https://www.serritellalaw.comWhile not everyone needs an attorney for everything, we all have different situations where we need to use a lawyer and often a lawyer. Frankly Legal offers a better understanding of common legal situations and legal goals, simply and easily understood which helps better prepare you to accomplish your legal goals.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:23:23 GMTWebflowen-usnolaw,blog,law,blawg,legal,blog,law,blog,legal,articles,law,articles,Illinois,law,articles,Illinois,legal,articlesWhile not everyone needs an attorney for everything, we all have different situations where we need to use a lawyer and often a lawyer. Frankly Legal offers a better understanding of common legal situations and legal goals, simply and easily understood which helps better prepare you to accomplish your legal goals.Frankly Legal offers a better understanding of common legal situations and legal goals, simply and easily understood which helps better prepare you to accomplish your legal goals.lawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/changing-your-name-in-illinois-a-step-by-step-guidehttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/changing-your-name-in-illinois-a-step-by-step-guideThu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/divorce-in-illinois-a-complete-guide-to-the-process-requirements-and-what-to-expecthttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/divorce-in-illinois-a-complete-guide-to-the-process-requirements-and-what-to-expectLearn how to file for divorce in Illinois, including residency requirements, filing steps, child custody, property division, and supportThu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/maintenance-awards-in-an-illinois-divorcehttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/maintenance-awards-in-an-illinois-divorceAn overview of how court's award maintenance in Illinois divorce casesThu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/updates-to-illinois-child-support-laws-in-2021https://www.serritellalaw.com/post/updates-to-illinois-child-support-laws-in-2021Both parents have a legal obligation to support their children. States have specific legal guidelines for child support obligations that a court can require both parents meet. These statutory guidelines, set forth in Section 505 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/505), apply to children of marriage/divorce, as well as to unwed parents. Child support calculations are one of the most varied and ever-changing elements of divorce law. In this article, we will look at 2021 child support law in Illinois, including changes to the Illinois child support laws and how child support payments are determined in Illinois.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/illinois-parenting-plans-explainedhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/illinois-parenting-plans-explainedParenting plans are a vital aspect of any family law matters, whether divorce or parentage, involving child custody and visitation. Parenting plans are either presented by the parents to the judge, if an agreement can be reached, or ordered by the judge following a hearing. In this article, we will go through the Illinois Parenting Plan agreement and make sure you are informed on what a parenting plan determines, how to file a parenting plan, if a parenting plan can cover multiple children, and how to change a parenting plan. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/commercial-property-tax-appeals-in-illinois-explainedhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/commercial-property-tax-appeals-in-illinois-explainedFor owners of businesses large and small, property taxes can be a significant cost. If your company rents or owns a commercial property, especially in the uncertain economic times of today, any amount saved, even just a small one, on your property taxes can be a big help. Luckily, there is a process that property owners can use that may result in lower property taxes! In this article, we will explain commercial property tax appeals in Illinois, including “What is a Property Tax Appeal?” , “Can I Appeal my Property Taxes?”, “The Property Tax Appeal Process” , “Will I Win My Property Tax Appeal?” and Knowing Your Tax Resources. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/how-to-seek-a-temporary-parenting-allocation-in-illinoishttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/how-to-seek-a-temporary-parenting-allocation-in-illinoisIn Illinois, if a parent is seeking a temporary allocation of parental responsibilities or parenting time and both parties agree, a court hearing isn’t necessarily required and the court will accept a temporary allocation order based on the agreement between the parties.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/illinois-child-support-overview-2021https://www.serritellalaw.com/post/illinois-child-support-overview-2021In this article, we discuss the obligation of both parents to support their children and give an overview of Illinois child support laws in 2021. We talk about how Illinois child support is calculated, how support can be modified and what could happen if a party falls behind or fails to pay child support.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/is-a-non-compete-agreement-enforceable-in-illinoishttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/is-a-non-compete-agreement-enforceable-in-illinoisNon compete agreements, sometimes referred to as non-compete clauses are generally found in employment agreements and set restrictions on post-employment professional opportunities. However, where the non compete agreement is so broad or so overreaching that it the former employee would be outright prohibited from working in the same field, the agreement is likely not enforceable. