Our highly reputable family law firm specializes in settling our client's divorce cases utilizing the Collaborative Divorce Process, Mediation Services, or an Uncontested Cooperative Approach.
Attorneys Margaret Bennett and Darcy Chamberlain presented together to the West Suburban Collaborative Practice Group on June 4th on Serving the Best Interests of a Child With Significant Developmental Delays. Ms. Bennett discussed Section 513.5 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act which provides support for non-minor disabled children. How to best draft an Allocation Judgement and Marital Settlement Agreement to preserve and protect the disabled child in divorce proceedings. Ms.Chamberlain discussed establishing special needs trusts and the guardianship process for the disabled child.
Bennett Law Firm is pleased to announce that Margaret Bennett will be a featured speaker at the West Suburban Collaborative Law Practice Group on June 4th. Ms. Bennett, a fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois, will be presenting on her recently published article in the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Newsletter about representing parents of children with special needs. Fellow Attorney Darci Chamberlain will add to this discussion regarding her experience with creating Trusts for this special population. As President John F. Kennedy said “we can say with some assurance that, although children may be the victims of fate, they will not be the victims of our neglect.”
Margaret Bennett co-authored an article in the Illinois Bar Journal titled, “The New Income Shares Child Support Guidelines”. This article helped break down recent changes in the Illinois Child Support Law.
Illinois implemented a major change in how child support is computed. The new system replaced the percentage guidelines formula officially used since 1984 and is now using the income shares model—joining 39 other states and the District of Columbia that have made this change.
The percentage guidelines formula is now considered an outdated model for computing child support because it does not reflect actual child rearing costs or allocating those costs between the parents. Illinois will continue to use net income to calculate a party’s respective share of support responsibility and the relevant definition of income will continue to be all income from all sources.
Use the following text link to read the full article or download the pdf.
Bennett Law Firm is proud to announce that the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) has presented Margaret Bennett with the prestigious Richard H. Teas Legislative Support Award at their 141st annual meeting in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Ms. Bennett has been acknowledged by the ISBA for her service in support of family law legislation in the Illinois General Assembly. She was instrumental in drafting the Parentage Act of 2015, and the newly enacted income shares child support legislation. She was a vital member of a team of attorneys drafting the child support legislation that becomes effective on July 1, 2017. Illinois now joins 39 other states that use this model to calculate child support. To learn more about the new method of calculating child support please see Ms. Bennett’s article in the Illinois State Bar Journal.
Margaret Bennett receives the Richard H. Teas award from Jim Covington
With the new Illinois Child Support Guidelines coming into effect July 1, 2017, Margaret Bennett has been traveling the state educating family law attorneys about the new income shares method. In her latest article titled: Computation of Basic Child Support Obligations, Ms. Bennett breaks down the method used for calculating net income and each parent’s obligation to child support.
Ms. Bennett will be continuing her speaking engagements with Illinois family law attorneys at the following upcoming events:
-June 9, 2017: Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Bloomington -June 14, 2017: Lake County Bar Association Seminar
A major change in Illinois law on the methods to calculate child support will become effective July 1, 2017. One of the lead drafter’s of this new child support legislation, Margaret Bennett, shared her thoughts on the new income shares method in her Article in the December 2016, ISBA Bar Journal. The new child support statute considers the income of both parents and the cost/expenditures of the child(ren).
Ms. Bennett currently serves as the Chair of the Child Support Advisory Committee for the State of Illinois and is the Co-Chair of the Child Support Committee of the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council. She will be speaking at the following engagements to educate Illinois attorneys on this new income shares method:
-May 11, 2017: Kane County Bar Association’s 2017 Family Law Seminar
-May 12, 2017: Winnebago County Bar Association Seminar
-May 16, 2017: Will County Bar Association Seminar
-May 18, 2017: Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Chicago
-June 9, 2017: Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Bloomington
-June 14, 2017: Lake County Bar Association Seminar
If you would like to know more about this new child support statue, please contact Margaret Bennett at (630) 573-8800 or info@lawbennett.com to schedule an appointment.
Reprinted with permission of theIllinois Bar Journal, Vol. 103 #12, December 2016. Copyright by the Illinois State Bar Association. www.isba.org
With the new year in full swing and the new Illinois Child Support Guidelines coming into effect in July, 2017, Margaret Bennett has been scheduled to help educate Illinois attorneys across the state on the new ways Illinois Courts will calculate child support. The following are the upcoming events Ms. Bennett will be speaking at this Spring and Summer:
-March 2, 2018: ISBA Chicago Regional Office
-April 20, 2017: McHenry County Bar Association’s 5th Annual Networking & Educational Forum
-April 28, 2017: Jackson & Williamson County Bar Association’s Joint CLE Program, Hosted by Southern Illinois University Law School
-May 11, 2017: Kane County Bar Association’s 2017 Family Law Seminar
-May 16, 2017: Will County Bar Association
-May 18, 2017: Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Chicago
-June 9, 2017: Institute for Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Bloomington
To learn more about the changes to child support guidelines, please see Ms. Bennett’s Article in the ISBA December 2016 Bar Journal.
This is Ms. Bennett’s the fifth year in a row she has been recognized as an Illinois Super Lawyer. Only 5% of attorneys in the State of Illinois are selected to the Super Lawyers list. Congratulations to Ms. Bennett on her outstanding dedication and excellent work in the area of Family Law and Divorce!
Happy holidays from Bennett Law Firm! Once again, Bennett Law Firm donated holiday gifts to disabled adults living in group homes in the Chicago area. Each recipient received a bag containing a personalized gift, gift cards and essential daily use items. Santa arrived to delivered the gifts to the delight of everyone at the holiday party held on December 12th in the Chicago western suburbs. The firm began purchasing gifts back in July and worked throughout the fall to find the perfect combination of gifts for these wonderful and deserving individuals.
We wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!
Bennett Law Firm is proud to share with you the latest article from Ms. Bennett regarding the new Illinois Income Shares Child Support Guidelines published by the Illinois Bar Journal. Ms. Bennett is one of the drafter’s of the new child support legislation which will become effective July 1, 2017.
Ms. Bennett serves as the chair of the Child Support Advisory Committee of the State of Illinois and is co-chair of the Child Support Committee of the Illinois State Bar Association Family Law Section Council.
December 2016, ISBA Bar Journal
Reprinted with permission of the Illinois Bar Journal, Vol. 103 #12, December 2015. Copyright by the Illinois State Bar Association. www.isba.org
