Posted on August 15, 2022 in Divorce

If you are like many people, you are not familiar with the term "divorce coach."  Divorce coaching is a relatively new service that is becoming more and more popular. Ending a marriage can take a massive toll on a person. Divorce can be so overwhelming that some divorcing individuals make mistakes or agree to unfair divorce terms just to get the process over with. A divorce coach provides emotional support and practical guidance to divorcing spouses and helps them navigate the major life changes that accompany divorce. If you are getting divorced, here are five reasons to consider working with a divorce coach.

You Need Help to Get Through this Stressful Life Experience

The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory is a scientific tool first published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research that is used to predict stress-induced health problems. Divorce is listed as the second-most stressful life event on the inventory, just beneath death of a spouse. If you are going through a divorce, you need someone to help you manage this stress.

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 Posted on August 12, 2022 in Divorce

No one reaches the decision to divorce easily. Ending a marriage is one of the most emotionally burdensome experiences someone can go through. However, divorce is sometimes needed so that both spouses can end an unhappy marriage and move on to a better future.

If you have decided that you want a divorce but you have not yet told your spouse about your decision, you may understandably be dreading the conversation. Many people who seek a divorce still care about their spouse’s wellbeing and recognize how devastating the news may be to him or her. As you prepare to move forward with your divorce, keep the following tips in mind.

Recognize the Advantages and Disadvantages of Telling Your Spouse in Person

Some individuals only learn that their spouse is divorcing them when they are served with the divorce petition and summons. If you and your spouse are still on good terms, you may find this approach unnecessarily aggressive. There are pros and cons to telling your spouse you want a divorce before filing a petition through the court. On one hand, telling your spouse in person may help you reduce hostility and promote cooperation through the divorce process. On the other hand, if you have not yet consulted a lawyer or filed the divorce petition, this could give your spouse the chance to hide assets or take other adverse actions against you.

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 Posted on August 08, 2022 in Family Law

Parents who get divorced have seemingly countless matters to figure out. Child custody, child support, and other child-related legal issues can be complex – legally and emotionally. If you are getting divorced and you and your spouse disagree on the terms of child custody, you may understandably be feeling overwhelmed. It can be hard to know where to even begin. This blog will discuss Illinois laws regarding child custody disputes and what to do if you need help with custody concerns during your divorce.

Essentials of an Illinois Parenting Plan

The parenting plan or parenting agreement forms the foundation of any child custody arrangement. The main elements contained in the parenting plan include:

Allocation of parental responsibilities – Parents will need to determine how major decisions about their child’s life will be made. Parents may decide to make decisions about their child’s education, healthcare, religion, and other significant issues jointly or each parent may be designated specific decision-making authority. Alternatively, one parent may be given sole decision-making authority.

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 Posted on August 05, 2022 in Divorce

The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy reports that about 15 percent of married women and 25 percent of married men admit to extramarital affairs. An even higher percentage admit to non-sexual "emotional affairs." While some marriages can survive adultery, an affair often spells the end of a marriage. If you are getting divorced because you or your spouse cheated, it is important to understand how this can affect the divorce.

Illinois Laws Regarding Marital Infidelity and Divorce

Each state has its own divorce laws. As of 2016, Illinois is a no-fault divorce state, meaning there are no fault-based grounds for divorce. When you fill out your divorce paperwork, you will cite "irreconcilable differences" as the grounds for the split. Infidelity does not automatically influence the court’s decisions regarding the division of marital property, spousal support, child custody, or other divorce issues. However, there are certain situations in which an affair can impact the divorce outcome.

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 Posted on August 02, 2022 in Divorce

Everyone who falls in love hopes that the relationship will last forever. Sadly, however, statistics show that this is simply not the case for every couple. Countless issues, from financial dishonesty to adultery, can lead to marital breakdown. Some couples are able to overcome these types of challenges while others cannot. Only the individuals involved in a marriage can determine if their relationship is salvageable. This blog will evaluate some of the signs that may indicate that divorce is on the horizon.

Indications Your Marriage May Be Over

Most marriages that end in divorce experience a slow breakdown over time. There may be one or two major events such as a cheating spouse that hasten the relationship’s collapse, but most marriages slowly burn out due to issues such as:

• Differing priorities – People change, and sometimes, a marriage cannot survive these changes. For example, if one spouse wants children and the other wants to remain childless, the two may have a hard time reconciling these differences.

