If you have a spouse that does not report his or her income, it could have severe negative effects should you get divorced. Your spouse may demand alimony, referred to as “maintenance” in Illinois, by claiming his or her income is significantly less than it really is. It can be difficult to prove what your spouse truly earns if he or she is paid in cash or does not receive a W-2 or 1099.Alimony is calculated in part based upon the incomes of the two parties. Do you have a wife who could claim in a divorce that she earns a lot less than she really does and, thus, demand alimony? On the flip side, what if you want or need maintenance and child support but your spouse does not accurately report his or her income? In Illinois guideline child support is a percentage of the non-custodial parent’s net income. Could your child support payments be a lot lower than they should be due to unreported income? Have you signed joint tax returns for years that under-report your spouse’s income?
Order of Protection for Domestic Violence
Unfortunately, some Chicago divorces or Chicago child custody disputes involve domestic violence. When domestic violence, or the threat of domestic violence, occurs a victim may petition the court for an order of protection. An order of protection is a court order...