Posted on September 22,2015 in Divorce

Having a baby before marriage can be tricky. In the past, many couples felt rushed to wed if they discovered they had an unexpected baby on the way. Society’s stigmas on child birth before marriage, or even cohabitation before marriage, for that matter, led many couples to partake in a so-called “shotgun” wedding. While these rushed marriages may have prevented society’s judgements, they often meant disaster for the married couple. In modern times, many of the stigmas of children before marriage have disappeared. Many couples are choosing to cohabitate long before getting married, and quite a few are having babies before marriage as well. Are parents who have a baby before marriage still doomed to end up divorcing in 2015?

A More Accepting Society

We have seen many aspects of marriage, family life, and child raising change over the past decade. By and large, Americans have become far more understanding and accepting of alternative families, cohabitation before marriage and children out of wedlock. Marriage laws across the country have been rewritten or overturned, leaving the United States a much more open and accepting place. As a shift in opinions and ideals change, it is no surprise that cohabitation and birth before marriage are on the rise. People are simply more comfortable doing what is best for their life, and spend much less time worrying about the judgment of society.

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 Posted on September 17,2015 in Divorce

Many divorce attorneys notice a surge in divorces in September. Some call this time of the year “divorce season” as many couples choose the fall to start their separation process. For parents with children, a fall divorce may seem like perfect timing. In many situations, parents choose to stay together, even while unhappy, in hopes of protecting their children. Many view their parental responsibilities as essentially completed when their children embark on their own lives, leaving for college or starting jobs. While the idea of soldiering through an unhappy marriage for your children’s sake may seem like the most responsible and selfless choice, you may actually do more damage to your children, in the long run, by staying in an unhappy marriage. Despite this, many parents choose to separate right as their last child transitions to college and starts living their own life.

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 Posted on September 15,2015 in Divorce

Modern-day marriages in the western world are very different than marriages of the past. For the majority of civilized history, women seemed to get the short end of the stick when it came to marriage. They were responsible for bearing and raising the children, taking care of the home, and had little to no social life, all while being financially dependent on the men they married. The men, on the other hand, were free to fraternize whenever they liked, had affairs often, and were only held responsible for providing financially, all while being considered the head of the household. Marriages of the 21st Century look quite different. Today, men and women share marital responsibilities much more equally. With many wives also working full time jobs and many husbands taking responsibility for the kids, the components of an “ideal marriage” have changed drastically. A change in what constitutes a perfect marriage also means more people may find themselves unhappy if their key characteristics of a happy marriage are not being met. A new study shows that modern-day women are more likely to initiate divorce than men. Why is that?

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 Posted on September 10,2015 in Division of Assets

If you are planning a divorce, or are already in the divorce process, you are, most likely, hoping for a clean start. Separation from your spouse can mean new-found freedom, the ability to make your own choices, and ease the emotional burden of being in an unhappy marriage. If you and your soon to be ex-spouse have any shared debt, however, your chances of financial freedom are at risk. Before a divorce, couples need to ensure that they have properly established what will happen with the remainder of their joint credit card debt.

Harsh Realities

Credit card companies are not concerned with divorce. If you and your spouse opened joint lines of credit and then divorce, you are both still responsible for the debt. Furthermore, credit card companies have no problem going after both spouses, even long after being divorced, in order to receive payment. No recently divorced person wants to deal with the stress and pain of old credit card debt, or risk damaging their individual credit score, so it is important to take steps early on in the divorce process to ensure that your debts are divided properly and everything is taken care of.

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 Posted on September 08,2015 in Domestic Violence

Many cities and towns across the United States have recently taken harsher stances against neighborhood crime and disturbances. Over the past 25 years, American communities have put in place laws that aim to weed out drug dealers and problem households from neighborhoods. These laws often force landlords to evict tenants from their homes if they become a problem household and the police are too often called to them. While these so called “nuisance” or “crime-free” ordinances are enacted with the intention of increasing neighborhood safety and reducing criminal activity in communities, unforeseen problems have arisen. Now, victims of domestic or sexual violence across the country are left with a choice; call the police and risk losing their homes, or face the violence. A new Illinois law, signed at the end of the summer, aims to protect those victims.

