Why You Can Be Thankful for a Divorce

 Posted on March 06, 2014 in Divorce

People often view their divorce in a negative light, and that reflex makes a lot of sense. Divorce is, after all, an ending, and the process can be painful at times. But, divorces also have many positive aspects for which you can be thankful.

A divorce can be a freeing experience, it can decrease your stress level, and it can help you get a fresh financial start. While it is impossible to control the varying emotions that you may experience during the divorce process, it may be helpful to at least consider the positive aspects. Mentally reviewing some of the possible benefits of divorce can be helpful, especially during more stressful and contentious separations.

More Freedom

One of the biggest benefits to flow from a divorce is the freedom that comes with it. Relationships, even healthy ones, are built on compromises. Everything from which house you live in to what takeout place you order from becomes a two person decision. While such compromises are an important part of relationships, many people enjoy the freedom of no longer having to make them. After a divorce, people can find themselves redecorating rooms, reconnecting with old friends, and rediscovering hobbies that had fallen by the wayside during the marriage.

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The Cost of a Divorce Lawyer in Illinois

 Posted on March 04, 2014 in Divorce

One question that weighs heavily on most people’s minds during the divorce process is, “how much is this going to cost me?” Unfortunately, that question does not have an easy answer. Divorces can be unpredictable, and their cost depends upon a variety of elements. But, just because a bottom-line figure can be difficult to reach, does not mean that you need to stay completely in the dark on costs. There are many common factors that affect divorce costs, and keeping them in mind can help you stay in control of your legal bills.

 Legal Fees

Legal fees often form the core of a divorce’s cost, but they can vary quite widely from lawyer to lawyer. The first issue to understand is the structure of attorney’s fees. Often attorneys break their fees down into two sections, the retainer and the hourly fee. The retainer is an up-front fee that some attorneys charge. They can vary widely depending on the attorney’s discretion and area, and range from around $2,000 to $10,000 or higher. Additionally, some attorneys make their retainers refundable under certain circumstances, while others choose not to.

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How to Tell Your Friends and Family about Your Divorce

 Posted on February 28, 2014 in Divorce

When getting divorced, people often have a difficult time making it public. Deciding whom to tell, what to tell them, and how to go about it can be a complicated process. Everyone in this situation has individual relationships and issues with which to deal, but there are some strategies and tactics that can apply to a wide variety of scenario.

Telling Friends and Family

One of the first things to do when telling friends and family about your divorce is to figure out how close you are to them and how much they need to know. What you should tell a sibling or close friend about your divorce is probably quite different from what you should tell your boss. Once you know what you want to say, sit them down and tell them directly. A long lead-in to a conversation only serves to make people nervous.

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Answers to Common Questions about Divorce in Illinois

 Posted on February 27, 2014 in Divorce

Divorce can be a complex process, and, now that it is becoming increasingly commonplace, rumors and misinformation can confuse people as they consider filing. Of course, every individual’s situation is unique, and many specific questions should be cleared up in consultation with a lawyer. But, some more general questions, such as “what gets divided in the divorce process?”, or “what are the differences between fault and no-fault divorce?”, have common answers.

What Gets Decided in the Divorce Process?

While each divorce can present a variety of issues, some decisions the court will eventually make probably include child custody, visitation rights, child support, spousal support (alimony), and property division. However, the court may not need to decide all of these issues, especially if the spouses can come to agreements out of court beforehand.

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Three Tips for Choosing the Right Divorce Attorney

 Posted on February 25, 2014 in Divorce

Individuals thinking about filing for divorce may find the whole process intimidating. Fortunately, no one has to go through it on their own. A Wheaton divorce attorney can guide you through the complicated divorce process. This makes choosing the right divorce attorney for you an important decision, as the correct choice can make all the difference between a relatively painless process and a drawn-out battle.

If you invest time in the beginning, it can come back with interest in the future in the form of an easier separation. Make sure you do your research, conduct interviews with potential attorneys, and watch out for warning signs.

 Do Your Research

 Doing the research now can save you major headaches later, and there are several things you should look into. One of the first steps is for you to look into how to hire a lawyer in general, and what you should focus on when making the decision. You may want to pay attention to how legal licensing works, or the different types of fee structures that attorneys might charge, both of which can be researched by contacting the Illinois State Bar Association.

