Child Guardian Selection Program
Worrying about your children is part of being a parent, but Sivia Business & Legal Services, P.C. can alleviate some of your concern with our Child Guardian Selection Program. This program was designed to give our clients peace of mind by drawing up legal documents naming a guardian in the event of a parent's death or disability. The Child Guardian Selection Program allows parents to declare in writing who should take custody of the children in the event of any emergency, fatal accident, or temporary disability. 
The guardians you appoint will be committed to acting in your child's best interest as they fulfill their roles. A Standby Guardian and Short-Term Guardian fulfill a parental role for a limited amount of time depending on the circumstances rendering you unable to care for your children. A Temporary Short-Term Guardian is a good safeguard if your child is unable to reach you (For instance, if they are away at camp). Having these guardians in place can make a big difference in the event your child requires emergency medical care, but you cannot be reached to gain consent.
Be aware that most of the time, courts will appoint a guardian based on who is the nearest blood relation to your children in the event of your death or incapacity. Although these relatives may seem "fit" in the court's eyes, you know what is best for your child and who would provide them with the care you would want them to have. Make sure the guardian is one that you would choose and take steps to ensure that your children's quality of life will measure up to what you desire for them. The program also allows you to explicitly exclude certain people from taking custody of your children, a safeguard against anyone who may attempt to be a guardian against your wishes.
Be sure to talk over these decisions with your spouse or the natural parent of your children and gain their consent to the choice of guardian. The program provides information to temporary caregivers and lists your wishes in writing, but it is still a good idea to discuss your specific desires with your chosen guardians so they are fully prepared to care for your children according to your wishes. These documents must be witnessed and drawn up by your attorneys to ensure that your desires will be fulfilled. Sivia Business & Legal Services, P.C. is the only office in the metro area currently providing this guardianship program. Call today in order to start planning for your children's future.
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Obtaining Child Support
After a divorce, parents typically take measures to ensure their children's comfort and security. However, some parents refuse to pay support to their children, heightening the need for agencies like the Division of Child Support Enforcement of the Illinois Department of Human Services ("DCSE").
Penalties imposed by the DCSE to enforce  child support payments are numerous. Depending on the amount owed, the means by which support is gathered varies. In some instances, payments are not exacted directly from assets, but induced by surrounding circumstances. Regardless of the method used to gain support, Illinois laws make it tough for parents to avoid supporting their children.
In some instances, DCSE provides the State Department with a list of obligors to prevent world travel of non-supporting parents. As world travel becomes more common, passport denial to induce child support payments is used increasingly. The passport measure is applied when arrears exceed $2,500. Under the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act, parents are prohibited from traveling interstate or to a foreign country to evade child-support obligations. This Act imposes penalties of a fine or imprisonment or both until the obligation is paid.
Other penalties include suspension of an Illinois professional license or revocation of an occupational certificate. If child support payments are neglected in the amount of $500 or more and the obligor is not on a payment plan, license suspension may be appropriate. Drivers' licenses may also be suspended if arrears are overdue by 90 days.
If a parent enjoys hunting or fishing but fails to pay support in the amount of $1,000 or more, DSCE may inform the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to deny hunting and fishing licenses to the obligor. Courts may also interfere with an obligated parent's lottery winnings or real estate, which may be intercepted when child support payments are not made. Vehicles may also be seized and impounded to induce compliance with support demands.
Further actions such as consumer reporting expose delinquent support obligors and may affect credit standing. If a parent wants his or her child to continue to receive support payments after age 18, he may seek these payments under the 2001 amendment to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Children may also be eligible to receive support payments derived from a pension or retirement plan through a Qualified Domestic Relations Order.
If your children require support, or you are being unjustly ordered to pay support, call our law office at 618-659-4499. |
