Posted on March 27, 2023 in Divorce

The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory lists the most difficult life changes a person can go through and the relative amount of stress each change causes. Divorce is second from the top of this list. Only the death of a spouse is considered more stressful. It is no wonder that the divorce process can be emotionally and mentally challenging. One way to help ease yourself through this difficult journey is to consider working with a divorce coach. Here are five reasons why you might want to seek out the guidance of a trained professional during your divorce.

Compassionate Emotional Support When You Need it Most

The end of a marriage can cause a range of emotions from sadness to anger, and even numbness. A divorce coach provides an understanding ear as well as practical advice to help you cope with these feelings. While a divorce lawyer helps you with the legal and financial issues surrounding divorce, a divorce coach helps with the psychological and emotional aspects of the split.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on March 21, 2023 in Divorce

If you are getting divorced and your spouse has accused you of domestic violence or abuse, you may not know where to start. Most people getting divorced have little experience in the court system, and they are not sure what to expect or how to handle this challenging situation.

One of the first things you need to do if your spouse accused you of abusing him or her is to secure reliable legal counsel. Your lawyer will be able to provide customized advice specific to your case and ensure that you address these allegations in a way that does not aggravate the situation.

How Accusations of Abuse Can Affect Your Case

Illinois is a no-fault divorce state, so the accusations of abuse will not be listed as grounds for divorce in the divorce petition. Furthermore, Illinois law states that court decisions regarding spousal support or property division will be made without regard to “marital misconduct” such as abuse or infidelity.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on March 14, 2023 in Divorce

Many people are under the assumption that financial wealth will greatly reduce if not eliminate most problems in life. In reality, people with substantial income and assets often face a greater number of complex challenges – especially during divorce. If you are entering into a high-asset divorce, make sure you understand what to expect and how to prepare for these challenges. Because the stakes are so high in a case like this, working with a skilled high-asset divorce attorney is recommended.

Asset Valuation is the First Step

Before you and your spouse can begin to address property division, you must know the full financial picture. Accurate, professional asset valuation is crucial in a high-asset divorce case. Make sure you understand the current value of your stocks, stock options, retirement accounts, real estate, and investments. Do not forget to get appraisals for difficult-to-value assets such as fine art, jewelry, or collectibles.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on March 10, 2023 in Family Law

Visitation or parenting time refers to the time a parent spends caring for his or her child. In Illinois, parenting time is typically divided between unmarried parents or divorced parents. For example, one parent is responsible for the child Monday through Wednesday, while the other parent is responsible for the child Thursday through Sunday.

However, there are situations in which a court may grant visitation to an individual who is not the child’s biological parent. If you are a grandparent, great-grandparent, sibling, or step-parent interested in receiving court-ordered visitation with a child, read on.

Illinois Laws Regarding Visitation for Non-Parents

Family dynamics can be extremely complicated. Some people find themselves in a situation where they are not allowed to see a child who is very important to them. The child may be their grandchild, brother or sister, or even step-child. For example, an intense argument between family members may result in a parent refusing to let the child see certain family members.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on March 06, 2023 in Divorce

If one thing is certain in life, it is change. People change jobs, get divorced, remarry, and move to new residences. As life events unfold, the circumstances that gave rise to certain court orders may also change. Consequently, some individuals find themselves in need of changes to their divorce decree. When it comes to making modifications after a divorce, modifications are possible in many situations—but not all.

Modifying Child Custody After a Divorce

Your parenting plan outlines each parent's rights and responsibilities regarding the care of your children. When it comes to changing a parenting plan after a divorce, Illinois law allows modifications if it is in the best interests of the child. However, Illinois courts do not want parents changing the parenting plan frequently because this can be hard for children to adjust to. If it has been less than two years since you got divorced or last modified the allocation of parental responsibilities, you can only modify parental responsibilities if the child is in serious risk of harm.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 28, 2023 in Divorce

Some of the major benefits of marriage are the federal tax benefits that come along with being able to file married jointly. When a married couple shares children, the tax credits and exemptions they can claim are usually even higher and are often enough to make a significant difference in a couple’s financial situation in any given year. When a couple gets divorced, however, several questions about taxes and children arise. Unlike most questions about taxes, getting the answers to these questions is not always a simple matter of consulting an accountant because certain issues require making decisions in advance and with the approval of a court.

