Posted on February 28, 2024 in Divorce

There are several ways people can end their marriage. Some people settle their divorce through litigation, some have an uncontested divorce, and some can work out all the aspects of their divorce settlement through mediation. Mediation often allows for a marriage to be legally ended with less stress and lower costs. However, it is not suitable for all scenarios. If you are wondering whether divorce mediation is the right method for you, speak with a knowledgeable Arlington Heights, IL divorce lawyer to find out more.

When Is Mediation Unsuitable?

When a couple decides to try to settle their divorce through mediation, they need to communicate in a clear and honest way and express what they truly want. The mediator passes questions, information, answers, and any other messages between the two spouses until they ultimately reach a mutually acceptable agreement.  with the media Mediation is not advisable under certain circumstances, including:

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 Posted on February 13, 2024 in Divorce

Whenever parents get a divorce, it can be a challenging time for children regardless of the circumstances. Often, when thinking about children in divorce, people picture younger children in custody disputes, questions about parenting time, and the logistics involved for parents needing to figure out who will get them to and from their homes, school, playdates, and other after-school activities. However, when the children in a divorce are teenagers, it can be challenging as well. Since adolescence is a formative time in child development, some parents might avoid divorce even if they are in an unhappy marriage, simply to limit the turbulence their children will go through in those years. If you have teenagers and are in an unhappy marriage, a compassionate Arlington Heights, IL divorce lawyer can offer important guidance.

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 Posted on February 09, 2024 in Child Custody

Divorce proceedings are a time for spouses to figure out all the ways that their formerly merged lives will now continue apart. For parents, this includes arrangements for how their children will be raised in the future by their unmarried parents. Divorce settlements generally reflect the parents’ circumstances at the time of the divorce, but if those circumstances change, a parent might wish to modify their settlement. For example, if you are in a much better place than you were at the time your divorce was being finalized, a conversation about divorce settlement modification with a knowledgeable Arlington Heights, IL child custody lawyer might be extremely helpful for you.

What Is Parenting Time?

What we commonly refer to as custody or visitation is legally known by the State of Illinois as parenting time. This term describes the time that a child is physically with and under the care of either parent. In most Illinois divorce cases, even if one parent has primary custody, both will be granted some amount of parenting time. The actual decision about who the child is with and when is calculated after considering several factors, including:

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 Posted on January 31, 2024 in Divorce

Divorce can be a complicated process to go through. Two people who at one time thought they would spend the rest of their lives together need to go through the emotional pain of a breakup while also working together to form a divorce settlement. They need to agree on all the ways their formally-merged lives will now be separate. 

When a couple has a high asset divorce, complications increase. Since the amounts being discussed are much larger than average, any division of property or assets makes the stakes feel even higher. If you and your spouse share marital wealth and you are concerned about how you might be left financially after a divorce, a knowledgeable Arlington Heights, IL high asset divorce attorney can answer your questions and advocate passionately for your rights.

What Exactly Is a High Asset Divorce?

While high asset divorce is when a couple with considerable wealth - in the form of assets, property, and finances - ends their marriage, there is no official set of conditions that define it. A general amount used for determining whether a divorce is considered high asset or not is if at least one spouse has at least a million dollars in assets. In some cases, one spouse has considerable individual wealth and the other does not. In other cases, both spouses are wealthy. In either case, the scope of assets that need to be divided poses challenges.

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 Posted on January 13, 2024 in Divorce

If you are not a lawyer or have never been through a divorce yourself, chances are you are not familiar with all the divorce-related terminology. On top of that, some official terms describe things that are commonly known by another name. This article will include explanations of some of the most common terms that come up during divorce proceedings between parents. If you are considering divorce and would like to speak with someone who has experience and knowledge in the topic, an Arlington Heights, IL divorce lawyer can help.

Parenting Time

Parenting time is one of the most common topics for debate when parents go through a divorce, but the term that most people know it by is visitation. Parenting time refers to the time when the child is with the parent. This includes which nights the child sleeps with which parent, which holidays they spend with them, what happens during school vacations, and more. Generally speaking, in the State of Illinois both parents are granted some amount of parenting time. Even if one parent gets primary custody, the other one will be given some time to spend with their child unless they pose a risk to them.