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Planning Your First Meeting with a Divorce Attorney

 Posted on February 23, 2014 in Divorce

Considering a divorce can be a stressful experience, and it is natural to feel a little nervous before your first meeting with your divorce attorney. But, you are not alone, as every year, thousands of people in Illinois find themselves in the same situation. And, as with many things in life, preparation can make all the difference.

If you prepare well for your first meeting with a divorce attorney, you can walk confidently into their office and move forward with everything as smoothly and painlessly as possible. Proper preparation involves gathering paperwork together, and these are a few things to bring that may help you with your first meeting: a list of questions and concerns for the attorney, financial documents to help the attorney understand your assets, and a brief story of your marriage.

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New Illinois Law Takes Child Support from Casino Winnings

 Posted on February 20, 2014 in Child Support

The state of Illinois has a new tool for collecting delinquent child support. A new law requires casinos and racetracks to withhold the winnings of gamblers found to owe child support in the state of Illinois. The law is part of a growing trend across the country, with multiple states, including Indiana and Colorado, already having such laws in place. The legislature passed the law in the hopes that it would bring down the nearly $3 billion in unpaid child support that Illinois currently has on the books. Legislators expect the law to generate up to $1 million in its first year alone.

The law puts in place a system by which certain wins at the casino or racetrack can be analyzed for collection purposes. If a person wins more than $1200 dollars at a casino, or more than $600 on a two dollar bet at a racetrack, then the winnings become eligible for collection. The legislature chose these amounts as the baseline, as they also act as the threshold for declaring gambling winnings on a tax form in order to collect them. If the gambler’s winnings qualify, then the casino will enter the winner’s information into a computer system, which will check it against the state’s delinquent child support rolls. If the computer notifies the casino or racetrack that the winner owes back child support payments, then the law requires the casino to seize the winnings.

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Study Identifies the Cultural Effects of Divorce on Daughters

 Posted on February 17, 2014 in Child Custody

While a parental divorce can be a struggle for most children, a study from the University of California at Berkeley identified that in our culture, daughters tend to suffer disproportionately. This happens because, according to the study, marriages with firstborn daughters tend to end in divorce more often than marriages with firstborn sons, all else holding equal.

The paper reports that the chances of a firstborn girl living without a father are 3.1 percent higher than a firstborn boy, which, they say, is a difference of approximately 5,000 girls a year. This increase in divorce among the parents of daughters can cause long term problems if both parents do not take steps to avoid them.

Why the Difference?

While the study did not delve deeply into the causes of the gender difference, the study’s authors put forward three possible theories to explain the gender gap. The first theory is a simple preference of parents towards sons. If parents or even just fathers prefer having male children, then it would keep the family happier, and consequently reduce incidences of divorce. But, the authors also provided two alternative, non-gender-biased explanations for the difference.

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New Year's Divorce Spikes

 Posted on February 14, 2014 in Divorce

People often look at the New Year as a chance for a fresh start. This viewpoint manifests itself in many ways, from new diets to renewed job hunts, and by even affecting divorce rates. While sources disagree over the exact numbers, January and February see the most divorce filings in the United States, as people start to put their plans in motion. Interestingly, no one is quite sure exactly what causes people to hold off until the start of the year to file for divorce, but, anecdotally, it may be a combination of several factors.

 One factor that people commonly mention is that New Year's often provokes self reflection. At the end of a year, people naturally look back on it to evaluate how it went and what they would improve. The same impetus that drives people to craft New Year's resolutions drives them to evaluate their relationships, and in the process many decide that divorce is the right answer.

The holidays also stand out as one of the greatest reasons for the flood of divorces at the start of the year. Some people say that they make the decision to divorce prior to the holidays, but choose to hold off in order to preserve the sense of normality through that time of year, a thought process that is especially common in families with children still at home. Alternatively, the holidays can also act as the final straw that causes a divorce. Many people experience an increase in stress during that time of year resulting from added financial pressure and other demands of the season. That extra stress can combine with the prolonged proximity to one's family to act as a catalyst for a divorce that may have been building for some time.

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Relocation and Child Custody: When Crossing State Lines Crosses the Line

 Posted on February 12, 2014 in Child Custody

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