Which Parent Can Claim a Child as a Dependent?

Only one parent can claim a child as a tax dependent in any given year and wrongfully claiming a child as a dependent can land a parent in serious trouble with the IRS. This means it is important to proactively make an agreement with your ex during the divorce process and it is equally important to stick to the agreement, even if you dislike it. Parents may decide to switch off years during which one parent can claim all children as dependents, divide the children between themselves so each parent claims a child or two every year, or simply have one parent claim all the children every year.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 22, 2023 in Division of Property

Getting divorced is a complex process with many moving parts. Each of these parts - such as child custody, alimony, and asset division - has subsequent pieces of its own that require careful attention and management throughout the divorce process. Of all the things that must be decided during divorce, asset division has the potential to have the most long-term consequences, as the financial future of a divorcing couple can be highly influenced by the outcome of their property division agreement. This means assessing the correct value of assets is essential, and, because the family home is often the most valuable asset a couple owns together, an accurate home appraisal is necessary. 

How Do We Get Ready to Have Our House Appraised? 

A professional appraiser will come to your house, look at its interior and exterior, compare it to other homes in the area that have recently sold or are up for sale, and estimate the value of your home accordingly. You can influence the value of your home by preparing for the appraisal process by: 

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 21, 2023 in Division of Property

For many married couples, student loans are an inevitable part of life. Getting an education is an incredibly expensive investment, and when a couple gets married before or during one or both spouses’ years in school, student loans may be taken on during the marriage. But what happens to such a significant amount of debt when a couple decides to get divorced? While the spouse whose education was paid for using student loans may seem like the natural person to take on responsibility for the loans, allocating student debt actually depends on a number of factors.

Who is Responsible for Student Loans in a Divorce?

Illinois law requires divorcing spouses to fairly divide their assets and debts. Fairly does not necessarily mean equally, however, and this is where the details really matter when it comes to student loans. Illinois courts prefer couples to create an asset and debt division agreement without intervention from a judge, but this is not always possible. Even when it is possible, both spouses need to make sure they understand the law, because a judge will need to review any proposed asset and debt division for fairness and equity. Some factors that will need to be considered include:

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 16, 2023 in Child Support

For most parents in Illinois, paying child support is an obligation that ends once a child turns 18 or graduates from high school. However, for other parents, child support can continue for several years or even indefinitely. It is important to know when child support can be ordered after a child reaches legal adulthood so you can financially prepare yourself for any obligations you may have, as well as ensure that your child’s needs are met throughout their life.

Child Support for an Adult Child in College

Illinois is one of the few states that allows judges to order divorced parents to help their children pay for college or trade school. Married parents cannot be ordered to do this, but divorced parents can because of the idea that a child should continue to enjoy the standard of living she would have expected had her parents stayed married. For some families, this includes assistance with college tuition, although judges are not obligated to order parents to pay their child’s educational expenses.

Continue Reading ››

 Posted on February 09, 2023 in Divorce

Few people get married with the expectation that they will eventually get divorced. However, even after several decades of marriage, life can bring insurmountable challenges that completely change our expectations of what we thought the future would hold.

This is especially true for people who suffer from degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s or Pick’s Disease. Even if a marriage was rock solid before signs of dementia began setting in, the way that the brain’s essential functions break down with neurodegenerative diseases can quickly make a quality relationship impossible. People who have degenerative brain disease can become very difficult to live with because they may get lost, become aggressive, or even forget how to do simple things like get out of bed and dress themselves. When a degenerative brain disease progresses to the point where a couple can no longer function as a whole, the healthy partner may consider divorce.

Continue Reading ››