Financial infidelity can be stressful in any relationship, but it can become even more stressful in a divorce. Here are a few signs that your spouse may be hiding assets from you:

1. You find unusual statements in the mail. This one can be the most obvious. If you have been getting account statements in the mail from banks or credit card companies that you are not familiar with, they could indicate that your spouse has an account with them that he or she has not told you about. 
2. Your spouse is controlling your joint bank accounts. This one could be harder to detect if your spouse is usually the one who takes care of the finances. If your spouse all of a sudden begins being secretive or controlling of your joint checking or savings accounts, it could be a sign that he or she is trying to conceal certain financial actions.
3. Your spouse has made unusually large purchases. You are probably aware of your spouse’s spending habits. If they are making unusual purchases or very expensive purchases, like cars or jewelry, without your knowledge, they could be attempting to underreport the costs of those items.
4. Your spouse has opened a custodial account. While this may seem like a responsible and preemptive thing for your spouse to do, it may have happened for the wrong reasons. Opening a custodial account under your child’s name and social security number can allow them to put away money while saying it is for your child.

A Hinsdale, IL Asset Division Lawyer Can Help

When you get a divorce, you will eventually have to divide community assets between you and your spouse. If your spouse has an array of assets that you are on aware of, he or she could be getting much more than his or her fair share. If you have reason to believe that your spouse is attempting to hide assets from you, you need help from a knowledgeable and aggressive DuPage County community property attorney. 

As remarriage after divorce has become increasingly common, more blended families or stepfamilies have emerged. According to the United States Census Bureau, over half of all American families were divorced and remarried or recoupled in 2010, which was the last major census year. Nearly 4 million children were living in a blended family or stepfamily in 2010. 

All families face their own challenges, but stepfamilies have a unique set of challenges that can be hard to overcome. Here are a few tips you can follow in order to make your experience in a blended family a good one:

1. Make Sure You Plan Accordingly

Stepfamilies do not form overnight. Ending one marriage and entering another can take months, if not years. You have plenty of time to think through logistics. Before you get remarried, you should make sure that your parenting plan from your previous marriage is sound and acknowledges that you are getting remarried. You should also make sure that if you are marrying a spouse who also has children from a previous marriage that he or she has planned as well.

Despite parents’ best efforts, children of divorce often feel a significant amount of stress during and immediately after the divorce process. Typically, when two parents divorce, one parent is the “main” caregiver that the child resides with the majority of the time and the other parent is granted specific parenting time, though this can be problematic for the child. In an effort to make this life transition easier for children, something called a “nesting” arrangement has been becoming more popular for families of divorce.

What Is a Nesting Arrangement?

In a nesting arrangement, both parents move out of the family home into separate living spaces. The children remain in the family home, and each parent comes and goes according to the parenting time schedule. Some parents share the separate living space as neither will be there at the same time, and some parents get different living spaces altogether. 

Benefits and Drawbacks of Nesting Arrangements

There are many things to consider when making the decision to partake in this arrangement, which some may regard as unconventional. Here are pros and cons of nesting arrangements:

Children whose parents are divorcing can have varied reactions to the news of the divorce. Depending on their age and maturity level, they may not understand what a divorce is let alone what it means. Some children react with feelings of guilt, thinking they are the cause of the divorce. Other children may fear that they will lose one or both parents because of the change. As the parent, it is your job to make sure that your child understands the situation so that they can have healthy reactions. Here are three tips you can use to help you tell your children about your divorce:

1. Tailor the Conversation to Your Child’s Level of Understanding

Younger children often do not understand the entire aspect of divorce. Most of the time, all they know is that mommy and daddy are no longer living together. When talking to younger children about your divorce, make sure you use words and concepts that they understand. Your conversation does not have to go into great detail, but it is important that you tell the truth. Older children will probably need a bit more explanation, however, you should avoid disclosing too much information so as to paint the other parent in a bad light.

2. Make Sure It Is the Right Time

It is usually recommended that all children be present when you decide to break the news -- the last thing you would want is for one child to hear the news from another. Also, do not tell your children too early that you are getting a divorce -- if divorce is not certain between you and your spouse, you should not alert your children about the issues.

Divorce is financially stressful in virtually all cases. Many American families rely on two incomes to make ends meet. When you divorce, your income is reduced to your income alone, which can mean big changes for your lifestyle. In addition to having your income reduced, your expenses also tend to increase. 

It is not impossible to achieve financial security after your divorce, but it can be difficult without taking the proper steps. Here are five ways you can take care of your finances after your Illinois divorce:

1. Take Inventory of Your Finances

When you are married, your finances become intertwined. The first thing you should do after your divorce is to take an inventory of your assets, liabilities, income and expenses. This will help you know where you stand when you move on to step two.