Peoria, Illinois, Family Law Blog

There are times when child custody issues can become very complicated and very heated also. Despite efforts to do what is in the best interest of a child, some parents may disobey child custody agreements -- for a wide variety of reasons. Illinois parents involved in a custody situation may want to follow a recent story of the potential consequences that may occur when one parent does not abide by a court ordered custody agreement.

A 27-year-old mother recently fled with her 3-year-old son despite the agreement she had with the child's father. The father had asked the courts to enforce a structured custody schedule because of unspecified issues he was having with the mother. However, when he returned to pick up his son after a visit with the mother, he found an empty apartment. She had taken the boy out of state.

The U.S. Supreme Court has taken up a complicated family law case that could have ripple effects across the country. The case involves a child put up for adoption then given back to her father as he evoked the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 to regain child custody of his daughter. Any Illinois parents currently seeking child custody or adoption may want to pay attention to how the case plays out.

The case involves the appeal of the adoptive parents to get the girl back. The unmarried mother gave up the baby girl at birth and the adoptive parents took her home and had her for two years. The father was a U.S. Army soldier deployed overseas when he received paperwork pertaining to giving up parental rights and letting the adoption go through. He initially signed them, and then quickly filed to get custody of the girl.

Custody cases can oftentimes arouse strong emotions, especially between family members. Just recently, children who were placed in the legal custody of their maternal grandparents became the subjects of an international news story. Custodial parents and custodial grandparents in Illinois may be relieved to know how quickly the children were found and returned safely to their grandparents.

The incident began when the father of two boys, ages 2 and 4, went to the home of his wife's parents and tied up the custodial grandparent. He allegedly kidnapped the two children and then stole the couple's car and fled. The husband and wife were later found to be on a sailboat in Cuba with the two boys in tow.

While the list of millionaires and billionaires continues to grow throughout the United States, it is no wonder recent divorce rulings have been setting records when it comes to the amount of and value of assets involved. One recent divorce case making the news may literally set records because of the amount of money involved. Any Illinois couples with valuable assets, large corporations or a high estimate of net worth between them may want to pay close attention to the most recent potentially record setting divorce.

The owner of large drilling company in a nearby state is reportedly in the middle of a divorce. The company is currently estimated to be worth $11 billion. The company president and his wife were married for 25 years before setting their divorce in motion. Some reports indicate the divorce could cost the company president $2 billion.