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 Posted on July 29, 2022 in Divorce

Same-sex marriage has been permitted in all fifty states since June 2015. Homosexual couples have the same rights as heterosexual couples. They can get married, draft prenuptial agreements, get divorced, and be subject to child support and spousal support orders. However, divorce and family law issues are sometimes more complicated when spouses are the same gender. Read on to learn about LGBT divorce in Illinois and how you can get the legal help you need when divorcing a same-sex spouse.

Getting Divorced When You Are in a Same-Sex Marriage

Same-sex couples follow the same divorce procedures as opposite-sex couples. One spouse files for divorce by submitting a petition for dissolution of marriage to the court. The other spouse (called the respondent) responds to the divorce petition. The spouses may be able to negotiate an agreement on the terms of their divorce and avoid taking the case to court. Their respective attorneys will provide legal guidance and assist in negotiations. The couple may also decide to attend divorce mediation to discuss divorce issues like property division, spousal maintenance, and child custody. If the spouses cannot reach settlement, the case may advance to trial.

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 Posted on July 26, 2022 in Divorce

When one spouse makes significantly more money than the other, the higher-earning spouse may be required to pay alimony to the lower-earning spouse in a divorce. In Illinois, alimony or spousal support is referred to as spousal maintenance. A spouse may be required to pay maintenance if the couple agrees to maintenance terms during divorce negotiations or the court orders a spouse to pay maintenance. A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement may also define spousal maintenance terms.

Traditionally, alimony was seen as a man’s responsibility. However, high-earning women are subject to the same spousal support laws as men. Acclaimed singer Mary J. Blige recently opened up about her experience paying alimony to her ex-spouse after divorce. Her story provides insight to celebrities and non-celebrities alike.

Wealthy Wives May Be Forced to Pay Spousal Support to Their Husbands

Hip-hop artist Mary J. Blige has been an internationally renowned singer for decades. Her net worth is in the millions. However, she admits that alimony obligations stretched her finances extremely thin. When Blige divorced her husband in 2017, she was ordered to pay a whopping $30,000 a month to her ex-husband. Originally, her ex requested four times that amount.

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 Posted on July 21, 2022 in Family Law

When a mother gives birth to a baby, there is no dispute as to the woman’s motherhood. However, determining paternity is not as simple. There are many different reasons that paternity may be unclear. Sometimes, a woman unexpectedly gets pregnant and is unsure of who the father is. Other times, an extramarital affair leads to confusion about paternity. A father may claim that he is the child’s father even if the mother knows this is untrue. Alternatively, a mother may believe that one man is the father of her child but he denies paternity.

If you are involved in a paternity dispute, you may understandably be filled with questions. Among these questions may be the question of whether DNA testing will be used to establish paternity.

Genetic Testing to Determine Who a Child’s Father Is

When paternity is unknown or disputed, one of the only ways to find out for sure is to conduct genetic testing. By evaluating the child’s DNA and comparing it to the presumed father’s DNA, paternity can be confirmed or denied with a negligible margin of error. According to the Cleveland Clinic, DNA paternity tests are 99.9 percent accurate.

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 Posted on July 20, 2022 in Domestic Violence

Intimate partner violence is shockingly common. The CDC estimates that approximately one in five women and one in seven men have been physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lives. Abuse may come in the form of physical violence, psychological manipulation, emotional abuse, or financial exploitation. Whatever the form it comes in, no one ever deserves to be abused by a romantic partner.

If you were threatened or abused by a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, or ex, you may want to consider getting an emergency order of protection.

What a Protection Order Can Do For You

Illinois courts offer several different kinds of protection orders. An emergency order of protection (EOP) is designed to be effective immediately. Often, petitioners can get an EOP on the same day they request it. Furthermore, EOPs are offered on an “ex parte” basis. This means that a formal hearing with both the petitioner (abuse victim) and respondent (abuser) is not required for the court to issue an EOP. If you are being abused by a current or former romantic partner, your partner does not need to be present for you to receive an EOP.

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 Posted on July 15, 2022 in Family Law

Most people have heard of prenuptial agreements, but fewer have heard of postnuptial agreements. A postnuptial agreement is very similar to a prenup, but it is completed after the couple is already married. Like prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements describe the spouses’ property rights and financial obligations in the event of divorce or death of a spouse. The reasons that couples utilize postnuptial agreements are varied and each situation is different. This blog will discuss the most common reasons married couples draft postnuptial agreements and what you can do to get started if you are interested in setting up a postnuptial agreement.

Postnups May Be Used for Financial or Personal Reasons

Postnuptial agreements or “postnups” have become increasingly popular in recent years. More and more couples understand the benefit of establishing their financial rights and responsibilities in an official, legally enforceable document.

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