Recent Blog Posts
Could the Illinois Stay-at-Home Order Lead to Domestic Abuse Accusations?
These difficult times might have revealed many issues and vulnerabilities within marriages, leaving some couples wondering whether divorce might be a good option for them. However, there are other couples who might be dealing with even more problematic situations involving accusations of domestic violence. Since Governor Pritzker issued the original Stay-at-Home Order in Illinois, reports of domestic violence across the state have spiked. Here is an analysis of some of the most common ways that these challenging times have led to such increases in domestic abuse reports:
5 Reasons Domestic Violence Cases May Increase
In some parts of the country, there have been fewer reported cases of domestic violence and abuse during this public health crisis. However, in many regions throughout Illinois, reports of such cases have actually increased. This may be due to an increased potential for conflicts within most homes, including:
How Can I Settle Co-Parenting Issues When Staying-at-Home in Illinois?
Over the last few months, it may have become increasingly difficult for you and your co-parent to properly follow your court-approved parenting plan. You both want to fulfill your parental responsibilities and ensure that you can spend a fair amount of parenting time with your kids, but you also do not want to put anyone’s health or safety at risk. Conflicts in these areas may be even worse if you and your co-parent have different philosophies regarding the Illinois Stay-at-Home Order. Governor Pritzker deemed from the beginning of the order that it is essential for parents to honor their court-ordered parenting commitments, but under certain circumstances, doing so might not be a good idea. Here are some things to consider while you both adapt to the “new normal” as co-parents during a crisis:
Are There Any Benefits to Getting Divorced While Pregnant?
While there are many legitimate reasons to postpone or cancel a divorce due to pregnancy, a person may have some compelling reasons to get divorced while pregnant. As difficult as it may be to end your marriage when you are already dealing with the stresses and expectations of impending parenthood, divorce may be the best overall choice for your family. Here is a closer look at the potential benefits of getting a divorce while you or your spouse are pregnant:
Reasons to Divorce While Pregnant
If you are considering a divorce while pregnant and are worried about the consequences, consider these positive aspects of taking such an action:
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Your Child Will Not Have to Live Through the Divorce Itself—If you get a divorce while pregnant, you do not have to worry about the difficulties your child may face when shifting from having two parents in the same home caring for him or her to receiving care from parents in two separate homes. Researchers estimate that it can take children about two years to fully adjust to a divorce, on average. If your child is born into a single-parent home, or if you and the other parent will be sharing parenting time from the beginning of the child’s life, he or she will not need to make this adjustment.
4 Things to Consider When Introducing a New Partner to Kids Post-Divorce
After your marriage has ended, you will likely be ready to move on and begin again, and this may mean starting a new romantic relationship. However, you may not want to rush into introducing a new partner to your family after your divorce. Depending on your situation, your children might not have an easy time adjusting to this new person being in their lives. Before you make the decision to introduce your new partner to your family, consider the following:
Factors That Determine How Your Children Will React to a New Partner
Before you discuss your new relationship with your kids, you may want to think about the following so that you know what to expect:
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The Ages of Your Children—Depending on a child’s age, he/she may react differently to a new partner. For instance, young children could connect with a new partner a lot easier than a teenager could, because the teenager might be fully aware of the difficulties that resulted in the divorce in the first place, leading them to harbor resentment and hold a preemptive grudge against the new partner. However, young children may also quickly become attached to the new partner, and if the relationship ends prematurely, they may be heartbroken.
Should I Update My Parenting Plan Due to Illinois’ Stay-at-Home Order?
Governor Pritzker has extended the Illinois Stay-at-Home Executive Order through the end of April. This new state government guideline has required many Illinois residents to adjust to a “new normal” in terms of their daily activities. Such a major impact even might affect the terms of your child custody agreements. In some cases, you and your co-parent may agree to make temporary changes to ensure your family’s health and safety during the order, but in other cases, you might need to update your parenting agreement.
4 Ways the Stay-at-Home Order Could Alter Parenting Plans
If you are a divorced or unmarried parent, you might want to revisit your parenting plan in light of the Stay-at-Home Order. While your overall parental responsibilities will likely not be affected, you may need to make adjustments to parenting time schedules, or you might want to include changes that address other issues. Here are some reasons your parenting plan might need to be updated:
How Should I Handle Discovery During My Illinois Divorce?
During the divorce process, there is a step that lawyers from both sides will take referred to as “discovery.” This is a critical stage in divorce proceedings. The lawyers and judge alike can learn countless insights during discovery, and these facts will help determine what is fairest and most equitable in the divorce judgment. Here is some advice on what you should do if faced with discovery:
4 Tips for Successful Divorce Discovery
Discovery during a divorce is a pretrial process in which both parties will fully disclose information to each other regarding their income and property. During discovery, the parties are permitted to request information from the other side to bolster and support their case with accurate evidence. These discovery requests may include:
When Can Parental Rights Be Terminated in Illinois?
When married parents get a divorce or unmarried parents are separated, arrangements for child custody will be put in place. A court-approved parenting plan will include decisions regarding parental responsibilities and parenting time. While parenting agreements are meant to protect a parent’s rights as a father or rights as a mother, there are some circumstances where a person’s parental rights may be involuntarily terminated. Illinois has extensive rules and guidelines in place to determine when the termination of parental rights is appropriate.
What Are Major Life Events That May Lead to Divorce in Illinois?
Since divorces are “no-fault” in Illinois, a person can end their marriage for any reason they choose. There is no legal obligation for a spouse to justify this decision, as there had been in the past. However, couples may still need to recognize when certain issues or concerns may lead to divorce, including common major life events. When a couple is faced with major changes in their lives, it can be difficult to adapt to this new reality, causing stress on the relationship or exacerbating the problems that were already there, which could lead to divorce.
8 Major Life Events That Can Contribute to Divorce
Excluding any of the typical reasons for a divorce that have more to do with the relationship itself, such as infidelity, here are some common major life events that may lead to divorce:
How Do I Know if My Spouse Has Dissipated Marital Assets?
According to Illinois law, dissipation of marital assets is defined as the use of marital property or assets to solely benefit one spouse for a purpose unrelated to the marriage when the marriage is in the midst of an irreconcilable breakdown. As a marriage undergoes difficult times—and as divorce becomes more and more likely—one or both of the spouses might begin deviating from their usual spending patterns. They might spend marital funds irresponsibly, neglect to pay bills, or enter into major financial agreements, among other things, all without the other spouse’s consent. This could affect the fair and equitable division of marital property during the couple’s divorce.
Common Examples of Marital Asset Dissipation
When Should I Consider Legal Separation Instead of Divorce?
If you and your spouse are having relationship problems, but you are not ready to deal with the challenges and finality that come with a divorce, you might want to consider getting a legal separation. A legal separation can enable you to do many of the same things you can do through divorce, such as determining parental responsibilities, parenting time, temporary spousal support, and child support. However, you will remain legally married to your spouse, and this can provide a number of advantages.