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 Posted on January 05, 2024 in Divorce

When a couple enters divorce proceedings, there are many decisions they need to make. Will one of them pay the other alimony? How will they split any art or jewelry they accumulated during their marriage? If one is covered by the other’s insurance, what will happen after the divorce? Something that commonly comes up and can be complicated to figure out is what will happen with the family home. If you and your spouse will be getting divorced and you are not sure what will happen with your home, an Arlington Heights, IL property division attorney can offer you information in guidance.

What Options Do I Have?

When a couple gets a divorce, there are several options for what to do with their home: 

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 Posted on December 27, 2023 in Family Law

A prenuptial agreement is not a rare concept. A lot of people are familiar with the term and even if they do not know the specifics, they know what it generally represents: a sort of contract between two people who are about to get married, explaining how their assets will be divided in the hypothetical chance that they end up getting a divorce. It can be compared to a will: people do not like to think about their death but are willing to do so to eliminate any disputes that could otherwise come up between whoever they leave behind and to remove any doubt about what should happen with their assets. Similarly, most couples planning a wedding would rather not think about the possibility of their marriage not working out, but some are willing to experience that discomfort for the sake of their future peace of mind.

However, the preference to not think about a negative future involving divorce is strong enough for some couples that they never sign a prenuptial agreement. With time, though, once they have settled into their marriage, they might regret this and realize that an agreement signed before divorce is even relevant can help their peace of mind. For such couples, a postnuptial agreement can be an excellent option. If you are already married and wondering whether a postnuptial agreement might be a good idea for you and your spouse, a knowledgeable Arlington Heights, IL family law attorney can answer your questions and help with this decision.

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 Posted on December 12, 2023 in Divorce

Something that never used to be taken into account during divorce proceedings and now has an important role to play is how the soon-to-be-ex spouses conduct themselves on their various social media profiles. Social networks are increasingly important in people’s lives, as their uses have expanded to connecting with old friends, sharing milestones, professional networking, meeting potential dates, collaborating, and more. The issue is that regardless of whatever privacy settings you think you have put in place, whatever you post online is accessible to the entire world, and that can have implications for your divorce settlement. If you are considering divorce and find yourself wondering whether you need to make any changes to your social media conduct, an Arlington Heights, IL divorce lawyer can clear up any confusion you may have and help you create a plan of action for going forward.

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 Posted on December 05, 2023 in Child Custody

If you are a parent and are heading toward a divorce, you probably have a lot of questions about how you and your spouse will divide parental rights and responsibilities. Since there is no uniform way for custody to be decided and every divorce is different, it would be legitimate for you to be feeling some uncertainty at this time. Have no fear. An experienced Arlington Heights, IL family lawyer will be able to clear up your confusion and create a plan to zealously fight for your rights.

What Is Considered Legal Custody?

What is commonly known as legal custody is referred to in the State of Illinois as parental responsibilities. This term covers parents’ rights to make decisions that concern their children in the following spheres:

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 Posted on November 29, 2023 in Divorce

When both spouses going through a divorce have lucrative careers, the financial implications of their divorce may not seem so significant. They have both contributed to their bank accounts and marital assets and both would easily be able to make a case for why they deserve recognition for this in their divorce settlement, in the form of financial arrangements. However, when one spouse works and the other manages household responsibilities, it may be stressful for the latter to consider divorce and all the financial implications it could present. If you are a stay-at-home parent and you worry how divorce would affect your finances, an Arlington Heights, IL divorce attorney can answer your questions and passionately advocate for a divorce settlement you can be satisfied with.

How Does Equitable Division Help a Stay-At-Home Parent?

When a couple first starts dating, they might both have promising careers. They may both have studied and gotten specific degrees to prepare them for their professions and in the years they worked until they met, they may have been able to give everything to their jobs, staying overtime and dedicating themselves to their employers’ success.

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