Children of Divorce May Experience Trouble in School
There is no such thing as a “typical divorce,” and there is certainly no such thing as a “typical child of divorce.” Every situation is unique and is the result of a combination of countless variables in the family’s circumstances and relationships. There are, however, certain trends and possibilities of which divorced parents should be aware, as many children of divorce may experience similar challenges. A commonContinue reading
Developing a Sound Divorce Agreement
According to most estimates, somewhere between 90 and 95 percent of all divorces are negotiated outside of the courtroom. The remaining percent, as you might expect, are litigated often causing a high degree of stress and emotion for all involved parties. Of course, even a negotiated divorce can have its challenges, as reaching an agreement is not always easier, especially in contentious situations. The law regarding divorceContinue reading
Finding Happiness After Divorce
For some couples, marriage is an ideal situation. Each spouse is happy, content, and completely fulfilled with the relationship. For many others, however, marriage may be just the opposite. Each spouse may feel trapped, stifled, and suffocated. Divorce, obviously, is never easy, but is often necessary, and can open the door for both spouses in a bad marriage to build a new life, free from theContinue reading
Domestic Violence Affects Men Too
When was the last time you saw a Lifetime movie about a man struggling to escape his abusive wife? Chances are, you may have never seen such a movie. Domestic violence against men is a very difficult to subject to discuss in today’s culture for a number of reasons, but from Hollywood’s perspective, the concept has provided little more than comic relief or as a punchline “ofContinue reading
Non-Parent Visitation: What is Unreasonable Denial?
Under Illinois law, certain family members are permitted to seek visitation privileges with a child, but the privileges will only be granted if specific criteria are met. Unlike the rights of visitation which most non-custodial parents are automatically granted unless there are justifiable reasons not to, legally-recognized visitation must be found to be appropriate by a court with jurisdiction over the case. Who May Petition? According theContinue reading
Durable Power of Attorney in Illinois
Do you have a plan in place for the management of your affairs if you should become incapacitated or unable to make such decisions for yourself? Unfortunately, a great many people have never even considered that possibility, and have no such plan in the event of an unforeseen accident or illness. Making a plan, however, does not need to be long, involved process; it canContinue reading
Contesting a Stepparent Adoption
With remarriage rates at an all-time high, more and more couples are entering into new marital relationships with children from their previous marriages or other relationships. While blended families can certainly be a challenge for many, others quickly adjust to the new reality, establishing healthy, loving bonds between stepparents and stepchildren. Depending on the circumstances of the situation, some stepparents may even look to formallyContinue reading
Spousal Maintenance: The Case of the Stay-at-Home Parent
Whether by necessity or by choice, two-income families are certainly becoming the norm in today’s American society. In some situations, both spouses work hard to balance full-time careers with family responsibilities. In others, one spouse may work full-time while the other picks up part-time jobs to make ends meet, while still tending to the needs of the family and, possibly, children. There is, however, stillContinue reading
Remember to Amend Your Will after Divorce
Do you have a plan for your property and assets in the event of your death? Will your estate be divided among several different beneficiaries, or will most—or all—of it be inherited by your spouse? For many people, leaving everything to their spouse seems like the most logical choice, and in large number of cases, that might be true. But what happens in the eventContinue reading
Drafting Your Own Divorce Settlement
For many couples, divorce is not the acrimonious war so often depicted in television and movies. That is not to say, of course, that contentious divorces do not exist; there are just many more amicable situations than most people would probably expect. In a large number of situations, especially with the proliferation of no-fault divorce, in which both spouses fully agree that divorce is the right optionContinue reading