New Year Brings New Changes to Family Laws

Out with the old and in with the new as the beginning of a new year brings a lengthy list of new laws going into effect in Illinois. More than 200 bills that were sponsored by either the House or the state Senate were approved by the Illinois General Assembly in 2015 and were slated to go into effect promptly at the beginning of the new year. Effective January 1, 2016, the new laws address a variety of issues, ranging from making bobcat hunting legal at certain times of year (House Bill 0352) and naming pumpkin as the official state pie (House Bill 0208) to sweeping changes within the criminal law system and the introduction of news laws to increase overall public safety.

In terms of families and family court issues, new laws have gone into effect that protect the rights and integrity of the various people who make up a family while also providing more detailed guidelines for the delivery of social services. Overall, there are 237 new laws that went into effect this January. We have outlined six of these laws that can potentially to impact your family, both now and in the future.

Six New Illinois Laws Affecting Families in 2016

A December 2015 Fox32 Chicago news report on the changes in Illinois law that became effective in January 2016 highlights some of these laws. Six new laws that could potentially affect parents, children, and others who are involved in family court matters include:

• Family Law Rewrites. Listed under Senate Bill 57/Public Act 99-0090, this law rewrites the language currently used in family law. This includes the language used in laws governing divorce, the rights of parents, and allowing the use of both public and private sources of income in determining child support awards;
• Parentage Act of 2015. Under House Bill 1531/PA 99-0085, this is a comprehensive rewrite of the previous Illinois laws governing parents and repeals prior Illinois Parentage Acts. It provides guidelines for establishing parent-child relationships within the state, including those involving assisted reproduction. It authorizes genetic testing and clears the way for child support obligations to be established;
• Uniform Interstate Support Act. Under HB 3512/PA 99-0119, this law makes substantial changes to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which governs and enforces support obligations from out of state parents based on recommendations from the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws;
• Adoption Registry-Grandparents. Under HB 3967/ PA 99-0345, this law amends the Adoption Act to give birth grandparents rights to the adoption registry;
• DCFS-Custody-Notice-Relatives. Under HB 2543/ PA 99-0340, this law requires the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to make reasonable efforts in locating all grandparents and adult relatives, such as aunts and uncles, of children in their custody before placing the child in foster care; and
• Foster Children-Bill Of Rights: Under HB 3684/ PA 99-0344, this law provides a bill of rights for children under the care of DCFS and within the foster care system.

Call Our Experienced Crest Hill Family Law Attorneys Today

When you are dealing with sensitive family court matters, you can trust Sabuco Beck, P.C. to provide the legal counsel you need and the comprehensive service you deserve. Our team of experienced family law attorneys can advise you on how best to proceed in your particular case while vigilantly defending your rights and ensuring the best interests of your family are served. Providing effective, efficient legal service throughout Will County and the surrounding areas, call or contact us online today for a confidential consultation.