The most challenging part of the divorce process almost always includes reaching an agreement regarding child custody and responsibility arrangements. No parent enjoys discussing a topic that includes a period of absence from their child’s life. For Illinois residents, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act favors the idea that a child ultimately benefits from the involvement of both parents in their life. If the court determines it is in the best interest of the child, parents may enjoy sharing time with their children every few days or every other week. On the other hand, …

Divorce is a messy business, no matter the situation and specific details. Although avenues are available that make the process more amicable, it is no easy feat separating a marital union into two separate lives. Some cases have fewer factors for consideration, such as those with a short duration, no kids, and a little marital property. Once you begin piling on the elements and building a life together, the process becomes complicated. Every divorcing couple has a lot to lose, but high asset divorce accompanies other uncommon difficulties. Although the divorce process is the same, regardless…

Views of marriage and divorce vary around the world and in different cultural communities. The Western world idolizes and glamorizes the notion of two individuals falling in love and finding their “happily ever after.” Meanwhile, many Asian, African, South American, and Middle Eastern communities prefer the practice of arranged marriages. This method of creating a union has been practiced for thousands of years for cultural, familial, convenience and economic reasons. Although it is believed that these unions build a more stable foundation, they too sometimes result in divorce. No matter…

If you need to identify the biological father of a child, the best avenue is through a DNA paternity test. This form of testing is unanimously accepted by courts across the country. However, what happens if someone is refusing paternity testing? It happens all the time, either the mother refuses to allow a potential father to take the test, or the father refuses to participate. Can someone legally refuse paternity testing?

Although social media has many redeeming qualities, social media seems to pick on everyone at some point. However, a favorite target appears to be the newcomers on the block, the Millennials. Also known as Generation Y, the term Millennials refers to anyone born anywhere from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. Regardless of the credibility of their social wrap sheet, there is one area that this generation seems to excel where other generations have failed; that is, they are decreasing the divorce rate.

You can quickly amass a large debt if you fall behind on making your required monthly child support payments. You will not only owe back child support, known as child support arrears, but Illinois will charge nine percent interest per year when you are 30 days late on making a payment. There can be serious consequences for parents who do not pay their child support, including:

Divorce is a stressful time for everyone involved. Emotions and tensions rise anytime anyone delves into the often uncomfortable, intimate details of their own personal life and finances, let alone a legal team. Additionally, the stakes of divorce are high, which increases defensive responses. When someone becomes defensive, they begin to behave in such a way as to better their potential outcome. In divorce, this often leads to concealed information, purposeful misrepresentation of a situation, and uncooperative third parties.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is headed for divorce with his wife after 25 years of marriage. Given that he is the richest man in the world, it may be the most expensive divorce the world has seen. If they follow the standard equitable division of marital property, his wife could receive around $68 billion in assets. Your divorce will not have this extreme level of valuable assets, but you can learn what to expect from a high-asset divorce by watching his case.

Planning a wedding is an intensely exciting time, during which every little detail brings you one step closer to saying “I do.” However, somewhere between the color scheme and the wedding march, it is important to remember that a marriage is the joining of two lives in their entirety. Not only will you be sharing a family and a home, but you will also be sharing in each others’ financial status, for better or for worse.

Shared parenting is more than a right that each parent has during a divorce. Numerous studies have concluded that children benefit when both parents take an active role in caring for and raising them. Children of shared parenting agreements:

The words “equal” and “equitable” sound similar enough that you could use them interchangeably, but there is an important difference between the words when it comes to divorce. According to Illinois law, the division of property during a divorce must be equitable but not necessarily equal. An equal division of property focuses on each spouse getting half of the marital property, while an equitable division of property is more concerned with each spouse getting a fair share.

When a marriage ends in divorce, it involves a series of difficult decisions, not the least of which are the decisions regarding property division. It would be more comfortable and less time consuming if a couple were able to discuss the matter amicably. However, many couples cannot agree when it comes to dividing property, assets, and debts. If you are unable to reach an agreement, a judge will do so for you. A judge will make their decision after weighing the following factors: