, one of the more difficult aspects of the divorce process is creating a workable parenting solution where both parents can regularly participate in their children's lives. Any contention between the divorcing couple often leaves one parent or the other on the short end o...

Ask many divorced people about their experience of the process, and you'll likely hear that it was just too much–too much aggravation, too much time, too much money. Even uncontested divorce, where both parties have reached an agreement before going to court, can be time-consuming, expensive and ...

Beginning January 1, 2015, significant changes will take effect in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. For divorcing couples in Illinois, 2015 will bring standardized rules for determining the amount and length of court-ordered financial support payments (aka spousal maintenanc...

At some point, everyone needs the assistance of an experienced legal professional. This is especially true for couples experiencing separation or divorce and their attendant issues of child custody, property division and support payments. In these situations, it can be great to have a DuPage Cou...

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...

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...