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If you are unable to raise your child with their other parent due to divorce, breakup, or any other reason, the state of Illinois will want you to have a legal parenting plan in place. This is a complex, and often emotional process that needs to be handled well for the benefit of your child, and yourself. When working on a parenting plan, make sure to consider the following essential concepts.
The most important thing to consider when working on a parenting plan is that it is all about your children, not yourself. It is tempting to fight to keep your child with you every day and ensure you are able to make every possible decision throughout their childhood. The fact is, however, that in the vast majority of cases it is better for the child to encourage them to have a close relationship with each parent, and for the parents to work together. Putting your child first may be hard, but it will help them to thrive long into the future.
Thanks to mounds of scientific research, the verdict on how to best help children after a divorce is clear: In most cases, children fare best when they have a healthy and consistent relationship with both of their parents. Ideally, that would include a lot of face-to-face time with the child, but not every divorced couple can stay in the same neighborhood, city, or state.
Just a short few years ago, families who lived far apart had to rely on phone conversations to stay connected. In-person visits, though scheduled as frequently as possible, rarely made up for the lack of face-to-face contact that occurred between the parent and child during their separation. Science says that technology is already starting to fill that gap - and its effect is only expected to improve over time.
Parent-child connections can be difficult to maintain after a divorce - and not just because of time or distance. In high-conflict situations (i.e. differing views on hot topic issues, such as discipline, religion, or values), parents may struggle to maintain civil communications.
Healing from the emotional turmoil of a divorce can be a long and grueling process - and not just because you must come to terms with the end of your marriage. Eventually, you must also deal with the person you were during the divorce.
You see, people often become the worst versions of themselves when under high amounts of stress. Few events in life are quite as stressful as a divorce, yet it is important to keep your composure as best as humanly possible. That does not mean you have to be perfect; mistakes are just a part of life. However, you can greatly minimize your chances of unnecessary regret after your divorce by working hard to achieve a peaceful outcome. Learn more in the following sections, including how the assistance of a seasoned divorce attorney can help.
1. Decide if Divorce Truly is Your Best Option
While every divorce situation is different, there is one thing that most couples have in common: they are separating because they cannot resolve their marital issues. In legal terms, this is known as “irreconcilable differences.” Of course, there are couples who maybe could reconcile their issues in therapy but opt not to do so, but these are few and far between. Most couples make every reasonable effort to keep their marriage intact - perhaps even going so far as to attend counseling or therapy (either independently or as a couple) to save their marriage.
Recently, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that they intend to probe the private UBS accounts of 4,000 taxpayers. While one can only speculate how many of them are currently engrossed in a divorce, odds are, a healthy number of them could be trying to hide money from both the government and their spouse.
Those who are discovered stand to lose a lot.
In addition to the possibility of federal tax evasion charges and a loss or depreciation of their assets to cover back taxes, dishonest parties may lose a significant portion of their divorce settlement, as judges often penalize them by giving the disadvantaged party an additional award. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of divorcing parties may be probed by the IRS this year.
Thankfully, parties do not have to rely on the government to uncover hidden assets during their Illinois divorce. Instead, they simply need a seasoned and aggressive divorce team on their side.
While few couples blame money for their divorce, studies show money troubles can significantly increase a couple’s risk of divorce. In fact, arguments about money were found to be the top predictor of divorce in one from Utah State University. Researchers also determined that frequent fighting increased a couple’s overall odds of divorce by 30 percent.
Of course, not all debt is acquired during the marriage.
In a Fidelity, Couples & Money study, almost half of all the couples surveyed indicated they had entered into their marriage with debt. Around 40 percent of them said that it had a negative effect on their marriage, and 49 percent said they disagreed about who was responsible for those debts.
With such a strong link between marital troubles and divorce, it makes sense as to why some relationship experts encourage couples to try debt elimination before divorce - and in some cases, it may work! No two situations are exactly alike, however, and it is important to distinguish the difference between a marriage struggling because of money troubles and one that is no longer healthy or functional.
