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.

Problem Households

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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.

Be Ready to Listen

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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

Same-sex couples have lined up in each and every state for weddings this past summer. With that comes a slew of couples also interested in getting a divorce. Same-sex couples faced numerous hurdles when seeking a divorce, prior to the national legalization of gay marriage. Many couples who lived in states that did not recognize gay marriage were forced to wade through countless court processes in order to divide their assets. Those that chose to get married in a state other than their home state, and then moved back home, were forced to consider relocating to the state in which they were married, as many states have residency laws in place that block speedy divorces. With gay marriage legalized across the country, same sex couples now are afforded the same divorce process as any other couple.

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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.

When it comes to process of marital dissolution, spouses who are dealing with a partner suffering from mental illness will invariably face more challenges than those who are not. Some of these challenges can include aggressive legal strategies or, in some cases, even stonewalling. If your spouse is a pathological liar, for example, it is imperative that you organize evidence and proof of any claims before entering the courtroom. When you are dealing with any person with mental illness, especially if you are the one who initiated a contested divorce, compromise, honesty, and fairness will not likely be part of the dealings. Because of this, you will need to seek legal assistance from a professional who is familiar with these types of cases.

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 Posted on August 18, 2015 in Family Law

With a very wide array of adoption routes to take, exploring the idea of adopting a child can seem daunting. Adopting a child is a wonderful decision and can bring immense happiness to parents and the child. Many hopeful parents considering adoption fear the high costs commonly associated with the process. While it is true that certain routes to adoption cost more than others, every adoption does not have to be expensive. Illinois residents looking to adopt may be surprised to discover that not all adoption methods cost thousands of dollars.

There are different types of adoption that each have varying degrees of costs associated with them. As one would imagine, adopting infants typically is much more expensive than adopting a child in foster care or a child under the care of another state agency. In the United States, there are more hopeful parents waiting to adopt infants than there are infants available to adopt. Many would-be adoptive parents work with agencies to locate available infants, and these agencies can be costly. Adoption agencies can set strict acceptance criteria and can charge high rates for home studies, counseling, and medical expenses. Choosing to adopt through an adoption agency can often range from $20,000 to $40,000.

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 Posted on August 13, 2015 in Divorce

The Catholic Church has historically been a strong opponent of divorce. In the eyes of the Catholic Church, divorce, no matter the cause, is to be avoided if at all possible. Those in a new relationship after divorce are also thought by the Church to be committing adultery. A recent new opinion from the leader of the Catholic Church himself, Pope Francis, shows an interesting shift in the views of the Catholic Church. For the first time in history, Pope Francis has declared that divorce can be considered a “lesser evil” in cases where getting a divorce is “morally necessary.”

The Catholic Church has always considered marriage a permanent union. Catholics believe that, in the eyes of God, a couple getting married forms an unbreakable bond. For this reason, civil divorces are not considered valid by the Church. Divorcees are not able to receive Holy Communion, though the church does make exceptions for those who have had their marriages annulled and those who have not been remarried. While divorcees are still allowed to be a part of the Catholic Church, they are often left with feelings of guilt and exclusion. Any Catholic wishing to remarry in a Catholic church is forbidden unless their former spouse passed away, or they had their marriage annulled. The Catholic Church considers the idea of marriage permanence as universal.

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