Category Archives: Divorce
Finding the Funds for Divorce
When one Geneva, Illinois woman wanted to divorce her spouse but found herself short on the funds necessary to hire an attorney, she turned to a rather unusual source to obtain the money she needed to hire an attorney: crowdfunding. Crowdfunding sites allow users to create a public webpage in which they detail how much money they would like to raise and for what purpose. People who view the page on through the crowdfunding website are then able to donate any amount they see fit toward the particular person and/or cause. In the case of this woman, a short time after she created her crowdfunding page, she had raised nearly one-third of the money she needed to retain an attorney.
Temporary Custody Agreements during Your Divorce Proceeding
Under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, a divorcing parent has the right to seek a temporary custody order for his or her child while he or she works through the divorce process. A divorce can take up to six months to complete from its initial filing to its final settlement. During this time, a temporary custody order provides a framework for the couple’s child’s care and a stable household for him or her until a permanent custody arrangement is developed.
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Reasons for Divorce: Knowing When Divorce is the Best Option for You
It can be overwhelming to think you might be facing the end of your marriage. When you took your vows, you promised to be together for the rest of your lives. But now, months, years or even decades later, you find yourself unable to relate to your partner and ultimately, unhappy in your marriage. You are not a failure. Your partner is not a failure. People change as they mature and sometimes, spouses make mistakes that break their marriages beyond repair. When you are at this point in your marriage, it is often healthiest for all parties involved for you to seek a divorce.
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Orders of Protection: Legal Protection When You Need It
If you are a victim of domestic violence or constant harassment from your current or former partner, you can obtain an order of protection to protect yourself from him or her. An order of protection is a court-ordered set of rules regarding how an individual may interact with the individual who sought the order. It is a criminal offense to violate this set of rules. If you feel that you need to file for an order of protection from your spouse or another member of your household, contact an experienced attorney to learn more about what such an order can and cannot do.
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A Glossary of Divorce Terms
Divorce is a common legal process that many couples will have to go through. However, as with many legal proceedings, the terminology can often form an unnecessary obstacle to people’s understanding it. This glossary of divorce terms should help people cut through the legal jargon to understand what is going on in their own divorce case.
Child Support Modification in Illinois
If you can not afford to make your child support payments, do not simply stop paying. Failure to pay your child support can lead to fines, loss of your driver’s license, wage garnishment and other monetary seizures, and even jail time. As a parent, you are legally required to financially provide for your child.
The Blended Family: A New Post-Divorce Dynamic
Following a divorce, many individuals are anxious to put their previous relationship behind them and move forward. For some, this may mean reestablishing themselves as a single person and dating casually. Others may find themselves in another serious romantic relationship and heading toward remarriage. As with many aspects of a post-divorce situation, remarriage can present an interesting combination of emotions and experiences to those involved, especially for children and divorced parents with any type of shared custody arrangement. These emotions can intensify with the prospect of blended family situations, as well.
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How to Prepare for a Child Custody Evaluation
When you are going through a divorce, the prospect of having to set up a child custody arrangement can seem daunting. You might worry about an outside evaluator meeting with you to ask you questions about your home, your lifestyle, and your relationship with your child, then deciding where your child should live. This is a very simplified view of the child custody evaluation process and in most cases, you will have plenty of opportunity to provide a detailed account of your parenting style and work with your former spouse and the evaluator to develop a custody arrangement that meets your child’s needs.
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Child Support: The Legal Process
If you have a child or children, you are required by law to support child until the child reaches the age of majority. The amount of child support you are required to pay must be reviewed and subsequently approved by a court of law. Once a judge approves the amount of child support obligation the non-custodial parent owes, the judge will put that amount into a judicial order. This judicial order is recorded and the determined amount must be paid. If a non-custodial parent fails to pay his or her child support obligation, he or she may be held in civil contempt, where he or she can be arrested until he or she “purges,” or pays, a specified amount of past due support.
Co-Parents: Common Mistakes Divorced Parents Make and How to Avoid Them
Many divorced parent can attest that their divorce was a difficult process. Even the most amicable situations still carry a level of stress and distrust between spouses, and often, the total upheaval of the life of their children. During a divorce, feelings of bitterness and betrayal are frequently most acute, and their effects may last for months and years. For divorcing parents, who now have to co-parent, it is extremely important to avoid projecting such emotions onto the children, regardless of intention.
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