Divorce can be a costly endeavor - especially for those in complex situations. There are ways to reduce the costs associated with an Illinois divorce, but be wary of the option you choose. Online divorce services, often used by divorcing parties who wish to cut costs and simplify the process, can actually cause more harm than good. Learn more about the risks of using an online divorce service, and discover how our seasoned divorce lawyers can improve the outcome in your case.
When performing an internet search for divorce services, parties are likely to come up with a wide array of options. Online services, where legal paperwork is completed and then returned to the paying client to file, are usually toward the top. They claim to offer a “simple” but “affordable” way to complete a divorce. For many, the price seems too good to pass up.
Sadly, there are many who have pursued such options, only to find themselves in the midst of chaos. That “simple” service turns out to be frustrating, confusing, and in some cases, a complete scam. As an example, consider the recent news coverage of an online divorce service that took money from clients, promising to provide completed paperwork. Some never received their completed paperwork at all. Others say the documents were riddled with errors - to the point that they simply could not use them to file for their divorce.
Prenuptial agreements often carry a negative connotation. Yet, when one examines the details of some of the nation’s biggest divorces, the importance of a prenup becomes clear. Millennials are starting to change the way that we see them (they are signing these documents at an unprecedented rate), but maybe more can be done to help people see them for the useful tool that they are. One financial expert recently suggested that couples use it as a financial planning tool.
If you are considering a prenuptial agreement, chances are, you already know you will one day be successful in business or money. Perhaps you have a knack for sales and have just made stockbroker. Maybe you see just how hard your spouse is working in medical school, and you are certain that they will be a successful physician. In either case, you envision a future that involves at least some measure of wealth.
The decision to divorce is a highly personal one - and far from simple. There might be years of happy memories that are difficult to let go of, despite how difficult things have been lately. Perhaps there are children involved, and like most parents, you are worried about how a divorce might affect them. Add in any number of the other possible variables that occur in a divorce (domestic abuse, financial disadvantages, disability, etc.), and divorce may no longer seem like an option. For others, staying in an unhappy or toxic situation might begin to seem preferable to the complex and often lengthy process of a divorce.
Thankfully, neither scenario needs to occur, as there are options for even the most difficult situations. Of course, before one can actively seek out solutions for their situation, they must first come to terms with it. Look for these five signs in your marriage. If you have noticed any of them, it may be time to decide if divorce could be the next best step in your life.
When it comes to money, some spouses will stop at nothing to keep more than their fair share in a divorce. Offshore accounts, cryptocurrencies, and foreign real estate are just some of the tools that sneaky spouses use to hide money.
Sadly, only so much can be done to track down the missing money in a divorce - and even a skilled team of professionals have their limits. The money does sometimes surface after the divorce has been finalized, however. Learn what options you may have in such a situation in the following sections, and discover what our seasoned divorce lawyers can do to assist you.
Most deceptive spouses think only about the immediate situation; rarely do they consider what might happen if you discover the hidden assets once the divorce has been finalized. As such, they may begin to relax their spending habits once the proceedings are over, giving you the evidence you need to reopen your divorce case.
Divorce often marks the beginning of a happier, more evolved life for the formerly married parties. Some people discover their passion or find a new love. Others return to their roots for love and support, which may ultimately deepen their relationships with extended family and old friends. Whatever the scenario, divorce can ultimately change people for the better. Sadly, the same cannot always be said for the children of divorce.
Children of divorce are often victims of circumstance with little to no decision-making power in the process. If their parents decide to sell the family home and both move into a smaller or cheaper place, the child may be forced to change schools. When parents struggle to get along or agree on specific, child-related matters (i.e. what religion the child should practice or where they should go to school) they may be caught in the middle of a long and contentious battle over parenting time issues or the allocation of parental responsibilities.
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