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/determining-custody-in-illinois-divorce-and-paternity-cases-frankly-legalhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/determining-custody-in-illinois-divorce-and-paternity-cases-frankly-legalMany individuals going through divorce or paternity, otherwise known as parentage cases are surprised to hear when consulting an attorney that “custody” isn’t a real concept. What the attorneys mean by this is that the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act has been amended several times in the last few years and the term “custody” has been replaced with “allocation of parental rights and responsibilities.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/what-to-expect-in-paternity-cases-in-illinois-frankly-legalhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/what-to-expect-in-paternity-cases-in-illinois-frankly-legalParentage matters, which are sometimes referred to as paternity cases, are similar to divorce cases where minor children are present in that both types of cases deal with establishing parentage of the children, decision making among the parents and setting a parenting time schedule. While some parties believe a separate parentage action needs to be filed with a dissolution matter, this is actually false. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/the-probate-process-in-illinoishttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/the-probate-process-in-illinoisThe purpose of Illinois probate proceedings is to ensure the decedent has no outstanding liabilities which remain unsettled and to distribute their property in accordance with their wishes. Whether an Illinois probate case is necessary to open in probate depends on a few factors, namely whether the decedent has assets valued at over 100,000 or has a sole ownership interest in any real estate.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/creating-a-new-or-reviewing-a-current-estate-plan-during-covid-19https://www.serritellalaw.com/post/creating-a-new-or-reviewing-a-current-estate-plan-during-covid-19Most people don’t consider creating, or updating, their estate plan until they’re reaching retirement and their golden years. The current global pandemic, which, according to the multiple releases, is especially harmful, potentially deadly, to the elderly and to those with existing lung conditions, is all the reason necessary to create an estate plan.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/contempt-of-court-consequences-of-violating-an-illinois-court-orderhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/contempt-of-court-consequences-of-violating-an-illinois-court-orderCourt orders are, for all intents and purposes, extensions of the very laws that are used by judges, attorneys and self represented litigants. If we consider a sports metaphor, the laws are the rule book whereas the court’s orders are the game plan. Orders can be either permissive or prohibitive. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/an-overview-of-illinois-divorce-mattershttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/an-overview-of-illinois-divorce-mattersParties to a marriage never enter into said marriage with the expectation that it will end in a divorce. Unfortunately, though, if you find yourself facing a potential divorce in Illinois, or are in the process of becoming divorced, in this article we answer frequently asked questions by individuals in a similar situation. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/can-my-parenting-time-be-deniedhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/can-my-parenting-time-be-deniedIn a perfect world, there should be no ill will between the parties or feelings of one party winning and the other losing. However, an agreement is not always possible. In cases where the Parenting Plan is left to the court to decide, the court determines parental responsibilities and parenting time according to the best interests of the child standard. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/why-its-important-to-have-an-estate-planhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/why-its-important-to-have-an-estate-planNow more than ever, having a properly executed estate plan is an important tool in ensuring that your property and intentions are safeguarded in the event of the unthinkable. Further, it is a bit of a myth that someone who passed away with an estate plan will avoid probate court.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/how-negotiating-outside-of-court-can-save-you-moneyhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/how-negotiating-outside-of-court-can-save-you-moneyA divorce can be just as financially exhaustive as it can be emotionally exhaustive. The more contentious a divorce proceeding is, the more attorney time and court time is incurred by the separating spouses. As a result, both sides are likely to experience increased attorneys’ fees. Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:21:41 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/understanding-the-divorce-process-in-illinoishttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/understanding-the-divorce-process-in-illinoisAn overview of the divorce process in the State of IllinoisThu, 14 Aug 2025 14:28:13 GMTlawserritella@gmail.comhttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/the-4-cs-of-child-supporthttps://www.serritellalaw.com/post/the-4-cs-of-child-supportAn overview on how court's calculate and enforce child support orders.Thu, 15 Feb 2024 04:00:54 GMTlawserritella@gmail.com