The holiday season is a painful reminder of loss and the absence of people no longer in your life. Recovery from divorce or other loss is more challenging during the holidays. As the season is upon us, be mindful of your feelings.
Here are some suggestions to help those transitioning during this challenging time:
1.) Start New Traditions
You no longer are obligated to participate in traditions that were important to your partner or your partner’s family. Let go. You have the opportunity to start new traditions, whether by yourself, with your dog, or alone with your children. It’s not…
Continue Reading Holidays and Divorce: When the Holidays aren’t so Jolly

Escaping an abusive relationship can be a difficult and scary situation. Victims of domestic abuse are often afraid to speak out, and many have trouble finding the resources they need. Fortunately, spousal abuse claims are taken very seriously by family courts, which means that the most important thing a victim can do is act as soon as possible.
Take the Necessary Measures Right Away
If you are the victim of violent domestic abuse, your safety is of the utmost importance. Call the police if you are in any immediate danger. From there, contact your local domestic violence relief agency, such…
Continue Reading Divorcing an Abusive Spouse

Divorce can be difficult and stressful under the best of circumstances. Domestic violence–or even allegations of domestic violence–can trigger additional issues and challenges. If you are the victim of domestic violence, you may need a protective order before or at the same time you file for divorce, to secure temporary possession of your home and protect against any backlash the divorce petition may trigger.
On the other hand, there are aspects of a divorce case that are largely unchanged in a case involving domestic violence. Of course, the best source of information about how domestic violence may impact your Illinois…
Continue Reading Domestic Violence and Divorce in Illinois

I recently wrote about the options for dividing, disposing of, or continuing to operate a business that was owned jointly by a divorcing couple. But, that’s just one of many scenarios that may arise when a business or interest in a business is at issue in a divorce case. 
Here are the key questions in play when one spouse wholly or partially owns the business: 
Is the business a marital asset? 
The general rule is that an asset acquired during the marriage is a marital asset, and an asset one party owned prior to the marriage is not–even if…
Continue Reading Dividing Assets When One Spouse Owns a Business

Sharing parenting time can be a challenge, even when both parents live in the same town. Distance, of course, makes splitting time and exchanging children even more complicated. When the parents live in different states, there may be added legal issues and procedural requirements, as well. 
Practical Issues in Interstate Custody Cases
One obvious challenge in most interstate cases is the way travel time and expense may limit the options for parenting time. Of course, these limitations have more to do with distance than with state lines. When one parent lives in Elgin and the other in Lake Geneva, the…
Continue Reading Parenting Across State Lines

Divorce When You Share a Business
Division of assets in a divorce can be a difficult and contentious process under any circumstances. When there’s a business in the mix, the stakes are often higher and the process even more complicated.
The options for divorcing business owners vary depending on several factors, such as: 

• Whether one party owned the business prior to the marriage
• How the business is structured and owned
• Whether there are outside owners of the business
• Whether there is a prenuptial agreement in effect
• Whether there is a buy-sell agreement

Even within a category, the answer may not…
Continue Reading Navigating Divorce When You Share a Business

In recognition of the World Narcissistic Abuse Awareness Day on June 1st.
Life with a malignant narcissist is crippling. 
These cads chip away at your self worth and confidence every day. Like a slow-growing cancer, you often don’t recognize the danger until it’s too late. They always blame you even when it’s not your fault. After being told daily that you are worthless (both directly and indirectly), it’s hard not to believe it.   
At the same time, these scoundrels make you believe that they are invincible and that only woe comes to those who cross them. Their preferred tool…
Continue Reading Stare down the Serpent: A Guide for Divorcing a Narcissist

For most, their home is the single most valuable asset of the marriage. But did you know that in Illinois, if one owns a house prior to marriage, it is considered his or her non-marital property? Upon divorce, the owning spouse takes back the entire asset (including all the equity accumulated during the marriage).
Whether you are already married to somebody who owned a home before the marriage or are planning to marry somebody who currently owns a home, you have a few options to protect yourself:
• If you have not yet married, use a prenuptial agreement to protect…
Continue Reading Residential Roulette: Marital Claims to Non-Marital Real Estate

Note that I have framed the title of this article in the negative: how to lose a custody case, rather than how to win one. Why is this? It is because there are no sure-fire ways to achieve a successful result in a child custody case. There are, however, ways you can assuredly lose one. Here are ten examples of how to “lose” a child custody case:
 
1.) Treat your children as extensions of yourself rather than as individuals. Some parents are so narcissistic they consider their children only as extensions of themself. It’s not always about you! The…
Continue Reading 10 Ways to Lose a Child Custody Case

After we stabilize the family through temporary agreements or court orders, we work to develop an action plan to move forward. 
Child Custody Issues
Before tackling the financial issues, we must first determine whether there are any contested issues involving the children. Courts require parents to try to develop a joint parenting plan. The parenting plan reflects the parenting arrangements to be implemented after the judge approves the parenting plan during the divorce. Most parenting plans include(s):

• a parenting schedule for ordinary and holiday time
• the division of responsibility for decision making for the children and 
• other terms of how

…
Continue Reading Show and Tell: Pulling Back the Curtain Part Two

What is it that we do when you entrust your divorce case to us?
Most are unaware of the ways their lawyer works for them “behind the scenes.” I am writing this article to shine a light on what we do to help our clients through this difficult time.
The GO Meeting
When you retain our firm, we schedule a GO Meeting with you. During this meeting, you can ask questions, and we invite your input with the initial planning. We treat you as one of the team throughout the case.
Go stands for “Goals and Objectives.” During the GO…
Continue Reading Your Divorce: Pulling Back The Curtain Part One