Divorce doesn’t just happen for no reason. Very few people end their marriage despite no problems in their relationship. Something must be going very wrong for one or both spouses to decide it’s over. This could be something out of both spouses’ control, like a personality conflict or a realization that they are no longer in love. Or maybe one spouse had an affair, lied about money, abandoned the household or was abusive. Maybe both spouses did things that drove each other away. Blame and responsibility might matter when it comes to emotionally processing your divorce and learning from it. But ..read more

Make no mistake; even in the best of times, life with a narcissist is never a walk in the park. Throw relationship differences into the mix and things can quickly escalate from bad to worse.  Basically, a narcissist tends to exhibit a sense of entitlement, grandiosity and a lack of empathy. And as you can imagine, these among other traits, can make divorcing one an emotionally-draining experience, to say the least.  If you find yourself in a position where you have to divorce a narcissist, it is in your best interest that you come up with a game plan. Here are three helpful tips that ..read more

The procedures involved in a divorce can be complicated. And one of them is property division, which leads to most conflicts between soon-to-be ex-spouses. Your spouse may hide assets to prevent them from being subjected to division, which is unfair. Thus, it’s crucial to pay attention to the documents they submit. Here is how you can tell your spouse is hiding assets: Differences in your lists You and your spouse should list your marital assets. Your lists should be similar – any difference should alarm you. However, they may have forgotten a property or don’t believe it qualifies as a marita ..read more

Technology can play a significant role in facilitating responsible co-parenting and enhancing communication and coordination between co-parents.  Utilizing technology can also help co-parents to document any violations of their rights and/or the terms of their parenting plan.  Co-parenting technology can help Dedicated co-parenting technology has emerged in recent years to assist co-parents in managing their responsibilities and improving communication. These tools offer a range of features designed to promote responsible co-parenting: Shared Calendars and Scheduling: Co-parenting ap ..read more

If you haven’t already begun planning for your children’s summer childcare, now is the time to do so. While it may seem far away, the reality is schools will close for the summer soon. If you and the kids’ other parent share custody, that can mean hustling to find responsible childcare while you work and exercise your custody rights. You think you finally found the perfect childcare provider. But then your ex wants to have veto power over your childcare choices. Do they have that right? Review your parenting plan Unless you have a custody order in place that specifically states that one parent ..read more

Divorce is complex. One wrong move and you could end up in a legal battle. To avoid this, you may need to be aware of the following ways a mistake can make your divorce harder: Dating before the divorce is settled Many people see comfort during a divorce. They may try to fix this by dating again. However, dating before a divorce is settled could create issues. For example, if your soon-to-be-ex-spouse discovers that you’re dating, they may feel hurt or betrayed and try to make the divorce process harder Refusing to talk to your spouse It’s easy to get angry, frustrated and annoyed at your soon ..read more

Every divorce can be complicated due to the emotions and critical procedures involved. However, high-asset ones can be more complex. The divorce process may be similar to other cases, but the technicalities involved make it different. This guide discusses why high-asset divorces can be complex. More properties Property division in high-asset divorces can be demanding. You have more assets to categorize and evaluate, which may take time. Thus, being in a hurry should not be an option in this divorce type. You should allow your team to get accurate values of each asset to avoid costly mistakes ..read more

Some divorcing couples – particularly those without children – find that their greatest source of conflict during the process is who will assume ownership of a beloved pet. They may both love their “fur baby” and want it to stay in their lives. One spouse may consider themselves the primary caregiver who handles most of the vet appointments, grooming, walking and other responsibilities. Finally, in some cases, one spouse will fight to keep the pet just to hurt the other. How Illinois law addresses pets during divorce Fortunately, Illinois is one of few states that consider pets to be more than ..read more

Property division is vital in a divorce process. In Illinois, any property acquired during a marriage and before the official judgment of separation is considered marital property. Thus, it’s subject to division. Illinois is an equitable distribution state. This means that the court won’t split the property 50/50. They will consider certain factors, such as a spouse’s current and future needs, to make fair decisions. However, some mistakes can work to your disadvantage. The following are three property division mistakes to avoid. Not valuing your assets It will help to list all your marital pr ..read more

You may not be aware of just how complex your marital finances are until you decide to get divorced. Depending on the kind of property you own and the financial assets you’ve acquired since you got married, your financial reality could be seemingly inextricably intertwined with your spouse’s. As a result, it is going to be very important for you to approach the process of navigating the disentangling of your finances with great care. You’ll want to start with the basics. If you don’t yet have a bank account in your own name and a credit card that is not tied to your spouse, it is time to put t ..read more