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3 Tips for Being More Resilient After Your Illinois Divorce
Divorce is labeled as one of the most difficult life experiences one can go through. Some even compare the emotions of divorce to those that come from losing a loved one to death. A scientific journal entitled Psychological Science published a study about which personality trait best enables people to successfully survive a divorce. According to the study, the trait that makes people most resilient after a divorce is referred to as “self-compassion.” Whether or not this trait comes naturally to you, there are a few ways that you can practice self-compassion when it comes to your divorce.
Taking Time to Heal
Self-compassion is exactly what it sounds like: being good to yourself. However, this does not mean materialistically treating yourself. Instead, self-compassion has more to do with your philosophy and approach toward daily life, especially after the divorce. Here are ways to build this self-compassion and allow yourself to bounce back from your divorce:
If I Am Unemployed, Do I Have to Make Support Payments in Illinois?
With U.S. unemployment numbers reaching historic highs over the last several months, many Illinois residents are finding themselves incapable of paying their child support and spousal support. Unfortunately, despite these extenuating circumstances and even if you are unemployed, you are still required to make these payments. Here are the consequences of failure to pay and what you can do if you know you will be unable to pay your spousal maintenance or child support by their due date.
What Happens If You Do Not Pay Child Support or Spousal Support?
If you neglect to pay the child support or spousal maintenance payments ordered by the court in your divorce decree, any or all of the following could happen:
What Are Some Common Tactics For Hiding Assets During Divorce?
If you are not paying close attention to you and your spouse’s finances leading up to your divorce, during your divorce, and after your divorce, you might overlook hidden assets. It is important to keep an eye on your finances to be sure that you are receiving a fair and equitable divorce settlement. Never is this truer than during a complex divorce or a high-asset divorce. In other words, the more property and assets you have as a couple, the greater the likelihood that one or both of you might be hiding these assets. In order to be vigilant about potential hidden assets in your divorce, you need to be aware of some of the most common ways spouses can attempt to hide assets.
3 Reasons to Use Alternative Dispute Resolution in an Illinois Divorce
There are a wide variety of issues that will need to be settled in a divorce case, and resolving disputes through litigation in court can be costly and time-consuming, while resulting in less than optimal decisions for your family. To address these matters more effectively and avoid contentious disputes, you might want to consider alternative dispute resolution (ADR), which could include collaborative law, mediation, or arbitration.
Why Use Alternative Dispute Resolution?
Some of the best reasons to use alternative dispute resolution instead of traditional litigation include:
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Efficiency—ADR can provide significant savings of both time and money during the divorce process. Making multiple court appearances and preparing for a divorce trial involves significant expenses, and legal proceedings can last several months, or even years. ADR can help you streamline the process of resolving your disputes and allow you to reach a divorce settlement much more quickly while avoiding unnecessary expenses.
Can Divorce Provide Options Other Than the Traditional Nuclear Family?
As divorce continues to be a likely outcome for many marriages, families across the state and nation alike face the possibility of a nontraditional homelife situation. In recent years, some people have argued that the nuclear family may be the source of many societal ills, from economic inequality to racial injustice. Because of this, people have started to wonder whether the traditional nuclear family of a mom, a dad, and one or more children is truly quintessential to a child’s positive upbringing. The truth is, there are alternatives to the nuclear family, some of which might be even more beneficial to your family following a divorce.
3 Beneficial Alternatives to the Nuclear Family
As nuclear families become less and less common, it might be worth considering alternatives to that particular family model. Examples of strong options that may be available after a couple has divorced include:
How Can I Avoid Bankruptcy After an Illinois Divorce?
A recent survey found that 39% of people state that debt and other financial issues were a major factor that contributed to their divorce. It is no wonder that bankruptcy and divorce are so closely linked—not only can divorce itself often cost more money than many people expect, but the financial ramifications of the divorce are felt long after the proceedings are complete. From the division of marital debt to simply adjusting to living on a single income, life after divorce can get expensive. But that does not mean you have to file for bankruptcy. Here are some tips for keeping your finances in order after your marriage has ended:
6 Ways to Prevent Bankruptcy Following Divorce
While there are some things you can do to avoid bankruptcy that are common to just about any person, divorced or not, there are also some special things that you can do to protect yourself against bankruptcy when you are divorced. Some examples include:
Can a Parent Relocate With a Child After an Illinois Divorce?
A divorce under any circumstances can be difficult, and when a couple has a child, that can further complicate the process. Typically, parents do not want to give up time with their child once the marriage ends, but changes to children’s and parents’ schedules are a reality of divorce. One parent may be allocated the majority of the parental responsibilities. However, the other parent does have a right to parenting time, which can be addressed with a parenting plan. In some cases, one of the parents may wish to move out of state to be near family members or due to a job transfer or new career opportunity. Depending on the circumstances, child support or parenting time may need to be modified. Therefore, it is important to ensure that parental rights are not violated in any way.
What if My Spouse Is Hiding Assets During Our Illinois Divorce?
When a couple reaches the point where their marriage is irretrievably broken, they will likely seek a divorce. The process of legally ending a marriage can be complicated, especially if there are a lot of issues to resolve. If spouses are argumentative or bitter, this may only further complicate matters. Part of the divorce proceedings involve dividing any marital property or assets. In some situations, one of the spouses may try to hide monetary funds or other valuable possessions. A study by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that 31 percent of spouses with combined assets report they were deceptive about money, and 58 percent of those people admitted to hiding money from their partner or spouse. In divorce cases involving hidden assets, it is imperative to hire professional legal assistance to uncover such deception.
What You Need to Know About Prenuptial Agreements in Illinois
Prenuptial agreements are often associated with very wealthy individuals, and people who seek a prenup may be seen as believing that their marriage will not last. Because of this, a stigma was attached to these agreements, but this has changed over time, and prenuptial agreements are becoming more and more common.
When Is a Prenuptial Agreement Appropriate?
Nowadays, it is routine for marrying couples to discuss, agree to, and sign a prenuptial agreement before they exchange marriage vows and seal their marriage. A prenuptial agreement may be appropriate in a variety of situations, including:
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One spouse has significantly more assets than the other spouse. In this case, it behooves the spouse with significantly more assets to have a prenuptial agreement in place to protect against the incidental or deliberate inclusion of their assets as marital property in a potential divorce. Ordinarily, assets obtained before a couple’s marriage are considered non-marital property and therefore not subject to division or sharing after divorce.
How Are a Couple’s Assets Divided in an Illinois Divorce?
While some people who get married may be doubtful that the marriage will last, the expectation for nearly all couples who marry is that their marriage will last a lifetime.
However, the reality of marriage in America is that more than 22 percent of first marriages end in divorce within five years, and 53 percent of marriages dissolve by the 20-year mark, according to the latest available data from the government. No matter the length of a marriage, one common issue that often arises during divorce is how to handle the division of marital property.
What Constitutes Marital Property?
The first question to determine when addressing property division is what is considered marital property as defined under Illinois law. The law defines marital property as "all property acquired by either spouse subsequent to the marriage." Examples of common marital property include physical possessions such as homes, automobiles, and other assets of value. Marital property also includes monetary assets such as retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs, pensions, stocks and bonds, and life insurance benefits.