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 Posted on August 31,2015 in Child Custody

Finding the perfect child custody schedule for your children can be difficult. With the school year just beginning, many split custody families are testing out their school year custody schedule, one that can be very different from a summer vacation schedule. The best custody arrangement is one that allows your children to feel loved and supported, provides a stable environment, and allows access to quality time spent with both parents. Here are some key things to remember when arranging your child custody schedule with your child's other parent.

Be Realistic

When initially vying for child custody, it’s common for anger and other emotions to cloud your judgment. Try to avoid using your children’s custody schedule as a way to attack your soon to be ex. Do not let your child custody plan be based on your own insecurities or in an attempt to hurt your spouse. Many parents, whose judgments are clouded by emotions, overextend themselves and demand full custody or close to it, when, really, they are unable to actually care well for their children. Consider your own schedule, living arrangements, and other commitments before asking for a large amount of scheduled time with your children. Hopefully you have an attorney by your side during the initial custody arrangement process, so he or she can help steer you in the right direction if necessary.

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 Posted on August 28,2015 in College Expenses

With college tuition rates consistently rising in the United States, many parents are deciding to start saving for college earlier. Ideally, parents should begin saving as soon as the child is born. Even if the monthly contribution is small, starting early can give parents the extra boost they need to keep up with ever rising college costs. It is a smart move and your child will appreciate it down the road. In the case of a divorce, the college savings becomes uncertain. Co-saving, like co-parenting, is possible post divorce, but there are a few things you need to know to save successfully.

College Savings Accounts

When setting out to save for a child’s future college tuition, many families invest in some sort of 529 college savings plan. These are tax-advantaged investment accounts, and help many parents save more money faster. Often, parents open these accounts jointly. In the unfortunate case of a divorce, parents must explore their options for future account ownership. Typically, one parent will need to be designated as the sole owner of the account. There are however, other options, such as freezing the account, or splitting the savings into two accounts.

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 Posted on August 27,2015 in Divorce

Most grandparents share special bonds with their grandchildren. Children crave the love, attention, and care that grandparents often provide. Grandparents enjoy being a source of support and love for their grandchildren while not being the primary caregiver. In most cases, grandparents and grandchildren have amazing, loving, lifelong relationships. Watching a grandchild experience a divorce can be extremely difficult. Chances are, your grandchild is going through sadness, pain, and confusion because of their parents’ divorce, and understanding how to help can be challenging. While each divorce is complex and different, there are a few basic strategies you, as a grandparent, can employ to ensure the safety, security, and happiness of your grandchild.

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 Posted on August 25,2015 in Divorce

Same-sex marriage was recently legalized across the entire United States. While some gay couples have still faced discrimination, for the most part, same-sex couples in every state have been able to celebrate their relationships and officially marry. As joyful as marriage is, legalizing marriage for a large group of people in the United States will eventually, unfortunately, and inevitably lead to divorce for some of them. While one would assume that same-sex divorce cases would be handled the same as any other divorce case, a lack of laws and prior precedent means a same-sex divorce could be messy, and the splitting of a couple’s financial assets could be left up to a judge. Planning ahead can help ease a couple’s stress about the unfortunate possibility of divorce down the road.

Unique Challenges

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 Posted on August 20,2015 in Divorce

Divorce is always difficult. However, divorcing someone who is suffering from mental illness can be all the more difficult—and has the potential to even become dangerous. There are several mental health issues that can lead to divorce, or contribute to a reason for it. Sex addiction, drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental instabilities, such as bipolar or borderline personality, can all make a marriage impossible to sustain in the long run, or even temporarily. Other situations in which one partner suffers from a less definable mental illness, such as someone who is severely passive-aggressive or a narcissist, can be just as delicate to navigate during a divorce.

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