Are All Divorces the Same?
Posted on January 09, 2025 in Divorce
Although many people go through divorce, and although many of them share similar feelings and experiences, divorce is a complicated process and can go many different ways. It may be tempting to assume that just because a friend of yours had a bitter, angry divorce that dragged on for years, you may be facing a similar process. Likewise, the fact that a favorite celebrity was able to negotiate a mindful separation from their spouse and that approach makes sense to you does not mean your spouse will necessarily agree.
The truth is that it is almost impossible to know what your divorce will look like before having careful conversations with your spouse and with your attorney. Some spouses make these conversations easier, while others make them impossible. Rest assured that whatever your situation may be, there is a path towards ending your marriage. At Andrew Cores Family Law Group, our Illinois divorce lawyers will help you understand the factors that could affect your divorce.
What is the Nature of Your Relationship With Your Spouse?
Perhaps the factor that has the most power to affect the outcome of your divorce is the tone of the relationship with your spouse. Because divorce has lost much of the social stigma that it used to have, many couples are now able to acknowledge that they are not a good fit and that everybody would be better served by ending the relationship as peacefully as possible.
In other situations, one spouse may passionately feel as though divorce is not the right choice, while yet others will become raging and abusive when the topic of divorce is even broached. Your relationship with your spouse will strongly influence the path forward in your divorce.
Do You Share Minor Children?
Another factor that greatly affects the tone and process of a divorce is whether you share minor children with your spouse and what you each feel is the best arrangement for the children. Understandably, fights over child custody and visitation are often the worst part of a divorce, and some couples may use their children as tools to punish each other without even realizing it.
Even if you and your spouse have a good relationship, complicated problems have to be solved when it comes to young kids. Which parent will they stay with, and when? How will changes to the schedule be managed? What happens if one parent goes out of town during their visitation time? Will someone pay child support? All of these questions need to be answered before a divorce can be finalized.
What Does Your Marital Estate Look Like?
Your marital estate is just another way to describe the savings, debts, properties, investments, and other assets you share with your spouse. Some couples have very little of either assets or debt, and this part of the divorce will be fairly straightforward for them. Others may have a high net worth, own a business, or strongly disagree about how much of a particular asset belongs to one spouse or the other.
Your unique financial picture will have a major impact on the direction of your divorce, including how long it takes and how much it costs. The good news is that most divorces are not litigated in court anymore; the bad news may be that you now have to solve these issues in mediation with your spouse.
Call Our Wheaton, IL Divorce Attorneys
The type of divorce you need will depend on the many factors that could influence the negotiations and outcome. To learn more about the things you need to have a plan for, contact a Naperville, IL divorce attorney with Andrew Cores Family Law Group today. We offer free consultations so you can meet our team and decide whether our services are right for you. Call 630-871-1002 today.
