Being married to a narcissist can feel like being caught in the web of a spider. Often, narcissists are skilled at hiding their narcissistic traits from outsiders, and they may even appear charming and polite to those who do not know them as well as their spouse would. Or, your friends and family may have quickly come to comprehend the true nature of your spouse. Indeed, social supports are of vital importance while you are in the process of undoing your marital entanglements with your narcissist spouse. There may be significant challenges on your path to a divorce decree, particularly…
Continue Reading How to Divorce a Narcissist

Divorce litigation can be a stressful affair. The hearings may go on for weeks or even months depending on the particular issues of the case. Those going through a high-asset divorce may be in and out of the courtroom for more than a year. Substantial evidence may need to be gathered, including financial records, bank statements, deeds, and more. Litigation is not an expedient method of divorce. The unpleasantness and inconvenience of litigating a divorce drive many spouses, including those who are far from amicable, to resolve their divorces through the use of cooperative divorce techniques such as mediation. 
However,…
Continue Reading 3 Good Reasons to Litigate Your Divorce

Divorce can be complicated even for spouses who share very little marital property. When part of your marital or shared property is a business, ownership interests and other rights regarding the business will need to be divided in an equitable manner. There are a lot of considerations that must be taken into account when dividing a business incident to high-asset divorce. For example, you may consider whether one of you owned the business solely prior to marriage, or if one of you does a majority of the work in managing the company’s day-to-day operations.
Business valuation is likely to…
Continue Reading Divorce for Family Business Owners

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your children if you are in an abusive marriage is to get out and file for divorce. It is a well-settled fact that spousal abuse tends to get worse over time rather than improving. Quite a few people who are facing spousal abuse have not yet identified that what their spouse is doing to them is a form of abuse. While hitting or hurting a spouse is always abuse, there are many different types of spousal abuse. If your spouse is engaged in any form of abuse, your…
Continue Reading Recognizing the Various Forms of Spousal Abuse

In a perfect world, divorcing couples would agree to go their separate ways after a calm, even-handed negotiation over property division, spousal support, and child custody. Doing so would save everyone from the time, money, and emotional distress that are spent in spades on divorce courtroom litigation. 
Illinois courts recognize the importance of trying to negotiate divorce issues peacefully and will encourage and even mandate some couples to attend mediation in an effort to avoid litigation. Nevertheless, not all divorce trials are avoidable, and sometimes, a court must intervene and make decisions on behalf of a couple. This…
Continue Reading What Can I Expect if My Divorce Goes to Trial? 

While women may be entering the workforce more than ever (and often outearning their spouses in the process), many families still opt to have one parent stay at home while their children are very young. The high cost of childcare, a desire to spend a child’s most tender years together, or a simple lack of available local options may make a stay-at-home parent not only desirable but necessary. 
But there is no question that, especially in unhealthy marriages, a spouse who does not earn an income of her own can be put at a disadvantage when it comes time to…
Continue Reading Five Helpful Tips For Stay-at-Home Moms Getting Divorced in Illinois

Victims of domestic abuse, whether it be physical or emotional, are often afraid to leave their spouses. Unfortunately, research suggests these concerns are well-founded, as victims tend to be at the greatest risk when they try to end an abusive relationship. In cases like this, victims may wonder if they can file for a divorce on their own, without alerting their spouse first. Fortunately, the answer is yes. If you need help filing for divorce in Illinois and are worried about your spouse finding out, our attorneys can discreetly work with you to protect your privacy. 
Attorney-Client Privilege
Many people…
Continue Reading Do I Need to Talk to My Spouse Before Filing For Divorce in Illinois?

Kids may not be so excited for school to start again in the fall, but parents are usually ready to get back to a routine and get bored, fighting kids out of the house. But the back-to-school ritual takes a lot of preparation and this is especially true when divorced parents are coordinating clothing, school supplies, and after-school plans in two different households. 
While it can be normal to feel some trepidation as you approach the school year for the first time since your Illinois divorce, taking the time to plan ahead can go a long way toward preventing…
Continue Reading Four Tips for Co-Parents Getting Back Into a School Routine

Once your divorce was finalized, you probably heaved a huge sigh of relief – while you still have to deal with your ex as you manage your children together, you no longer live under the same roof and deal with your ex’s obnoxious mood swings or annoying habits. Yet you may be surprised by how much time you spend thinking about your ex – if only to make sure that your children are safe in their company. 
For many divorcees, particularly women, the choices their ex makes following a divorce seem clearly not to be in the best interests of…
Continue Reading Do I Have to Let My Kids Spend Time With My Ex’s Friends? 

Any divorce attorney worth their salt will emphasize the importance of strategically planning for your Illinois divorce. Perhaps the most important phase of the entire divorce process, the planning stage begins with collecting accurate information and setting realistic expectations so you and your Illinois divorce attorney can work together as a team. 
Before doing this, however, you actually need to pick an attorney – and with so many options, it can be overwhelming to choose which one is the best for you. Here is a list of five things you can bring to a divorce consultation to ensure you…
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While same-sex marriage is now legal around the United States, the unfortunate reality is that LGBTQ couples can still face challenges during their divorce that straight couples do not. Because establishing parentage of a child of heterosexual parents is usually a matter of straightforward biology for both father and mother, establishing custody of a child is an easier process than it can be when a parent in an LGBTQ couple is not the biological parent of a child. 
Of course, a biological parent-child relationship says nothing about the love a parent shares with a child or a parent’s commitment to…
Continue Reading How Does a Same-Sex Divorce Affect Parental Responsibilities?