As a long-term member of the Parental Alienation Study Group, I am pleased to see that there is going to be an excellent seminar this summer on new developments in the field. See the recent post from Dr. Harman. Dr. Harman is an accomplished and awarded scientist and teacher, and…
Illinois Divorce Lawyer Blog
Illinois Divorce Lawyer Blog: Top Ways to Spend too much on your Divorce
For the decades that I have been practicing Family Law/Divorce/Child Custody, I have always endeavored to deliver good value for the money spent on legal fees. Aside from keeping my hourly rates at a moderate level so that they are affordable for all clients, I also have some pride in…
Illinois Divorce: Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS)
Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) Parental alienation occurs when efforts are made to discourage a child’s attachment to a parent. This often occurs during acrimonious divorces, when one parent discourages the child/children from having a relationship with the other. Mechanisms often used to alienate the child/children are extremely harmful to children and include the…
Illinois Divorce Lawyer: Dealing with High Conflict Personalities (HCPs)
In my law practice, a number of issues that come up with divorce and child custody matters are focused around a spouse with a High Conflict Personality. HCPs can make a divorce and child custody case difficult to the point of being traumatic, and it is so important to have…
Illinois Divorce: Why Does Divorce Spike In January?
So what accounts for the post-holiday divorce? Why Does Divorce Spike In January? According to experts, the biggest reason that divorces rise following the holidays is a desire for one person in the marriage to start fresh and begin another year with a clean slate. “Whatever unhappiness they’ve had, they don’t…
Illinois Divorce Lawyer: PASG and DSM
One of the longstanding issues in dealing with Parental Alienation within the clinical community, as well as with the legal community, has been the inclusion of Parental Alienation diagnostics in the DSM. An important group (of which I am proud to be a member) is the Parental Alienation Study Group.…
Illinois Divorce Lawyer: Malignant Narcissists
What Are the Signs of a Malignant Narcissist? Malignant narcissists tend to display some of the worst traits of both APD and NPD, and often have severe dysfunctions in their personal relationships, work, and ability to function in other areas of life. Their reckless behavior, disregard for others, and inability…
Illinois Divorce: A Checklist for Parents to be Supportive of their Kids
For parents anticipating a divorce and child custody (allocation) issues, it’s always useful to go over some checklists, both financial and child-related, to ensure that the needs of the parties and families are met as best as is possible during the pendency of the case. Once a divorce or separation…
Illinois Divorce: Retained Earnings
I can say that most of the calls to my firm involve significant and complex child custody issues, many involving psychological issues or parental alienation concerns. Yet, it is still very important for my practice to focus on financial issues in divorce, as well. Issues concerning support calculations, and valuation…
Illinois Divorce Lawyer: What is a Guardian ad Litem?
Most of the cases that we manage at Law Offices of Michael F Roe are complex cases, sometimes involving serious issues with child custody, and often a HCP (High Conflict Personality/Parent). Within these divorce or parentage cases the courts in Illinois follow a pattern of addressing the issues of the…