Challenges for Stay-At-Home Parents Who Divorce

 Posted on June 23, 2020 in Divorce

Stay-at-home parents make personal sacrifices in order to focus on raising their children and allowing their spouse to fully pursue their career. The parent at home may have paused or given up their career, as well as their financial independence. If you are a stay-at-home parent who is unhappy in your marriage, you may have several questions about how you could afford to divorce and how it would affect you. Being a stay-at-home parent presents some obstacles during divorce, but they are all manageable if you work with an experienced divorce attorney.

Paying for Divorce

Your first question might be “How can I afford a divorce attorney when I do not have my own income?” It is important that you have an attorney who is independent of your spouse. Some stay-at-home parents have their own savings that they can draw upon. If you do not have enough money, you can petition the court to order your spouse to help pay your attorney fees. You would need to prove that you are at a financial disadvantage and that your spouse can afford your attorney fees.

Childcare

You may also be concerned about whether working on your divorce will interfere with taking care of your children. You will need someone else to be with your children when you meet with your attorney, negotiate your divorce agreement with your spouse, and attend a court hearing. Before you pay for a childcare service, ask family and friends whether they can help you by watching your children while you are unavailable.

Financial Security

One of the most daunting prospects of divorce is figuring out how you will support yourself and your children as a single parent. There are several ways that your divorce will address this:

• Both you and your spouse will pay towards child support, but your spouse will pay a greater share because of their greater income.
• You should receive spousal maintenance payments, which are meant to pay for your personal expenses.

You will also need to find a job and may be required to do so in order to receive maintenance. Re-entering the job market can be difficult if you have not worked for years and are limited in the jobs you qualify for. You may consider going back to school in order to receive a degree or certificate, which could help you find a better job. You will continue to receive maintenance as long as you are making a good faith effort to find a job or enhance your career education.

Contact a Kane County Divorce Lawyer

Stay-at-home parents can feel like they are at a disadvantage when they start their divorces. A St. Charles, Illinois, divorce attorney at Goostree Law Group will make sure that you have strong representation throughout the process. Schedule a free consultation by calling 630-584-4800.

Source:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050k501.htm