During a divorce, it is not uncommon for one parent to try to make the other parent look bad so that they do not receive any child custody. A parent may state that the other parent is violent, drinks too much, or uses illegal drugs. If you could relate to this situation, you may be asking yourself whether drug tests are legal in family court. Let’s take a closer look at the answer to this question.

Drug Testing Requested By the Judge

In the event a judge believes you or your soon to be ex have used or are using illegal drugs, they may order a drug test. The other parent’s actions in the courtroom or allegations in court documents may lead the judge to have this type of request.

Divorce can be particularly difficult when children are involved. The good news is that parents can make life easier for them by collaborating and ensuring the visitation process is as positive as possible. Here are several tips that are sure to help make visitation after divorce easier.

Be On Time

You should never be late when you are visiting with your children. By being on time, you can show that you truly care about your children and value the time you get to spend with them. During your visit, make it clear that your children are your priority by ignoring any phone calls or text messages you may receive.

Divorce can become very difficult when you have to co-parent with your ex who you do not get along with. Fortunately, there are ways that you can make co-parenting easier and become a great role model to your children. Here are five co-parenting tips you should keep in mind to make parenting a pleasant rather than daunting experience:

1. Lower Your Expectations

You cannot expect your ex to be the kind of parent you would like them to be. Doing so will only leave you disappointed and frustrated. Keep in mind that even if you believe they should be a better parent, you cannot control their parenting style and/or change their priorities.

Common wisdom states that 50% of all marriages end in divorce, although this isn’t exactly true. While the actual divorce rate is difficult to determine, it is likely somewhere between 40 and 50%. And that is not the only misconception people have about divorce. Since few people plan for divorce, they are often unaware of the legal aspects that come with dissolving their marriage. Here are some other myths that have sprung up around divorce:

1. Adultery is a factor in property division - Illinois is a “no-fault” divorce state, meaning the only reason necessary for divorce is that spouses have “irreconcilable differences.” Whether one spouse cheated on the other has no bearing on how marital property is distributed between the spouses. The one exception to this is if a spouse dissipated marital assets (that is, they spent money or incurred debt) while pursuing an affair, in which case the allocation of assets and debts during divorce may be adjusted to compensate for this dissipation.

2. The wife will get custody of the kids - In the past, husbands often acted as the breadwinner for their family, with wives staying at home to raise the children. This meant that wives would often retain primary custody of children following divorce. However, times have changed, and in most modern marriages, both parents work and share parental responsibilities. Child custody arrangements will likely reflect parents’ roles during the marriage, with either the mother or father having primary custody, or parents sharing parenting time equally.

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Parental alienation is a term used to describe intense hatred of one parent by a child that is caused by behavior by the other parent. Parental alienation can be incredibly effective over time, and if you suspect such behavior is taking place you should seek legal counsel and redress in family law court. If this type of behavior is not stopped, your relationship with your child or children may suffer irreparable harm. Be on the lookout for children who are angry at one parent, but who have no reason grounded in fact for their thoughts and feelings.

Examples of Parental Alienation

The following types of behaviors can lead to parental alienation: