Volume 04| August 2019

FIRM NEWSLETTER Brought to you by:

We hope to provide updates and awareness of legal issues through this newsletter. In this month's issue we focus on the factors considered in determining parenting time and healthcare power of attorney. We hope that everyone has a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.

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Parenting Time: Best Interests Going through a divorce can be an emotional and stressful process. It can be even more stressful when there are children involved. In some cases parents are able to reach an agreement regarding the allocation of parenting time (formerly known as visitation). The agreement reached between the parties is usually outlined in an Allocation Judgment or Parenting Plan. We will discuss the contents of these agreements in an upcoming article. However, without a written agreement as to when each parent will spend time with the minor children, the court must allocate parenting time based on the best interests of the children.  Section 602.7 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act outlines the factors that the court should consider in determining the best interests for the purposes of allocating parenting time. The court is to consider all relevant factors, including the following: (Read More) Healthcare Power of Attorney It is important to consider the fact that at some point you may not be capable of making healthcare decisions on your own. You can select an individual as your agent to make decisions on your behalf. This person will have the authority to make decisions to direct or refuse health care treatment and interventions and also to withdraw treatment on your behalf.  If you have concerns about what authority the agent has to make decisions, you can specifically limit the ability of your agent to make only certain decisions on your behalf. Without any specific limitations, your agent will have the ability to make any and all healthcare decisions on your behalf that you could make if you were present or under no disability The person that you select as your power of attorney for healthcare should be someone that you can trust to understand the importance of the decisions that he or she will have to make. Your agent should also be comfortable talking with your healthcare providers and asking questions and your agent should be willing to make decisions that follow your preferences. You should talk to your family, and especially your agent, about what is most important to you with regard to your medical care, whether you want to avoid pain and suffering, what treatments you desire with regard to life-saving measures, your spiritual or cultural belief, and any existing advanced directives or living wills. (Read more)

Spotlight Labor Day 2019 is the 125 th year that Labor Day has been considered a national holiday. The first Labor Day was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City by the Central Labor Union. It was not until June 28, 1894 that President Grover Cleveland signed a law to observe the first Monday of each year as a national holiday. Labor Day provides an opportunity for many people to have the day off work, cookout on the grill and mark the end of the summer months. Others may recognize the importance of the holiday as a celebration of the American laborer. Since the late 1800s when Labor Day was first celebrated, the significance of Labor Day has evolved. In 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the nation on Labor Day and discussed what he considered to be an economic crisis at the time due to “inflation” and how it would impact the cost of living. He was especially considered with fighting inflation at that time due to the cost of the war efforts. Have a safe and happy Labor Day.

Upcoming Community CASA Big City Bash Fundraiser, October 12, 2019 (Event Information)

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