Marriage is not for everyone. While some people need to stand up in front of family and friends during a ceremony, others like to simply live together as husband and wife, without any documentation to back that up. This latter situation is known as a common-law marriage and although it may work for some people, it is important for anyone that enters into one to understand how to protect their rights.

During a divorce, any retirement account either spouse holds is subject to property division proceedings. These funds are some of the most difficult to divide and the process can sometimes be lengthy. These funds also require a court order that is separate from the divorce settlement agreement. To ensure that these assets are divided properly, individuals must work with a family lawyer that is familiar with how these assets are divided, and that can help you navigate through the process.

Businesses in Illinois divorces are typically considered marital property. Even if only one spouse operated the business, it is generally assumed that the profits from the business contributed to the needs of the couple, the children, and the household. Due to this, when one or both spouses operated a business during the marriage, it is subject to the property division rules of the state. Dividing a business is one of the most complicated aspects of any divorce and typically, there are three ways in which it can be done.

At some point during the divorce process, your spouse’s attorney may send you a notice asking you to appear at a deposition. A deposition is part of the discovery phase of a trial and it allows each side to obtain important information about a case. Along with your attorney and your spouse’s, a court reporter will attend your deposition and record everything that is said. If your divorce involves child custody matters, a Guardian Ad Litem may also attend.

Most people would like to know that once their divorce is finalized by the courts, it is truly over. However, that is not always the case and many spouses often want to modify court orders issued as a result of a divorce. Modifications are not granted easily by the courts. They will take a number of factors into consideration, such as the order an ex-spouse wants to be modified, and the reasons for changing it. If you have recently gotten a divorce and now wish to modify some portion of the divorce decree, below are some of the most important things to know when making changes.

Going through a divorce is difficult enough, and no one wants the process to drag on for a long time. It is for this reason that so many people choose alternative dispute resolutions rather than going to trial, which undoubtedly takes the longest amount of time. Alternative dispute resolutions include collaborative divorce and mediation, two methods of divorce that are often quicker than litigated divorces, but that are also largely misunderstood. So, if you are going through a divorce, what is the fastest way to do it?

When a couple gets divorced, they may be able to come to a mutual agreement about child custody arrangements, but that is quite rare. In most instances, the two spouses must go through child custody hearings, where a judge will award either sole custody, typically allowing the other parent reasonable visitation, or joint custody, in which both parents will receive custody of their child or children. Of course, during these hearings, you want the best result possible and there are some tips you can follow to ensure that happens.

Therapists are often a big part of the divorce process, particularly in child custody hearings. The couple seeking a divorce often have to attend therapy sessions if there are children involved, in the hope that the two may reconcile and prevent the children from going through the stressful divorce process. The children involved also often attend their own therapy sessions to help them deal with the fact that their parents are breaking up and to preserve their mental health throughout the process. Although therapists are very helpful in the divorce process, there are two tips to remember when…