Family and Matrimonial

How family law mediation can help parties break cycles of powerlessness, escalation and conflict

Senior Partner Jay Dahlin and Partner Rachel Kolesar examine dissipation of marital assets in Illinois divorce cases, exploring how spending during marriage breakdown affects property division. Through scenarios involving gambling, luxury purchases, and hidden expenses, they analyze what constitutes dissipation, when timing matters, and how courts distinguish ordinary expenses from asset misuse.

When religious traditions intersect with modern estate planning, complex questions arise about inheritance conditions, faith-based marriage requirements, and the enforceability of religious divorce decrees. This episode explores how Jewish and Islamic inheritance principles interact with secular law, examining whether estate plans can legally require heirs to marry within their faith and what happens when religious and civil divorce requirements conflict.

When is a minor guardianship appropriate in Washington State, and who has the legal standing to petition the court? Understanding the requirements for parental function assessment, interested party qualifications, and the critical preliminary steps can help determine whether guardianship serves a child's best interests.

National Estate Planning Awareness Week serves as a timely reminder that estate planning isn't just for the wealthy or elderly—it's a crucial process for everyone. From designating guardians for minor children to managing beneficiary designations and planning for incapacity, comprehensive estate planning addresses far more than just asset distribution after death.

The court will look at each parent’s income to determine issues such as child support or post-secondary support. Imputed income is an estimate by the court of an individual’s income, even if they are not actually earning that amount.

National Estate Planning Awareness Week serves as a timely reminder that estate planning isn't just for the wealthy or elderly—it's a crucial process for everyone. From designating guardians for minor children to managing beneficiary designations and planning for incapacity, comprehensive estate planning addresses far more than just asset distribution after death.

The increased federal estate tax exemption under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act may have reduced the number of estates subject to federal estate tax, but for married New York residents, credit shelter trusts remain an important planning consideration.

The Calm Among the Storm – In each post of this blog series, Schneider Bell attorney Veronica Garofoli answers a real question she sees from families, fiduciaries, financial advisors, and CPAs — focused on the moments when a situation first becomes unstable, and what actually protects people under Ohio probate and trust law.